Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight can improve your overall health and reduce your risk of conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and some cancers. Even small, sustainable changes to your diet and physical activity can make a big difference.
There are many trusted sources of advice and support available to help you make healthy lifestyle changes.
Local support
If you live in Leeds, you can access a range of free services to help you improve your health and wellbeing:
- Leeds Healthy Living Service – Offers free support with healthy eating, increasing physical activity, weight management and making long-term lifestyle changes.
- Stop smoking – Provides health and wellbeing advice, including support with healthy eating, physical activity, stopping smoking and reducing alcohol intake.
- Leeds MindWell – Information on how mental wellbeing, emotional eating and healthy lifestyle choices can support overall health.
- Forward Leeds - Free and confidential support to help you with alcohol and drug support
NHS support
The NHS provides evidence-based advice on:
- Healthy eating and balanced diets
- Weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight
- Physical activity and exercise
- NHS weight management programmes
- The free NHS Better Health website and app, which offer meal ideas, recipes, activity plans and practical tips to help you lose weight safely and sustainably.
Weight Management
Do you need to lose weight? There are a number of online resources and local clinics that you can access without having to see your doctor for a referral.
Not sure if you need to lose weight then try out this Weight calculator
NHS Digital Weight Management Programme - This free online or app based programme lasts for 12 weeks and is designed for those living with obesity who also have diabetes, high blood pressure, or both. You will need to be referred to the programme by a GP or healthcare professional, such as a pharmacist.
Leeds Specialist Tier 3 Weight Management Service offer a 12 month programme led by a multi-disciplinary team of experienced healthcare professionals.
There are also private services (that you would need to pay for) such as Weightwatchers and Slimming World who both provide popular classes locally.
Weight loss injections:
To qualify for weight loss injections (such as Mounjaro/tirzepatide) on the NHS in Leeds, you must be under a specialist Tier 3 weight management service. Eligibility is strictly limited to adults with a BMI of 40 or more (or 37.5 for certain ethnic groups) who also have at least four diagnosed obesity-related conditions.
Qualifying weight-related conditions include:
- Type 2 diabetes
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Cardiovascular disease (heart disease, stroke)
- Obstructive sleep apnoea
- Dyslipidaemia (high cholesterol)
In Leeds and the wider West Yorkshire area, you cannot directly ask your GP for an immediate prescription, as local guidance dictates these treatments must be initiated by specialist hospital teams. The rollout is being phased and waiting lists for specialist services can take 12 to 18 months. If you meet the criteria, you must also be willing to participate in a comprehensive, structured support program covering diet and physical activity.
Support for children:
NHS Choices excellent guide on what to do if my child is overweight.
Children’s Complications of Excess Weight (CEW) service is located in Leeds and covers the whole of the West Yorkshire region. The service aims to support children, young people and their families who are struggling to achieve a healthy weight. For more details about who can be referred into this service, email leedsth-tr.paediatricweightmanagement@nhs.net
Need extra support?
If you would like help with managing your weight, healthy eating or making lifestyle changes, please contact the practice. We may be able to refer you to our Social Prescribing Team, local lifestyle services or discuss whether additional support would be appropriate based on your individual needs.