Lewis, 10, is enjoying life to the fullest having embraced healthier eating and exercise habits which have seen him lose 6kg in seven months.
He has achieved this with the help of the weight management clinic at the Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital. His mum, Helen, asked their GP about a referral to the clinic after she grew worried about Lewis’ weight, and wanted to learn about better exercise and nutrition for the whole family.
After learning that Lewis had too many carbohydrates in his diet, Helen started making positive changes to the family’s meals, such as including more fruit and vegetables in their meals, and serving up smaller portion sizes.
The clinic’s dietitians taught Lewis and his mum how to fuel his body with the right nutrition it needs to grow and develop. His siblings Patrick, 8, and Niamh, 5, too, are now also enjoying a healthier and more varied diet.
“My favourite treat/healthy snacks are homemade smoothies, or açai bowls if we are out and about,” Lewis said. “I’m being much more adventurous with my food.”
“At first, it was hard not being able to eat some of my favourite treats but now I’m loving feeling fit and healthy and getting to choose new clothes that fit me better!”
Lewis has made his family extremely proud, adopting new healthier eating habits such as waiting five minutes before eating to ensure he’s not boredom snacking.
While still an avid Xbox fan, he now balances this with more active hobbies like swimming and cycling.
“I’m feeling a lot more energetic and I’m really proud to be choosing healthier food options.”
