Weight is only one part of your health story. Body mass index (BMI) compares weight with height and helps healthcare professionals screen for possible health risks. However, it cannot distinguish body fat from muscle or show where fat is stored, so it should be considered alongside waist measurement, blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, fitness, medical history and ethnic background.
Living with overweight or obesity — particularly carrying excess fat around the waist — can make the body work harder. It may increase inflammation, blood pressure, cholesterol and insulin resistance. Over time this raises the risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack, stroke, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease and other long-term conditions.
Excess body fat is also linked to at least 13 types of cancer. This does not mean that everyone with a higher weight will develop cancer or cardiovascular disease; it means that their overall risk is increased.
Weight can also affect sleep, breathing, joint comfort, mobility, energy and participation in everyday life. However, body weight does not determine happiness, character or personal worth. Weight-related stigma can itself damage mental health, so care should always be respectful, supportive and free from blame.
Looking after your weight is an act of self-care, not a punishment or a search for perfection. Regular movement, nutritious food, sufficient sleep, emotional support and appropriate clinical treatment can improve health even before there is substantial weight loss. For most adults, a waist measurement of less than half their height is a useful additional goal. BMI thresholds also need adjustment for some ethnic groups, because health risks can develop at a lower BMI.
Simple ways to reach and maintain a healthy weight
Begin with one achievable change and practise it until it feels natural.
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Build a balanced plate
Half your plate vegetables or salad, one quarter protein, one quarter higher-fibre carbohydrates such as wholegrains, beans or potatoes with their skins.
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Choose water most often
Replace sugary drinks, energy drinks and frequent fruit juice with water or unsweetened drinks. Liquid calories add up without making you feel full.
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Eat regular meals
Skipping meals may leave you extremely hungry later. Plan regular, nourishing meals and snack only when you are genuinely hungry.
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Include protein and fibre
Beans, lentils, eggs, fish, lean meat, plain yoghurt, vegetables, fruit and wholegrains help you feel satisfied for longer.
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Make portions work for you
Start with a modest serving, eat slowly, and pause before having more. Stop when comfortably satisfied, not uncomfortably full.
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Eat with attention
Sit down, remove screens where possible, and notice the taste, the pace and the amount. It takes time for your brain to recognise fullness.
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Make healthier choices easier
Keep fruit, vegetables and nutritious snacks visible and available. Buy fewer foods that you find difficult to limit.
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Move in ways you enjoy
Walking, dancing, cycling, swimming, active play and gardening all count. Build gradually and reduce long periods of sitting.
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Protect your sleep
Poor sleep can affect appetite, food choices, mood and energy. Keep regular sleep and waking times, and ask for help if problems continue.
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Understand emotional eating
Stress, boredom, sadness and tiredness can feel like hunger. Pause and ask: am I physically hungry, or do I need rest, comfort, movement or support?
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Measure progress wisely
Notice changes in energy, fitness, sleep, mobility, waist size, blood pressure and how clothes fit — not only the number on the scales. If weighing yourself causes distress, use other measures.
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Plan for difficult days
A less healthy meal or an inactive day is not failure. Return to your next helpful choice without guilt. Consistency matters more than perfection.
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Ask for professional support
Medicines, health conditions, hormones, disability, mental health, genetics and social circumstances can all affect weight. Speak to your GP, practice nurse, dietitian or pharmacist.
The ISH healthy weight journey: six weeks
This is not a strict diet or a race to lose weight. It is a journey towards healthier routines, better energy and greater self-care. Choose progress, not perfection. If one day is difficult, begin again with your next choice.
Before you begin
- I want to care for my health because…
- My one personal goal — more energy, moving more comfortably, improving my blood pressure, protecting my heart
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Week 1
Drink for health
Make water your main drink. Begin each morning with a glass of water, replace sugary drinks, carry a reusable bottle, and notice how your energy and appetite feel. Add lemon, mint, cucumber or berries to make it more interesting.
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Week 2
Build a colourful plate
Fill half your main plate with vegetables or salad. Eat at least two different colours at each main meal. Choose whole fruit instead of juice more often, and try one new vegetable this week.
- How many natural food colours did I eat today?
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Week 3
Find your comfortable fullness
Sit down to eat whenever possible. Put screens away during one meal each day. Eat slowly and taste your food. Pause before a second serving, and finish when comfortably satisfied rather than overfull. Take three calm breaths before your first bite.
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Week 4
Move with joy
Begin with a ten-minute walk, dance or activity every day. Break up long periods of sitting, take the stairs where it is safe and suitable, and invite a friend or relative to join you. Increase gradually according to your ability.
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Week 5
Plan your environment
Plan a few meals before shopping. Keep fruit and nutritious snacks where you can see them. Avoid shopping when very hungry. Serve food onto a plate instead of eating from the packet, and keep less nutritious foods for occasional enjoyment.
- Tomorrow's healthy choice, prepared tonight
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Week 6
Protect sleep, mood and progress
Keep a regular bedtime and waking time. Notice when stress, boredom or tiredness feels like hunger, and choose a non-food comfort: music, a walk, rest or conversation. Write down one health improvement you have noticed, and select three habits to continue.
- Today I cared for myself by…
- Three habits I will keep
Do I have more energy? Am I sleeping or moving better? Do I feel more in control of my choices? Which habits can become part of my life?
Important for different ages
- Children and teenagers should focus on healthy family routines, growth and wellbeing — not unsupervised dieting.
- During pregnancy, older age, frailty, illness or recovery, weight loss may be inappropriate.
- If you live with an eating disorder, or a medical condition, ask a healthcare professional whether weight loss is appropriate before making major changes.
Weight is only one measure of progress. Energy, fitness, sleep, mood, mobility, blood pressure and confidence matter too.
You have been shown what is happening inside you. This is where you can go back to it — as often as you like, at your own pace, and read about the things that shape it.
Go inside