Childhood obesity is one of the UK’s most pressing public health challenges, with one in five Year 6 pupils already above their ideal weight. Early intervention matters, as healthy habits formed in childhood often last into adulthood – reducing severe health risks in the future whilst easing pressure on the NHS.
In Brent, ranked among the top 10 London boroughs for obesity in children aged 10 and 11, the situation is even more severe; 40% of children are above a healthy weight and nearly half of ethnic minority children are impacted. These figures highlight deep-rooted health inequalities that traditional, one-size-fits-all services have so far struggled to address.
Shona Okeke-Jackowski, Senior Public Health strategist at Brent Council, highlights the concern: “Childhood obesity is a national issue and a challenge faced by local authorities across the UK. Many public health teams are working hard to address this. Our goal is to focus on reducing health inequalities. In a borough as diverse as ours – with multiple languages and a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds – we recognise that access to healthcare, information, and support is not always equal.”
Our partnership approach
To tackle this growing public health challenge, we’ve been partnering with Brent Council since July 2022, delivering Beezee Families in Brent – free healthy lifestyle services designed to support families with children aged between 4 and 12 who are above their ideal weight on the NHS BMI chart. Over 12 weeks of in-person sessions, expert health coaches and nutritionists work with families to build healthy habits, empowering them to achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle through practical guidance.
To date, more than 200 residents in Brent have completed the programme, with 95% of participants reporting they now eat more fruit and vegetables whilst 97% have reported an increase in physical activity.
Most importantly, 90% continue to use resources from The Academy by Maximus, a behavioural‑science‑led digital platform designed to provide accessible, flexible support that fits around busy family lives to sustain healthier habits long‑term.
Collaboration and prevention at the heart
Central to our approach is strong collaboration and proactive prevention. By working closely with local public health teams, we ensure families have the tools and confidence to make healthy, sustainable choices.
Shona explains: “Our partnership is crucial because Maximus brings a level of community insight that the council alone cannot provide. They understand what works for families and combine this knowledge with evidence-based practice and behavioural science. This approach ensures programmes are culturally relevant, accessible, and tailored to real-life needs – helping families not only join but stay engaged, build sustainable habits, and achieve lasting positive outcomes.”
By partnering with local services and adapting to Brent’s diverse communities, we remove barriers and make healthy living accessible. Sessions are flexible and convenient delivered in community venues to meet families where they are.
Sharon Scott, Regional Operations Manager at Maximus, adds: “We’ve built a truly collaborative partnership, ensuring strong links to community services that can support families. Our goal is not a quick fix – it’s to help people live healthier lives for the long term. To achieve that, we make our programmes inclusive and accessible, with a workforce that reflects the local community along with multilingual support and tailored options.”
Building healthier futures
The programme isn’t just about education – it’s about meaningful transformation through habits families can sustain every day.
Natalia, Nutritionist at Beezee Families said: “Sessions are delivered in a group setting and usually include an hour of nutrition discussion followed by an hour of physical activity. The nutrition part covers healthy eating, snacks and food choices, while the activity sessions include dancing, warm‑ups and different sports each week such as football, basketball and skipping. Activities are designed to be fun, and participants are encouraged to join in at their own pace, with no pressure to take part if they are not comfortable. Families are shown simple activities that can be done at home, such as dancing, walking or skipping, with the aim of helping them build these into everyday life after the sessions.”
The impact of this approach is best seen through families’ experiences. Across Brent, families are seeing lasting changes in habits, behaviours, health, and confidence.
Aksana, contacted her social worker, concerned about her daughter’s weight. Struggling to sleep, Amelia would often snack late at night and drink a lot of fizzy drinks, leading to unwanted weight gain. The social worker and school nurse referred the family to Beezee Families to help them learn healthier habits together.
Aksana shared how learning to read food labels changed her family’s approach to shopping and eating: “I didn’t know about checking food labels before. Now I look at how much sugar there is. We try to make healthy choices – my daughter, Amelia, has started eating vegetables, which she never liked before. Beezee Families really helped us change our routine and make better decisions as a family.”
For Amelia, 13, the programme turned quick decisions into mindful choices: “Before, I just grabbed whatever food I wanted, but now I think before I choose. The habits stick with you – even after the programme ends.”
Whilst for Jaskaran, a simple assessment became the starting point for lasting change. Following a Year 6 NCMP (National Child Measurement Programme) review, the school identified that Jaskaran was slightly above the recommended BMI range. They contacted his father, Mohinder, and introduced him to Beezee Families, encouraging the family to join the programme to learn more about healthy lifestyle changes.
Mohinder explained how the programme has reshaped family life: “Before the programme, we didn’t know much about healthy eating or physical activity. Now we understand how to create a balanced diet and make better choices. The main agenda is to stay healthy, and we’ve made it part of our daily life.”
Mohinder’s son, Jaskaran, 11, described how small changes led to big improvements: “I used to play a lot of video games, but now I spend more time outdoors playing sports with my friends. I’ve started eating healthier foods because they give me more energy. It makes me feel better knowing I’m getting healthier.”
Collaboration that is transforming lives
These stories prove how the programme goes beyond weight management – it builds confidence, strengthens family bonds, and creates healthier communities. From learning to read food labels and understanding portion sizes to enjoying physical activity, families are making changes that last a lifetime.
Shona concludes: “As a commissioner, I would absolutely recommend working with Maximus. They are a brilliant organisation – professional, knowledgeable, and flexible. Over the past few years, we’ve seen hundreds of families complete the programme and go on to make lasting, positive changes, from eating more fruit and vegetables to becoming more physically active. Good health grows from the everyday choices we make, not a single moment. That’s the shared goal of both Maximus and Public Health Brent – to empower families to make those choices confidently, even when life is challenging.”
