MEND is a community-based programme for overweight and obese children aged between 7-13 and their families. The multi-disciplinary programme places equal emphasis on (M)ind, (E)xercise, (N)utrition. The Programme comprises 18 two-hour sessions, typically run in the early evening hours across a nine-week period during the school term.

MEND combines all the elements known to be vital in treating and preventing overweight or obesity in children. These include: family involvement, practical education in nutrition and diet, increasing physical activity and behavioural change. With an emphasis on practical, fun learning, the Programme is designed to deliver sustained improvements in families' diets, fitness levels and overall health. It is important to note that MEND is NOT a diet, and expressly does not encourage rapid weight loss. Rather, it is about empowerment: putting the child at the centre of a range of ways to make life changes in terms of physical activity, food, self confidence and personal development. By following the MEND principles, participants will lose weight naturally and thereby build a foundation for healthy living - for life.

Developed by leading experts in child health, MEND is both evidence-based &outcome-driven. The Programme's successful pilot, which showed statistically significant results in key measures, has been peer-reviewed and written up in the Journal of Human Nutrition & Dietetics (Feb 2005). MEND is currently being researched in the form of a multi-site Randomized Control Trial (RCT) at the Institute of Child Health at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London, the results of which will be presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Budapest on April 23rd. We anticipate that the RCT will form one of the largest bodies of evidence on the effectiveness of a child obesity intervention programme in the UK.

MEND has recently received an £8 million grant from the Big Lottery Fund, which will fund 1,610 MEND Programmes at 230 sites across England over the next four years, making MEND the largest integrated childhood overweight and obesity treatment and prevention programme in the UK and globally. In addition, local healthcare, education and other frontline staff will be given general training in childhood obesity. In addition, Sainsbury's has recently agreed a £3 million partnership with MEND, which will fund another 450 programmes benefiting 5,000 families across the next three years. Youth Sport Trust is partnering with Sainsbury's and MEND in this initiative through their School Sports Partnerships.

GPs Any GPs interested in referring children to a local MEND Programme, or who wish to find out more about how to set up a local MEND Programme in their areas, please contact MEND on 0870 609 1405, or at info@mendprogramme.org