1. MEND – Mind, Exercise, Nutrition…Do it! (a national perspective)
Suzi Woolcock
MEND Sustainable Outcomes Manager, MEND Central

2. Get involved – referral opportunity
What do we do when we identify a child that is overweight or obese?
National Child Measurement Programme
Copyright © MEND Central 2

3. Agenda Overview of MEND The MEND 7-13s Evidence Programme outline
Get involved
Referral opportunity
Delivery
Follow up support
Questionnaires 3

4. What is MEND? MEND is a child obesity organisation that provides:
– Evidence-based, family-oriented programmes to prevent and treat child obesity
– Training to frontline staff to build local capacity and skills
MEND’s mission
To enable a significant, measurable and sustained reduction in childhood overweight and obesity levels

5. Evidence-based age & stage-specific family weight management services
MEND Teens
Maternity MEND 0-1
MEND Lite
MEND Resources
Move It!
MEND 2-4
MEND 5-7
MEND
Obese
TREAT
Over weight
PREVENT
Healthy weight
Leader training
One day child obesity
awareness training
TRAIN

7. MEND today: Scope
£19 million project funding secured to 2010 to deliver 2,300 MEND Programmes at 310 sites with 150 lead partners:
29,000 families through MEND Programme (7-13)
1,000 families through Mini-MEND (2-4)
250,000 families exposed to Move It! (prevention)
7,000 healthcare professionals trained
8 Best Practice Conferences

8. Agenda Overview of MEND The MEND 7-13s Evidence Programme outline
Get involved
Referral opportunity
Delivery
Follow up support
Questionnaires 8

9. The MEND Programme
Designed for overweight and obese 7-13 year old children and their parents / carers
Targeted prevention and treatment programme
Intensive education and behaviour change: 10 weeks, 2 x 2 hr sessions / week, for both children and parents
Not a diet
Fun and interactive

10. MEND Programme evidence base
UK Research team
Dr Paul Chadwick
Prof. Tim Cole
Maria Kolotourou
Dr Margaret Lawson
Prof. Alan Lucas
Paul Sacher
Prof. Atul Singhal
Research programme
Feasibility
(Sacher et al, 2005)
Pilot
(Sacher et al, 2006)
Phase 1 UK RCT
(Sacher et al, 2007)
UK Roll-out
(June 2007–June 2008)
Phase 2 UK RCT
( )
International RCTs ( )
USA
Australia 10

11. The MEND Programme
Successful multi-site Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) at Institute of Child Health, University College London and Great Ormond Street Hospital
Results
Very high attendance and retention
RCT: 97% retention and 86% attendance
Significant improvements in multiple health indicators
No significant difference in outcomes across socio-economic indicators
Intervention group: 9-week MEND programme
Control group: delayed intervention (6 months)
Measurements at 0, 6 and 12 months
5 sites (4 urban & 1 rural) – separate teams
Sports centres & schools
Teams: dietitians, nutritionists, physiotherapist,
exercise trainers, PE teacher & social worker
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12. Indicative RCT results
UCL Institute of Child Health

13. 12 month findings www.mendcentral.org
Sacher, et al, Obesity, 2007:15,A92
Sacher PM, Chadwick P, Kolotourou M, Cole TJ, Lawson MS, Singhal A. The MEND Trial: Sustained Improvements on Health Outcomes in Obese Children at One Year. Obesity. 2007; 15:A92
UCL Institute of Child Health

14. MEND 7-13s outline 20 x 2-hour sessions (10 weeks) Introduction
Pre Measurement
8 Mind and 8 Nutrition theory sessions
Post- Measurement
Farewell 14

15. Land and water-based exercise15

16. Supermarket tour 16

17. Who wants to be a Healthionaire?

18. Fruit & vegetable tasting18

19. Agenda Overview of MEND The MEND 7-13s Evidence Programme outline
Get involved
Referral opportunity
Delivery
Follow up support
Questionnaires 19

20. Get involved – referral opportunity
What do we do when we identify a child that is overweight or obese?

21. Get involved – How to refer
Health Professional referral
Local care pathways for children’s weight management services
Promotion for self-referral
Flyers in school newsletters
Flyers during consultation
Media
Letters to families

22. Refer online 22

23. Family registration Register families www.ommsonline.org/register.html
Call  0800 230 0263 
Local  registration 
NB: MEND Programmes are not appropriate for children with serious medical, developmental, psychiatric or physical conditions

24. Delivery of Programme Theory leader Kit – includes: 2 day training
Best practice conferences
Online learning
Kit – includes:
Manuals
Posters
Programme handouts
Children’s packs
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25. Get involved - Post- Programme support
Central
Membership, password protected website and magazines, behaviour change tools
Local
Weekly exercise sessions
Transition to community health and activity programmes
Getting support
Follow up measurements
6,9,12, 18 and 24 months
BMI and waist circumference
Target: overweight, obese & at risk children or families
Multicomponent: play and physical activity, dietary modification and nutritional education, healthy habit development and behaviour change (NICE guidance, 2006, SIGN, 2003, AAP, 2007)
Group based: face to face
Group size: 8 to 16 children and families
Delivery team: 2 to 3 members of staff
Duration: 2 years (10 weeks treatment, transition and maintenance)
Multi-site field trial: January 09
2nd phase field trial: April 09
Available nationally September 09
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26. MEND 5-7 years
What do we do when we identify a child that is overweight or obese aged 5-7 years?
MEND 5-7s

27. Setting up a MEND Programme
Contact us

28. Major partners
NHS Direct
CGOU Change4Life

29. Delivery partners

30. Thank you!