What is Q4?

Background

Q4: Live Outside the Box commenced as an initiative of a group of Central Coast agencies aiming to raise community awareness about the components of our daily lives that contribute to overweight and obesity in children and young people. These include, but are not limited to television watching, computer games, and takeaway and convenience foods.

It aims to promote practical ideas for including more daily physical activity and healthy eating habits into our lives.

A major component of the project has been a school based activity where students are provided with information and resources to record aspects of their behaviour that may influence their body weight. The record is kept over a 1 or 2 week period and students attempt to maximise points scored by reaching benchmarks. There are primary school and junior high school versions of the activity. Between 2004 - 2008 over 63 thousand primary and high school students have participated in Q4 Live Outside the Box activities. Primary schools in Northern Sydney joined in for the first time in 2007 with 10,000 students from 42 schools participating. The NSW Departments of Education and Health have cooperated to create the Live Life Well @ School Program for NSW primary schools. As part of this program the Live Outside the Box Passport activity will be offered to all Year 5 and 6 school students in 2009.

People often ask what does Q4 stand for? Q4’s are questions designed to get you thinking about why the obesity rate in Australia is increasing and what we need to do to address it.