Strengthen healthy habits in the family with Børn i Balance (Children in Balance)
Would you like support in achieving a healthier lifestyle for your child and your family? Children in Balance helps guide you, with a focus on strengthening self-esteem and wellbeing.
What is Børn i Balance (Children in Balance)?
Børn i Balance is a weight-neutral, family-focused programme for parents who have a child in grade 0-2 with overweight (age-adjusted BMI > 30). The programme includes conversations about goal setting, motivation and changing habits. During these conversations, parents gain knowledge about nutrition and physical activity, as well as tools to help create lasting lifestyle changes.
The programme is free of charge and is delivered by health visitors (sundhedsplejersker) affiliated with the Børn i balance initiative.
The aim of the programme is to create lasting lifestyle changes for the whole family. The Børn i Balance initiative seeks to support parents in achieving a healthier lifestyle that benefits everyone in the family, while also strengthening the child’s self-esteem and wellbeing.
What happens in Børn i Balance?
The programme is individually tailored, and participation is possible for up to four years. The initiative is primarily aimed at parents, as lifestyle changes are seen as a parental responsibility. For this reason, the conversations usually take place without the children.
As a rule, Børn i Balance is weight-neutral, meaning that the child is not weighed or measured during the programme. The health visitor service (Sundhedsplejen) follow the Danish Health Authority’s recommendations for weighing and measuring growth in schools, as there is a desire to avoid stigmatising children with overweight.
The programme consists of a combination of home visits and consultations at the health visiting service or at the school, planned in collaboration with the family.
The content of the conversations includes, among other things, goal setting, motivation and changing habits. The programme is based on the official dietary guidelines, and families will gain knowledge about nutrition, physical activity and tools to create lasting lifestyle changes.
Would you like to know more about Børn i Balance?