Healthy Weight and Healthy Eating

Being overweight can put your health at risk. Losing even a small amount of weight can make a big difference.

Healthy weight and healthy eating

Every little bit counts. Losing 1-2lbs (1/2-1kg) per week is ideal. As little as 12lb (5kg) can help you to:

Feel better.
Build your confidence.
Feel less tired.
Increase your energy levels.
Move about more easily.
Reduce breathlessness.
Reduce back and joint pain.
Lower blood pressure and cholesterol.
Reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Small changes make a big difference

Weight gain is all about how much energy (calories) you take into your body through food and how much energy your body uses. Making small changes every day to reduce the calories you take in and increase the activity you do will help you manage your weight. It is easier to fit small changes into your day-to-day life than to change everything in one go.

Tips for getting started: better eating:

Eat three meals each day and reduce the size of the portions.
Start the day with cereal and a piece of fruit or a glass of fruit juice.
Have at least five portions of fruit or vegetables every day.
Take a packed lunch if this helps you to have a healthier meal.
Plan ahead for your family food shopping and meals.
Avoid extra snacks and drinks containing fat and sugar.
Have plenty to drink, including water.
Try to avoid using food as a reward or for comfort.

Tips for getting started: becoming more active:

Aim to cut down on activities that involve little movement, such as watching television and using the computer.
Add a little activity as part of your daily routine - use the stairs rather than the lift, get off the bus one stop early, walk up escalators.
Find times in the day when you can take a brisk walk - several 10 minute walks are as beneficial as one longer walk.
Identify ways of becoming more active as a family - try walking, swimming, cycling, dancing or playing together in the park.
Make activities part of your social life - meet up with a friend or neighbour for a daily walk.
Think of ways of becoming more active that you will enjoy, like dancing, bowling or gardening or contact your local GO Active Coordinator at www.getoxfordshireactive.org for more advice and support

Where can I get help with my weight?

There are lots of people who may be able to help. The best places to start looking for information are your doctor's surgery, local library or leisure centre. You can also visit www.nhs.uk/livewell for more information and helpful online search resources. The site also has a useful tool to search for local support services. There may be some independent slimming organisations in your area such as Slimming World, Rosemary Conley or Weight Watchers.
www.weightwatchers.co.uk
www.slimmingworld.com
www.rosemaryconley.com

If you're worried that your weight may be affecting your health, go to see your GP or Practice Nurse. They will be able to judge by checking your height and weight and by talking to you about your lifestyle, whether you need to take any action. If so, they may refer you to a weight management support service in the community or a clinic run by the practice.

Oxfordshire weight loss and lifestyle service (OWLS)

OWLS weight management courses are facilitated by dietitians and psychologists and run for 12 sessions over 12 weeks. After the completion of the 12 week course, individuals are offered monthly reviews for a further nine months. The course combines the best evidence on sustainable dietary changes for losing weight with a cognitive-behavioural approach to help members understand the ways in which thoughts, feelings and behaviour are linked.

Our groups provide a friendly and relaxed atmosphere to find out what works for you. In addition to understanding how to lose weight, learning the skills we need to maintain weight loss is a key part of the course. The courses run in community locations across Oxfordshire with daytime and evening sessions.

People with a body mass index (BMI) over 40kg/m2 (or over 38kg/m2 for people of Asian origin) may be eligible for the service. Those with a medical condition that could be improved by losing weight and with a BMI over 35kg/m2 (or over 33kg/m2 in Asians) may also be eligible. You must be 16 years old or older, registered with a GP in the Oxfordshire area and have tried to lose weight before. If you think you would benefit from using OWLS then contact your GP or practice nurse to discuss this in more detail.

Alternatively please contact the OWLS team on 01865 910210 to find out more about the course or visit the OWLS webpage.

Health trainers

If you live in specific areas of Oxford City and Banbury and you want to start making changes to lead a healthier lifestyle, then help is already at hand from two teams of fully trained Health Trainers who can guide and support you through the process. See the Health Trainer section of this website for more details

Worried about your child’s weight?

Children are all different – shape, height, weight – and grow at different rates. There isn't just one healthy weight so two children of the same age and height can look very different.

Whatever weight or height they are it is important that they eat properly and get plenty of exercise. This will help to build a healthy body for their future life. Too much fat now and they are at much higher risk of developing heart disease or diabetes later. Even if they are underweight now, it is really important that they still eat well and have lots of exercise. Being overweight causes many problems for children and young people. It can affect their health now and into the future, it can affect their self esteem and can lead to anxiety, depression and may even affect how well they achieve at school.
If you think your child may be over or underweight go and see your GP, school nurse or health visitor. They will measure and weigh your child and decide if you should take any action.

MEND blf logo

MEND - helping children who are overweight!

Children struggling with weight problems can learn how to live a healthier lifestyle during a free 10-week course designed to get them fit and help them understand more about the food they eat. We run the MEND (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition ... Do it!) programme in Banbury and Oxford. This FREE healthy lifestyle course focuses on overweight 7 to 13 year olds and their families. There are up to 15 places on each course which is worth £400 per child but provided completely free of charge on a first come first served basis. The MEND Programme is the UK's largest healthy lifestyle programme for overweight children and their parents. Rather than focusing on weight loss, the programme uses a practical interactive learning approach to teach children and parents weight management skills. This includes inspiring families to adopt a healthier lifestyle and enjoy preparing and eating healthy foods as well as reading food labels and healthy shopping on a budget. There are also simple but exciting sessions which focus on making exercise fun again - especially for children who are not fans of traditional school sports.
The MEND Programme has proven results. Young people who take part change body shape, reduce their waistlines and achieve a healthier weight for their age and height, which results not only in them being healthier and fitter but also gaining in self esteem and confidence.

Next MEND programme

Contact Judith Yeo or one of the team on 01865 235421

Or visit www.mendprogramme.org and click on 'Join a MEND Programme'
Places on the MEND Programme are offered on a first come, first served basis. Please note a parent or carer must accompany each child to every session.

Staying a healthy weight

If you want to keep your families weight at a healthy level, you should all follow a healthy balanced diet and keep physically active.

Having a healthy balanced diet means you should:

eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, at least five portions of a variety every day
base your meals on starchy foods, such as potatoes, brown rice and wholemeal bread
have just moderate amounts of meat, fish and other good sources of protein
have some dairy foods such as cheese, milk and yoghurt - choose lower fat options whenever you can
watch how much salt you're eating â€“ the most anyone over the age of 11 should be having is six grams a day (or 2.5 grams sodium)
watch out for high fat or high sugar snacks and drinks, and don't have them too often.

If as a family you're rushing about between work, school, doing homework and seeing friends, it's very tempting to grab foods that are quick and easy to eat, which may mean they're loaded with fat and sugar. Make sure you have healthy snacks on hand and regularly make the time to sit down for a healthy meal as a family.

Children and Young People should be physically active for at least one hour a day and physical activity may include walking, cycling, active play or formal sports and organised activities.

Encourage them to spend less time watching TV and playing on the XBOX and more time being outside and active! Activity should be fun. Have a go, and if you don't like it - try something else. There are lots of different things to choose from. Try doing things as a family like playing football in the park, going on cycle rides and walks - activities that can keep everyone fit and healthy!

Change4life logo

Change 4 Life

Change4Life is a new movement supported by the Department of Health, which aims to improve children's diets and levels of activity so reducing the threat to their future health and happiness.

If you'd like to help your kids stay healthy and happy, join Change4Life at http://www.nhs.uk/change4life or call 0300 123 1044. They will send you lots of great stuff including information packs with tips on exercise and healthy, easy meals to cook. Plus, they'll be packed with all sorts of great events coming up.