Brown Butterbean Motivation founder Dave Letele uses his inspirational life story to motivate Māori and Pasifika who are joining new free programmes to help them with weight and wellness issues.

From February Total Healthcare started inviting people to the programmes provided by BBM as a result of a partnership between the PHO, BBM and the Ministry of Health.

BBM provides motivation support, coaching, nutrition and exercise programmes to help invited participants.

Total Healthcare provides health coaches, health screening and medical support at BBM’s Manukau headquarters to support the initiative. It will also provide training of BBM staff in health coaching.

Mr Letele, who once weighed 210kg and now weighs less than half of that, told participants at the first session that if he could change his life, they could too with the same hard work and dedication.

He also spoke about being a good role model to whānau who watched what you were eating and doing.

Total Healthcare general manager Kate Moodabe, who joins in the programmes with the participants, says it’s heart-warming to hear from those taking part about their desire to make changes to take their life back.

Ms Moodabe says the PHO acknowledges the importance of collaboration and working in the community to make a true difference to people’s health and wellbeing.

BBM’s From the Couch programme is already successful in helping severely overweight people, particularly Māori and Pasifika, with weight loss and wellbeing improvements so it made sense to form a partnership with them, she says.

The Ministry of Health is providing $500,000 in funding over two years for the project and it will include evaluation by Massey University on the impact of the initiative.

* Pictured above is Total Healthcare PHO GM Kate Moodabe, third from right, joining one of the first classes that resulted from the partnership between the PHO, BBM and the Ministry of Health.