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. We anticipate that this will form one of the largest bodies of evidence on the effectiveness of a child obesity intervention programme in the UK.

GPs

Please contact MEND on 0870 609 1405, or at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it if you would like to refer a child to a local MEND Programme in your area.

Parents

If you have an overweight or obese child and would be interested in joining a MEND Programme with your child, please contact the MEND team on 0870 609 1405, or at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it to see if we have any programmes running in your area, and to see whether your child qualifies based on age, weight and health.

PCTs and Local Authorities

If you are interested in running a MEND Programme in your community, please contact MEND’s Development Director, Ulla Stauch, who would be happy to work with you to get a programme started in your local area. Ulla can be reached on This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it