Family and Child Nutrition, Child Weight or Obesity Treatment and Support

by EatWell Dietitians in Kew, Melbourne

 

Claire has completed additional training in Paediatric Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Melbourne and has worked with children, families and Child Health Nurses. She has also been actively involved in nutrition promotion programs aimed at children including a program to improve awareness of breastfeeding, a program to increase knowledge about getting child nutrition off to a healthy start and a comprehensive school nutrition promotion program.

Claire is also a mother to two growing boys and is aware that getting children to eat what we would like them to isn’t always easy! There are many challenges facing parents, especially with varying nutrition needs within the families, health or behavioural problems which impact on eating behaviour, food advertising, school canteens, availability of so many fast food options, the child obesity epidemic. On top of that, families are busier than ever, so problems with child eating behaviour or weight concerns can sometimes feel overwhelming.

We can help your family work on nutrition issues by listening to your concerns, objectively assessing your child's nutritional intake and growth (if appropriate) and provide advice the whole family can work on together to restore the enjoyment to family meal times.

Individual Consultations for Families and Children

There are several reasons a family might be referred to a Dietitian experienced with child nutrition in the community. Perhaps you want to get your family on a path to healthier eating? Perhaps you want some ideas for budget meals that will meet your families varying nutrition needs. Perhaps you are concerned your child is underweight or overweight? Perhaps there are specific nutrition issues which could include:

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• Poor eating behaviour and food fussiness
• Limited range of foods that the child will eat (this is common in Autism Spectrum Disorders and Sensory Processing Disorder)
• Concern about being underweight or poor growth
• Concern about a child being overweight
• Food allergies and intolerances
• Concern about adequate intake of essential nutrients
• Chronic Diseases
• Constipation
• Iron Deficiency Anaemia

We can listen to your concerns, professionally assess your child’s nutritional status and work with you to trial some practical strategies for improvements in nutrition and family eating behaviour. We can also advise about family and child friendly recipes, snacks, eating out and school lunches. In some cases, we may recommend a referral to a specialist clinical paediatric dietitian, but this would be discussed with you when you first make contact with us.

To enquire or book a consultation, phone 03 9853 4910 or

Information about individual consultations is also available on the services page. Health fund rebates may be available depending on your level of cover.

Preventing and Managing Child Obesity

Child obesity is reaching epidemic proportions in developed countries such as Australia and the US. An estimated 20 to 25% of children and adolescents in Australia are overweight, and a quarter of this group is obese. Obesity presents many problems for children, and takes a toll on their physical and psychological health. It's important in addressing child weight concerns, that it is done in a positive way focused on the overall health of the child and family, rather than in a way that can do harm to a childs self esteem. The weight loss methods that adults use for themselves are also typically not recommended for children. Children have special needs because they are still growing and developing.

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Our approach is a family centred approach, where the wellness of the entire family is the focus, and the child does not feel singled out. Claire can work with your family to make these family-centred changes in food preparation, meal and food enjoyment, developing positive eating behaviours and activity which will promote a healthier lifestyle and self-esteem in the long term.

Contact Claire to enquire or book a consultation for family or child nutrition.

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"your trusted source of professional evidence based nutrition advice and programs"

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