TWO teenagers are ditching junk food for a healthier lifestyle – and they are getting the rest of their families to do it too.
Blacon 13-year-olds Clarice Burns and Madison Piercy are part of the first intake of families on the MEND programme, which provides advice on healthier lifestyles, with the aim of trimming the excess inches.
They have been attending sessions at Total Fitness in Chester twice a week with their mums to learn how to shed their excess pounds for good.
Clarice’s mum, Rachel, 33, said: “The programme has completely changed the way we eat. Before, we would have processed food like burgers, chicken nuggets, crisps and pot noodles. Now I use proper egg noodles and we have Quorn burgers. The children even have stir fries, something they’d never tasted before.”
Part of the strategy behind MEND – which represents Mind, Exercise, Nutrition and ‘Do-it’ – is to teach families how to make educated choices about the food they eat and the way they cook it.
Rachel added: “I can see a difference in the way Clarice looks but there’s also been a change in her attitude – she has much more get-up-and-go whereas before she was happy to sit and read a magazine or watch TV.”
Madison’s mum, Sharon, is similarly impressed: “Madison’s had a weight problem since she was about 10. Other kids can be very cruel so it is an issue for her.
“I think the main problem is lack of exercise, but now I’ve got her walking home from school – and that’s over two miles - and she’s also using the trampoline we have in the back garden.
If you are interested in finding out more about MEND, log on to the website www.mendprogramme.org where there are details of how to take part.
