Weight loss tips

2 min read

Losing weight and keeping it off isn't easy, but it has many benefits.

You may only need to make small changes to your lifestyle to maintain a healthy weight.

Obesity is linked to serious health problems and increases the risk of

type 2 diabetes
,
heart disease
and cancers of the
breast
,
colon
and
prostate
.

Most people who are overweight can blame their excess weight on eating more calories than they burn.

Weight loss tips

You can reduce your risk of weight-related health problems by losing weight through eating more healthily and doing more physical activity.

Top weight loss tips:

Why your waistline matters

Many doctors now believe that when it comes to your health, your waist measurement is important.

While knowing your body mass index (BMI) is a good way to work out if you're overweight, it doesn't tell the whole story.

BMI is a measure of how healthy your weight is for your height. You can work out what your BMI is by using this

BMI healthy weight calculator
.

If you have a high BMI, you're likely to be carrying extra fat. But your health could be at greater risk depending on where you store that fat.

Having a large amount of tummy fat (compared to fat around your bottom or thighs) makes you more likely to develop diabetes and heart problems.

A healthy waist circumference for men is less than 94cm (37 inches), and for women it's less than 80cm (32 inches).

Find out more in

What's your BMI?

Important: Our website provides useful information but is not a substitute for medical advice. You should always seek the advice of your doctor when making decisions about your health.