It wasn’t all planned. “I slipped into this task by accident,” says Hanna-Kathrin Kraaibeek and smiles. But of course the Pinneberg native is also proud that overweight children and young people are now being helped in 22 German cities with a program that she developed seven years ago. She called it “move & eat & more” because it reflects the triad of exercise, nutrition and psychological counseling. “Weight loss clinics” also offer this. But there the children lose weight outside of their usual environment, return home – and put it back on again. This is exactly what Hanna-Kathrin Kraaibeek wants to prevent. “Our method is a project for the whole family ,” says the nutritionist.
A course at “move & eat & more” lasts three to six months. The group of eight to ten children meets once a week for two hours. They keep nutrition logs, talk about successes and failures and do sports together. Once a month it’s the parents’ turn, also with intensive advice and joint cooking classes. “Serious weight lossalways involves a change in lifestyle,” says Kraaibeek, who spent all her pocket money on sweets as a child. Prohibitions alone are useless. “We don’t demonize anything. Eating is something great and beautiful, as long as we consciously enjoy it.” The reality is different in many families. Hardly anyone cooks anymore, but eats quickly and casually. “Most children have a sense that something is wrong,” says Kraaibeek. Almost two million people in Germany are considered overweight. A bold number, but don’t let that discourage you. “I’m always happy when the children and parents can trust me the first time they meet me and honestly describe their situation. This is the first step in working together,” says the 46-year-old full of energy and emphasizes:
Diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, postural and joint damage – doctors are having to make such diagnoses earlier and earlier. This entails high treatment costs, as Hanna-Kathrin Kraaibeek saw as a health consultant at a health insurance company. She wanted to do something about it, resigned and opened a practice for nutritional advice in Münster. “At the time, I was surprised at how many children and young people came to see me,” she recalls. Today, the concept is also in demand by numerous clinics. That’s why Kraaibeek travels a lot – and knows how difficult it is to eat a balanced diet despite the pressure of deadlines. “Sometimes I only put the very quick and not always healthy dishes on the table myself,” admits the stew lover, “I sometimes fight with myself too.” Info: Tel. 04101/3 73 22 35, www.move -eat-more.de
