Obesity and Healthy Weight

Weight is a sensitive subject. Body weight is shaped by many interacting factors: health conditions, medicines, disability, mental health, genetics, sleep, stress, environment, income and access to suitable food or safe places to be active. None of that is a personal failing.

This page offers respectful, trustworthy information for anyone thinking about their own weight, supporting a family member, or looking for NHS options. It is not here to judge anyone's body.

"Overweight" and "obesity" are medical terms used by health services to describe when a person is carrying more body weight than is generally healthy for them. Support may be helpful when weight is starting to affect physical health, mobility, mental wellbeing, or the treatment of another condition — or simply when someone wants a healthier routine.

Support looks different for different people. Small, realistic changes that fit real life tend to work better than dramatic short-term diets.

Carrying extra weight over time can be linked with a higher risk of certain health conditions. That does not mean everyone will develop them — many people who are above a "healthy" BMI live in good health, and many people in the "healthy" range still develop these conditions. The picture is complex.

Conditions sometimes linked with weight include:

• Type 2 diabetes.
• High blood pressure.
• Heart disease and stroke — see Coronary Artery Disease.
• Sleep apnoea and other breathing problems during sleep — see Sleep.
• Joint and mobility difficulties, including osteoarthritis.
• Some cancers.
• Fatty liver disease.
• Effects on mental health and emotional wellbeing, especially when someone has experienced weight stigma.

If you are living with any of these conditions, your GP can talk about how weight may or may not be part of the picture, and what support is available.

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a screening measurement calculated from height and weight. It is used across the NHS as a starting point, not as a diagnosis.

BMI has real limitations. It does not perfectly account for:

• Muscle mass — people who are very muscular can have a high BMI without excess fat.
• Body composition, disability and different body shapes.
• Pregnancy.
• Different ethnic backgrounds — some groups face higher health risks at lower BMI values, so the NHS uses adjusted thresholds.
• Older adults, in whom slightly higher BMI can sometimes be protective.

Waist measurement is often used alongside BMI, because fat carried around the middle can carry more health risk. A GP or practice nurse can talk you through what your measurements mean for you.

Please use the official NHS calculator rather than any homemade tool: NHS — Calculate your BMI. It gives adult and child results with the correct adjustments.

Children and young people are still growing. Adult BMI ranges do not apply to them. Instead, children's weight is checked using an age-and-sex-adjusted BMI centile that compares them with others the same age.

If you are worried about a child's weight, please:

• Speak to a GP, school nurse, health visitor or other trusted health professional.
• Focus on family-wide healthy routines: regular meals together, a variety of foods, active play, screen limits and steady sleep. Changes are for the whole household, not one child.
• Talk about health, energy and how bodies feel — not appearance, dieting or "good" and "bad" foods.
• Praise effort, kindness, curiosity and skills — not body size or weight loss.

Do not put a child on a restrictive diet or use weight-loss medicines without specialist medical care. In children, unsuitable dieting can affect growth, nutrition and mental health, and can increase the risk of eating disorders.

For calm, trusted guidance, see the NHS page Advice for parents of overweight children. Related pages: Nutrition, Physical Activity, Sleep and Mental Health.

Support is usually offered in a stepped way, matched to the person's health, preferences and local NHS services. Options may include:

• Healthy eating. Small, realistic changes such as more vegetables and fruit, higher-fibre carbohydrates, less ultra-processed food, and sensible portion sizes. See Nutrition.
• Physical activity. Regular movement that fits your body, health and life — walking, swimming, gardening, cycling, chair-based exercise or adapted sport. See Physical Activity.
• GP and dietitian support. Personalised advice, checks for related conditions, and referral where appropriate.
• NHS or local weight-management programmes. These vary by area and may include Tier 2 community programmes and specialist Tier 3 services.
• Psychological and behavioural support. Talking therapies can help with emotional eating, low mood, anxiety, body image and past experiences of weight stigma.
• Prescription weight-management medicines. Some medicines can be prescribed on the NHS for eligible adults, always alongside diet, activity and behavioural support. See NHS England's guide to medicines for obesity.
• Weight-loss (bariatric) surgery. For some people who meet strict medical criteria, surgery can be offered as part of specialist NHS care.

Eligibility for NHS weight-management services, medicines and surgery depends on individual medical assessment and local NHS arrangements. Your GP is the best starting point.

Please talk to a GP if any of these apply:

• You have rapid, unexplained weight change (up or down) that you cannot account for.
• You are worried you or someone you love may have an eating disorder — this includes restricting food, bingeing, purging, or feeling that eating and weight dominate your thoughts.
• Weight is affecting an existing health condition (for example diabetes, blood pressure, joints, sleep or heart health).
• You are worried about a child's growth, eating pattern or wellbeing.
• You want safe, personalised advice and information about NHS services in your area.
• Weight or body image is affecting your mental health.

Use Find Local Services to locate your nearest GP, or see GP Services for tips on booking and preparing for an appointment.

• Nutrition — everyday food and drink for the whole family.
• Physical Activity — movement adapted for health conditions and disabilities.
• Diabetes — type 2 diabetes and remission.
• High Blood Pressure — checks, targets and treatment.
• Coronary Artery Disease — heart health.
• Sleep — including sleep apnoea.
• Mental Health — emotional wellbeing and support.
• Osteoarthritis — joint pain and mobility.
• GP Services — appointments and what to expect.

Main sources used on this page:

• NHS — Overweight and obesity in adults
• NHS — Advice for parents of overweight children
• NHS — Calculate your BMI
• NHS England — Medicines for obesity
• NICE CG189 — Obesity: identification, assessment and management

This page provides general information and cannot diagnose a condition or replace professional medical advice. Always speak to a GP, dietitian or other qualified health provider about your own or your child's health.