Frequently asked questions

The Go4Fun Online program runs for 10 weeks during the school term. Each week, children and parents/carers learn to develop new skills to create and maintain a healthy lifestyle through healthy eating and physical activity, that is suitable for the whole family. The online program includes:

1. Fun weekly online learning and activity sessions
2. Weekly phone coaching sessions with a health professional
3. Regular mail outs during the program including handouts, recipes and equipment to help families be healthy and active
4. Great freebies for the kids including a reward prize at the end of the program!
5. Weekly targets and challenges
6. Email and SMS support and reminders
7. Support and encouragement from other Go4Fun families via the Go4Fun closed Facebook group

Families login to their account on www.go4funonline.com.au every week to complete a learning and activity session at a time that is convenient to them.

After completing the online session, families will speak to their Go4Fun coach in their scheduled weekly appointment time and discuss how they are progressing towards achieving the weekly targets.

No. On Go4Fun there are no foods that are ‘banned’ or restricted. Instead, the program provides information and support to help families make healthier choices now and for the rest of their lives. The program covers a range of nutrition topics such as the five food groups, processed versus unprocessed foods, fats and sugars, and how to read food labels, but it is certainly not a diet with lots of rules and restrictions – it’s just about becoming fitter, healthier and happier!

Go4Fun Online includes information and activities in the weekly online modules, including why it is important to be active and the things that families can do to be more active every day.

The program also includes weekly targets, challenges and missions that encourage children to be more active, plus children receive a range of resources throughout the program, such as balls and activities cards.

Each of these elements is supported by the weekly coaching calls with your Go4Fun coach, who will talk to you about how your healthy eating and physical activity changes are going.Your coach will give you some helpful tips and tricks if you’re having trouble achieving your targets.

To participate in Go4Fun Online, you will need access to a device that has an internet connection. If you don’t have a laptop or personal computer, you can also access the program through a tablet or smartphone. If you don’t have your own computer, tablet or smartphone you might be able to visit a friend or family member, or you could complete the online sessions at your local library.

Go4Fun may also be available in your area as a face-to-face program in a group setting. For more information, visit www.go4fun.com.au or call 1800 780 900.

Each week you will have an online learning session to complete which will usually take between 20 and 40 minutes to complete and a phone coaching session with your Go4Fun coach for about 30 minutes.

Throughout the program you will have different targets, challenges and missions to complete. Some of these will be slight changes to your everyday habits that won’t take much time at all, and others may require more time and planning.

The tokens chart you will receive before the program starts outlines all the targets and challenges for the program, so you will have lots of time to plan the various activities.

We recommend that families try to stay on track with the Go4Fun sessions and calls each week to get the most out of the program.

The program is designed to teach you different things each week, and then build on that learning through the weekly targets, challenges and missions. By following the program schedule you’ll have a few things to do each week, but it shouldn’t be overwhelming.

We understand that sometimes you won’t be able to complete a session, targets, challenge or call on time and that’s okay. Get back into it as soon as you can and your Go4Fun coach can support you to catch up.

If you miss a week of Go4Fun, don’t worry! When you can, complete the next online session and do your best to participate in your next coaching call.

Your Go4Fun coach will be able to support you and provide advice to help you get back on track.

If you wish to stop Go4Fun Online after you have started, you will not be able to re-start again later in the term. If something comes up that is preventing you from completing Go4Fun, let your Go4Fun coach know and they’ll be able to talk to you about your options and the best way forward.

Unfortunately, you are not able to pause Go4Fun.

If something comes up that is preventing you from completing Go4Fun, talk to your Go4Fun coach and they’ll be able to discuss your options and the best way forward.

Go4Fun is a family-based program, therefore it is essential that every child has a parent or carer participate in the program with them. Ideally, this is someone who lives with the child and is responsible for food planning, preparation and routines at home. Someone who can guide and support the child through program activities and targets whilst also participating in the parent/carer activities.

Foster carers, aunts and uncles, grandparents etc who are caring for a child are welcome to participate in the program in the parent/carer role, however, a parent or legal guardian will need to sign the child up and provide consent for them to participate.

As Go4Fun Online is designed for families to complete at a time that is convenient to them, online sessions and activities are available 24 hours, 7 days a week.

Go4Fun phone coaching sessions will be scheduled Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays) at a time to be arranged with your Go4Fun coach.

For general enquiries or IT support Go4Fun coaches are available Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays) between 9am and 5pm. Call us on 1800 780 900 or email us at contact@go4fun.com.au

Go4Fun Online is delivered on behalf of NSW health by the Better Health Company (www.betterhealthcompany.org)

Go4Fun is funded by the NSW Ministry of Health and managed under the NSW Healthy Children Initiative at the NSW Office of Preventive Health. Go4Fun Online is a free program for kids and families who meet the program eligibility requirements.

One in four Australian children are overweight or obese and this can lead to various chronic health conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. There is also a 25-50% chance of childhood obesity leading to adult obesity, so preventative action during childhood is really important.

Weight gain occurs when the energy intake from food and drinks exceeds energy expenditure from physical activity and other body processes. Fortunately, many of the causes of overweight and obese children can be changed, like diet and physical activity.

Yes! Go4Fun has been delivered face-to-face in a group setting across New South Wales since 2009. To find out more about the face-to-face program or to find a program near you visit www.go4fun.com.au or call 1800 780 900.

No, you do not need a referral for your child to participate in Go4Fun Online. All eligible children within your family can be signed up to Go4Fun Online.

If you are a health professional working with a family who meet the eligibility requirements of Go4Fun and would like to refer them to the program, referral forms are available in Medical Director, Best Practice, Communicare and Titanium.

Alternatively, visit www.go4fun.com.au or call 1800 780 900 for a copy of the referral form.

To join Go4Fun Online click on the ‘Sign up’ link in the menu bar at the top of the Go4Fun Online homepage. You will need to provide details on your child’s age, height and weight, as well as your address and personal contact details.

Alternatively, you can call the Go4Fun team on 1800 780 900.

Yes! You can sign up all eligible children within your family to Go4Fun Online. At the bottom of the sign-up page you’ll have the options to ‘sign up another child’. You can continue to add registrations until all eligible children are included, before you click on ‘complete my registration’.

If you sign up multiple children to the program you will only be required to complete one online session and coaching call for the family each week, however more time can be allocated to your call if required. The Go4Fun Online website is customised so that you can switch between children to complete the surveys and to see how many tokens each child has earned.

Unfortunately, children who do not meet the eligibility criteria cannot sign up, however we encourage the whole family to participate in the weekly sessions, targets and challenges, so siblings can still be involved.

Go4Fun Online is FREE for children aged 7-13 years who are above a healthy weight, living in New South Wales.

A participant report will be available for you to download at the end of the program. The report will detail the changes your child has made during the program, including their measurements and eating and physical activity habits.

In some cases, children who have already completed a different version of the Go4Fun Program can register for Go4Fun Online.

To find out more about the requirements for re-entry into Go4Fun please call the Go4Fun team on 1800 780 900.

Re-entry into Go4Fun Online will be granted in some cases, however, families will not receive duplicate resources for the same child.

If you’d like to complete Online again, please contact Go4Fun on 1800 780 900 to discuss this further.

Go4Fun Online has a private Facebook group for families who are completing the program. This is a place where families can connect with one-another, share ideas and talk about their Go4Fun journey.

To be eligible for Go4Fun Online a child must be:

• 7 – 13 years old
• Above a healthy weight
• A New South Wales resident

Unfortunately, children and families who do not meet the eligibility criteria are not able to participate.

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure of weight status and is used to determine whether a person is a healthy weight, below a healthy weight, or above a healthy weight.

‘Above a healthy weight’ is a body mass index (BMI) above that recommended for a child of a specific age, height and sex.

Children who may be above a healthy weight for their height and age include those who:

• Wear clothes sizes for an older age group
• Spend more than two hours watching TV or on the computer etc per day
• Are physically active for less than one hour per day
• Eat unbalanced meals, large portion sizes or more than one unhealthy snack per day.

To determine if your child is within or above a healthy weight, go the weight status calculator at www.go4fun.com.au. You can also call the Go4Fun team on 1800 780 900.

Go4Fun Online is specifically designed and funded for children who are above a healthy weight, so unfortunately Go4Fun Online is not available to children who are a healthy weight.

Healthy weight siblings can still be involved as Go4Fun encourages the whole family to participate in the weekly sessions, targets and challenges.

For information on being active or healthy food ideas for the family go to www.makehealthynormal.nsw.gov.au

If you feel that you or your child need further support, advice or guidance, we suggest you speak to you doctor or another health professional.

Go4Fun Online is specifically designed and funded for children who are 7-13 years old, with nutritional information and physical activity requirements in the program specific for this age group. Unfortunately, Go4Fun Online is not available to children who are outside this age range.

For information on being active or healthy food ideas for the family go to www.makehealthynormal.nsw.gov.au If you feel that you or your child need further support, advice or guidance we suggest you contact your doctor or other health professional.

Go4Fun Online is open to families residing in New South Wales who meet the eligibility requirements.

For information on being active or healthy food ideas for the family go to www.makehealthynormal.nsw.gov.au

If you feel that you or your child need further support, advice or guidance we suggest you contact your doctor or another health professional.

If your child has any medical conditions that may affect their ability to participate in the program, you may wish to seek guidance from your child's doctor before starting Go4Fun Online.

If you are unsure of the program’s suitability for your child, please call the Go4Fun team on 1800 780 900 to discuss your child’s medical conditions further.

You will be required to complete a medical questionnaire at the start of the program to inform us of any existing medical conditions.

That is not a problem. Go4Fun Online will encourage your family to try a variety of foods from different food groups throughout the program. If any of the foods recommended in the program aren’t suitable for your family, you can substitute them with foods that you can eat. When you start the program your Go4Fun coach can discuss this with you in more detail and provide suggestions if needed.

Depending on the child, Go4Fun Online could be more suitable for children who have additional needs compared to the Go4Fun face-to-face programs. All children have unique learning styles and families with additional needs children may enjoy the flexibility and distraction-free environment of Go4Fun Online. For children who struggle with focus or attention, sessions can be paused and replayed; children can also spend more time working on activities and sessions as there is no time limit to finishing a session. Videos and interactive games are great for visual learners too.

To participate in Go4Fun Online, all children will need to have basic literacy, numeracy and language skills. For children with mobility issues, physical activity targets and games can be tailored to suit your child’s abilities.

If you are unsure of the program’s suitability for your child, please call the Go4Fun team on 1800 780 900 to further discuss your child’s needs.

If you feel that you or your child need further support, advice or guidance, we suggest you contact your GP or other health professional.

The Go4Fun coaching calls usually take 15-30 minutes, depending on how you’re going with the program and any questions you may have.

If there are multiple children in your family registered for Go4Fun you might have a longer call to talk about how each child is going.

At the start of the program, a Go4Fun coach will be assigned to you. Go4Fun coaches are health professionals such as nutritionists, counsellors, and exercise and fitness experts. They have been trained to support your family through all aspects of the program. You’ll get a chance to find out a bit more about your coach and ask questions during your welcome call.

You don’t need to have a Facebook account to participate in Go4Fun Online. But if you do, you will have access to a private closed group where you can talk to other Go4Fun Online families and share stories or tips.