A CANBERRA nurse is leading the charge against obesity by launching a free 12-week turnaround program for overweight clients at risk of potentially life-threatening diseases.

Primary health care nurse practitioner Chris Helms, of West Belconnen Health Co-operative Ltd, has created a new Lifestyle Modification Program that screens, counsels and treats clients with a high body mass index who are at risk of or have chronic diseases such as diabetes or heart disease.

The program targets those unable to afford expensive dieticians, fitness programs or gym memberships.

Chris, who specialises in chronic disease, says his clients work once a week with experienced dieticians and psychologists who donate their time to the program free of charge.

“We talk about different things, one week it might be the impact of diabetes, self-perception, the psychology of supermarkets or education on things like cardiovascular disease,” says Chris.

“Most of our clients are doing it tough financially, so I always felt it was important to ensure people didn’t have to pay any out-of-pocket expenses and there was no financial barrier to them getting to grips with their health issues.”

Chris says the program focuses on “setting realistic goals.”

“The point is, yes you can make some significant changes in 12 weeks, but this is really a foundation for long-term change… it’s about lifestyle modifications and adjusting your life,” he says.

The program has had an “overwhelming” impact on clients so far, who on average have up to five chronic diseases arising from obesity, including sleep apnea or cardiovascular disease.

“We caught a lot of people who were just on the cusp of diabetes, or developing diabetes, and didn’t know it, which wouldn’t have been caught if we hadn’t done this,” Chris says.

“As far as early intervention strategies, this has been a huge success. We follow up with personalised screenings and then keep in touch with clients — using podcasts and a discussion board — so they can stay informed and motivated. We can then refer them on to specialists or give them medical advice.”

This month Chris was the only person in the ACT to be named as a finalist for the HESTA National Primary Health Care Awards, with judges commending his work on the program. Winners will be announced at a ceremony in Melbourne on June 6 and share in a prize pool of $30,000.

“When they called I was awestruck, I thought they were exaggerating but it turns out my co-workers dobbed me in… it actually reaffirmed to me that I’m doing the right thing,” Chris says.

Originally from the US, 38-year-old Chris moved to Canberra three years ago and says nurses are still “relatively misunderstood” in Australia.

“I think nurse practitioners are still finding their place in the country, as you see more of us, especially coming out and developing the job,” he says.

“There’s a balance between what we can offer and what a GP can offer, and I think when people can see that balance, and when we’re working together like this, it’s a beautiful thing.”

For more information visit westbelconnenhealth.coop/