Kick-Start for kids

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Andrew and Brendan Maysfield never go without; their mother Jane says their favourites are McDonalds and KFC. Now the boys want to kick-start their weight loss in a bid to improve their health.

Ms Maysfield has tried to improve Andrew and Brendan's diet but nothing seems to work and it's the long-term effects of her children's obesity that concerns her the most.

"I'm worried that they'll eventually get diabetes like myself and have all sorts of other health problems, because they're both asthmatics as well and the weight doesn't help that at all," she said.

These insatiable siblings are sadly part of a growing epidemic: one in three of our children are overweight and that figure is rising rapidly.

At 120kg, Ms Maysfield, 39, is also in the same boat.

Her Kick-Start program has just arrived in the mail and she's hoping some major changes will soon follow.

Of course we'll chart her progress in the coming weeks - but what about her boys?

For Andrew, 14, the seeds were sewn early but change is on the way. At around 178cm tall, he weighs 117kg.

Brendan, 11, weighs 72kg and is about 152cm tall.

These boys are the first to embark on the Kick-Start program for children.

Kick-starting the children on the road to weight loss is dietician Geraldine Georgeou.

"Kick-Start for kids is definitely not about soup; it's all about learning balanced eating," she said.

"We need to know where low-glycemic foods fit in, about good fats and low fats and controlled portions."

Shopping smarter for your kids

Ms Georgeou showed Ms Maysfield how to shop smarter for her boys, making those simple switches to low-GI products to kick-start their weight loss.

She recommends at least three or four pieces of fresh fruit per day - great at snack time.

When it comes to breakfast, Ms Georgeou says high-fibre cereals such as WeetBix with low-fat milk are a good low-GI way to start the day.

She also recommends multi-grain bread for sandwiches.

Another lunchbox idea is rice crackers instead of chips and after school, melted low-fat cheese on toast is a delicious treat.

Ms Georgeou has faith the Maysfield boys - and many other children - can do it.

It will be hard but if they stick together they're well on their way.

For the Kick-Start faithful, the children's menus are worlds away from Kick-Start stage one.

Instead, they're closer to Kick-Start stage two but tailor-made for kids.

Kick-Start for kids sample plan

Here's a sample of the week-to-week low-GI eating plan Ms Georgeou has designed for the boys.

• Starting on Monday the boys can have porridge with low-fat milk, toast and Vegemite and one piece of fruit for breakfast.
• For lunch, a salad sandwich using wholegrain bread, with low-fat cheese and some fruit.
• For dinner it's meatballs and pasta with salad and some fruit to top it off.

The Kick-Start for kids plan, created by Geraldine Georgeou, is recommended for children aged between 11 and 14. To contact accredited practicing dietician Geraldine Georgeou call 0414 585 559.Always seek guidance from a health professional such as your general practitioner, pediatrician or accredited practicing dietician before making any changes to your child's diet if you are concerned about their food intake.For the Kick-Start for kids meal plan, recipes and fact sheet click on the links below.''Disclaimer
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