The X Programme offers support around health, weight and wellbeing for families and children of all ages. It was first introduced in NHS Highland in 2009 and has now been updated for 2021! The primary goals are around developing healthy relationships with food and eating, nurturing support and communication within the family, enjoying being physically active, play and praise, and building confidence and long term self-care and overall positive health and wellbeing.
Children’s health and weight in the Scottish population is a priority for the Scottish Government. This programme has been developed to satisfy the Scottish government’s Core Dataset for Tier 2 and Tier 3 Weight Management Services for Children/Young People and Adults in Scotland introduced in October 2019 (Health Scotland, 2019). It will also work towards the Scottish Government pledge to half Childhood obesity by 2030.
The X Programme is flexible in its delivery to individuals, families or groups. The overall aims of the programme are to promote self-efficacy and self esteem, and improve skills and knowledge in order to achieve sustainable improvements in diet and activity levels, rather than an ideal weight. The goal for most children is not to lose weight, but to maintain their weight or reduce their rate of weight gain while their height increases, thereby achieving an appropriate, proportional and healthy developmental rate of growth over time. This can only be achieved and sustained by empowering families to make the necessary changes to their lifestyle, underpinned by a behaviour change approach to diet and activity.
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NHS Highland are happy to share the X Programme resource, but please contact us beforehand to ensure proper use.