Children’s nutrition and wellness is a core part of yoghurt brand Chobani’s philanthropic focus. It was these values that inspired Chobani to support The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) Weight Management Service.

“The Weight Management Service at RCH does amazing work with a holistic view of providing support, right through from treatments to education and support, which aligns closely with what we believe in,” said Jelena Radisic, Digital & Communications Marketing Manager.

The RCH Weight Management Service has been in existence since 2012 and is the central hub for the management of childhood obesity in Victoria.

The specialised multidisciplinary team at the clinic care for infants, children and adolescents and helps them, together with their family, to better understand the complex nature of childhood obesity and the associated health concerns.

Over the past five years the Weight Management Service has doubled the number of obese children receiving initial assessment from 300 per year to over 1000 and reduced the waiting time from over two years to approximately four months.

Chobani’s $15,000 donation to the Weight Management Service will go towards supporting the costs of the program, which relies entirely on philanthropic support.

“Chobani’s contribution assists in supporting our team members to continue to provide care to young people and their family through their weight management journey,” said Daniella Tassoni, a Dietician at RCH.

“At present one-in-four children and adolescents in Victoria are overweight or obese. Despite this, there is no government funding available for a dedicated multidisciplinary weight management service. This makes philanthropic support essential to the continued success of our service in supporting the community to improve health in the short and long-term,” said Daniella.

Since Chobani’s inception in 2005, philanthropy has been intrinsic to the organisation, which see a portion of all profit going towards a number of philanthropic initiatives across the community.

“We look for the right relationships with charities and organisations. We want to see our support making a real difference and impact so the RCH was the right fit for us,” said Dejana.