Support to lose weight
Why should I lose weight?
Losing weight will help you feel better, inside and out so you'll be healthier and more able to fight diseases like cancer, heart disease and now, Covid-19. Making simple, small changes to what and how much you are eating and drinking, as well as getting more active (see our Being active pages), can really help you lose the pounds.
What is a healthy weight?
To be a healthy weight, you should aim to have a Body Mass Index (BMI) below 25 and above 18.5. This is slightly lower for Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups who, to reduce the risk to their health, should aim to have a BMI below 23 and above 18.5.
If you don’t know what your BMI is, you can work it out on the easy-to-use BMI healthy weight calculator on the NHS website.
Tools to help you lose weight
- The NHS Weight Loss Plan is a free 12 week diet and exercise plan that helps you develop healthier eating habits, be more active and to start losing weight. It can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play. See the NHS website for more information.
- Delicious, healthy meal ideas are available on the the Easy Meal App which can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play.
Get support to lose weight and eat healthily
If you or your family feel that you need to lose weight, and you have a BMI over 25, then you can access free support across West Sussex from our Wellbeing teams. Although they can't provide face-to-face consultations at the moment, the trained advisors can offer tailored advice, support and motivational interviewing via the telephone. Contact your local wellbeing team to book a telephone appointment.
Weight management support for children and young people has had to be put on hold during this present crisis but you will find healthy eating information for infants, children and pregnant women on the West Sussex Family Assist website.