Losing weight can be a challenge but there are many health benefits and there is lots of help and advice to help you maintain a healthy weight.

You can reduce the risk of heart disease, colon and breast cancer, and type 2 diabetes.

Losing a few pounds will also lower your cholesterol and blood pressure, reduce stress on your joints, improve your breathing, reduce fatigue and help you sleep better.

Making small, simple and sustainable changes to your lifestyle, what you eat and drink, and doing some exercise can make a real difference.

Diet and exercise

There is no single rule that applies to everyone, but to lose weight at a safe and sustainable rate of 0.5 to 1kg a week, most people are advised to reduce their energy intake by 600 calories a day.

For most men, this will mean consuming no more than 1,900 calories a day, and for most women, no more than 1,400 calories a day.

The best way to achieve this is to swap unhealthy and high-energy food choices - such as fast food, processed food and sugary drinks (including alcohol) - for healthier choices.

Reducing the amount of calories in your diet will help you lose weight, but maintaining a healthy weight requires physical activity to burn energy.

As well as helping you maintain a healthy weight, physical activity also has wider health benefits. For example, it can help prevent and manage more than 20 conditions, such as reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes by 40 per cent.

Try and get more active when you can a few times a week.

Support near you

Medway Council provides advice for adult weight loss including free access to local people to weight management apps, classroom-based programmes and 'Man v Fat' football leagues.

Kent County Council runs One You Kent weight loss support. One You Kent offers professional and friendly support to help you achieve your weight loss goals with a free 12-week programme for people who live in Kent. You will be offered weekly support to learn how to manage your weight through healthy eating, physical activity and behaviour change.

You can also self-refer to the free One You lifestyle service. Confidential, one-to-one sessions can help you take the first steps towards a healthier lifestyle.

Active Kent and Medway has information on getting more active, making lifestyle changes that will benefit the whole family.

Find out more about support for families on the Kent Family website, including support for families to get active, eat well and how to talk to children and teens about weight.

Support from your GP practice

If you are living with obesity, your GP can also offer you advice about improving your lifestyle and losing and managing your weight safely.

If you have tried a number of weight loss approaches and your weight is having a significant impact on your life, your GP practice can refer you to a hospital consultant who will give you advice if you have severe or complex weight issues.

The advice and support available depends on various factors, like your body mass index, other health conditions and age. Surgery and medication is sometimes available but under strict criteria. Such intervention is only considered when all other options to help you manage your weight have been considered.

GPs can also give you access to the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme.

NHS services available without referral

The NHS Better Health Programme, is open to everyone, provides tips, support and special offers, including access to the free NHS weight loss plan app.

If you meet the criteria you can also sign up to Healthy Living, a free, online NHS programme that supports people to live well with type 2 diabetes: Healthy Living for people with type 2 diabetes. 

Weight loss medication

Access to weight-loss medication in primary care must be accompanied by a behavioural support for obesity prescribing service, which will include support for people to make dietary changes and to increase physical activity. Both patient and clinician also have to agree it is the most appropriate option and the right treatment for the patient.

While some weight-loss drugs are now available in specific circumstances, medication should only be offered where appropriate. While these drugs are approved as safe, medication is not entirely free of risk.

The criteria have been set by NHS England to make sure priority patients can access the medication. Your general practice will not be able to prescribe this medication to you for obesity unless you meet the criteria.Mounjaro can be prescribed by GP/Primary Care practices in Kent and Medway and specialist weight management services. . Wegovy can only be prescribed by specialist weight management services when used for the management of obesity.

The criteria for the consideration of the prescribing of weight-loss (Mounjaro) medication for obesity in primary care are that patients must have a BMI (body mass index) of 35-plus and four or more of the following diagnosed health conditions:

·       type 2 diabetes

·       high blood pressure

·       heart disease

·       obstructive sleep apnoea

·       abnormal blood fats (dyslipidaemia)

If there are exceptional needs, the current referral criteria for the consideration of the prescribing of weight-loss medication for obesity under a Specialist Weight Management Service is a BMI (body mass index) of 40-plus and four or more of the following diagnosed health conditions:

·       type 2 diabetes

·       high blood pressure

·       heart disease

·       obstructive sleep apnoea

·       abnormal blood fats (dyslipidaemia)

The BMI threshold for is slightly lower for people from a number of ethnic backgrounds, due to an increased risk of other health conditions.

If you think you may fit these criteria for weight-loss medication please contact your GP practice.