To refer an eligible child between 7 and 13 years over a healthy weight, please register them here or use the referral form found here. You can fax the form to 1300 325 301, or email it to us at contact@go4fun.com.au . 

All referrals (by phone., email, fax or software) are followed up by the centralised service provider.

Nominated and referring health professionals will be kept up to date with participant information throughout the program and will receive a report at completion.

Go4Fun is a free community based program for NSW children aged 7-13 years who are above a healthy weight. It’s delivered by trained facilitators including qualified health professionals e.g. dietitians and exercise physiologists.

Go4Fun takes a multi-disciplinary approach that includes:

• Family involvement
• Increasing physical activity
• Practical education in nutrition and diet
• Behaviour change and goal setting.

Our aim is to support children and their families to adopt a healthier lifestyle by improving dietary habits, fitness and confidence.

Parents/carers are required to attend all 10 sessions.

There are a number of resources available to you, including:

• Referral pads
• Brochures, magnets, posters for your practice
• RACGP webinars with CPD points
• Video testimonials from past participants.

We’d love to tell you more and have flyers, posters, magnets and referral pads and other specific resources  available for health professionals. Please get in touch on 1800 780 900 or email us on contact@go4fun.com.au. Some brochures and posters are available here. To order additional resources click here.

Go4Fun only runs for 10 weeks, so changes may be small, but they are significant. Importantly, children make changes to health-related behaviours, which can then modify their weight status trajectory.

On average, children who complete the program achieve:

• A decrease in BMI of 0.5 kg/m2
• A decrease in waist circumference of 1.2 cm
• Increased physical activity of around 3.6 hours per week
• A decrease in sedentary behaviours by 3.1 hours per week
• Improved fitness, with recovery heart rates decreasing by 4.2 beats per minute
• Statistically significant improvements in self-esteem
• Greater fruit and vegetable intake
• Less intake of occasional foods.

6 month follow up has shown the program to be effective with statistical improvement in weight status (BMI – z-score) compared to baseline.

Any children you refer must be:

• Between 7 and 13 years of age
• Above a healthy weight (≥ 85^th BMI percentile for age and gender)
• Accompanied to each session by a parent or carer
• NSW residents.

At the end of the program, participants and their nominated health professionals get a report detailing the changes to the child’s health since they joined Go4Fun.

Parents and carers are provided with information on community clubs and programs available in their local areas, and are encouraged to check them out when their child’s Go4Fun sessions finish.

Go4Fun is available in NSW only, but there may be similar services in other states.

Go4Fun® is run by qualified health and community professionals (like dietitians and exercise physiologists).Leaders undertake specific Go4Fun training which includes  group facilitation and anthropometric measurement training. Aboriginal Go4Fun leaders must also undertake NSW Health Respecting the Difference: Aboriginal Cultural Training.

Programs are located across NSW.

Specific locations are updated each term here. 

Our typical venues include school halls, council facilities, community halls and local recreation facilities like parks. All program sessions are usually at the same venue, except for a supermarket tour.

If families are unable to make it to a face to face program, we also have an Online program. More information can be found here.

• It’s not always easy to tell if a child is a healthy weight for their age and height. Children and teenagers need to grow, but they are healthiest if they stay within a certain weight range as they grow. This is called a healthy weight for their age.
• You can find out if a child or teenager is a healthy weight for their age using the healthy weight calculator. This calculator can be used for children and teenagers from 2 years through to 18 years of age.
• https://go4fun.com.au/why-join/weight-status-calculator/

When speaking to children above a healthy weight and their parents, it’s important to use sensitive language, for example, ‘above a healthy weight’ instead of ‘overweight’. It may be helpful to raise the issue using clinical resources, which can:

• Engage families
• Explain weight status
• Set expectations
• Set goals
• Guide ongoing management.

The Healthy Kids for Professionals website has a range of weight management resources for health professionals, including Conversations Starters: https://pro.healthykids.nsw.gov.au.

There’s a common belief of some parents that puppy fat is harmless. However, we know that extra weight in childhood can mean:

• Higher rates of depression
• Lower self-esteem and body image
• Less success at school
• Being bullied at school
• Increased risk of being overweight as an adult
• An increased risk of cardiovascular disease and overall mortality by middle age.

There is one two-hour session each week for 10 weeks. In the first hour of each session, children and parents or carers learn about nutrition together. In the second hour, they play game-based activities while their parents or carers attend a behaviour modification session.

This face-to-face version of Go4Fun is adapted from the standard option to be more culturally appropriate for Aboriginal communities. Aboriginal Go4Fun is delivered in partnership with Aboriginal organisations.

If a parent or carer can’t be present, a responsible adult such as an aunt or grandparent can attend sessions with the child.

Go4Fun Online has been developed for families that can’t attend a face-to-face program. Geographical barriers, working families, custody issues or additional needs are some of the reasons a family might prefer Go4Fun Online.

There are 10 weekly online modules, plus phone calls from our team to check each family’s progress. Each participant receives resources to support the program, and we also set weekly goals, encourage participation in the online community, and communicate with participants via text messages as well as by phone and online.

Yes.  Go4Fun will update you of your patient’s progress when they start and complete the program. Go4Fun and local delivery teams will also be in touch if a family drops out, or chooses not to take part in the program after you have referred them. If you haven’t heard from your local program manager please use the Contact Us function on this website and we will follow up.

There are occasionally reasons why a child might qualify for re-entry with a health professional referral. These might be:

• Custody issues
• Special family circumstances
• Illness
• Emergencies
• A child’s weight has increased with time.

Please note, there is a six-month waiting period between program attendances if a child qualifies for re-entry.