Managing your weight

Eating well, moving more, and getting your weight on track has many health benefits.

These include  reducing your risk of developing health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.

Support for managing your weight

There is a range of support available nationally and in Tower Hamlets to help you to achieve a healthy weight.

Community weight management service

The service is for residents or those registered with a GP in Tower Hamlets or people who work or study in the borough. You must:

• be aged 18 or over
• have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more, or
• have a BMI of 27.5 if you are South Asian.

Weight Action Programme by Queen Mary University of London

Weight Action Programme is a free 12-week in-person or online (via Zoom) programme run by specialists from the Health and Lifestyle Research Unit, Queen Mary University of London.

The programme helped over 40 per cent of participants to lose at least 5 per cent of their body weight at one year.

Here is some information to help you to decide whether the course is for you. There are several good ways of managing one’s weight. Unfortunately, none of them works for everybody. Fortunately, there is a way to try several of them to see which one works for you.

• Over the first eight weeks of the course, participants are given a series of tasks. They practice each task for at least the following week
• If the method worked, they continue to use it; if it did not work or was too difficult, they can abandon it
• This provides a good chance of finding at least some routines that can be adopted long-term. The tasks are then practiced for another four weeks under supervision
• Participants work on their tasks with ‘buddies’ and report to their group on both their successes and their failures
• If you join the course, you will have to commit to adhering to each of the tasks for at least one week. In addition, throughout the course, there is a gradually increasing exercise target, tailored to your needs and capacity.

Contact Weight Action Programme

To register for the course, please complete the WAP eligibility questionnaire or text 07860 040 277 if you have any questions. 

For healthcare professionals wishing to refer patients, please complete the form on EMIS ‘‘Weight Action Programme Referral form’ and send it to BHNT.smokersclinic@nhs.net.

NHS Digital Weight Management Programme

The Digital Weight Management Programme offers free, online access to weight management services. The programme will support you to develop healthier eating habits, be more active and lose weight, with lots of structured support available on your smartphone, tablet or computer. The programme takes 12 weeks to complete.

You can access the programme through a referral from your GP practice. To use this service you must:

• be aged 18 or over
• have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more, or 27.5 for people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds
• also have diabetes or high blood pressure, or both.

To find more information about the programme, visit NHS Digital Weight Management.

Specialist programmes

Eat Well and Move Weight Management Service for adults with physical disabilities

This specialist weight management service is a free exercise and nutrition programme run by Ability Bow.

The programme is suitable for Tower Hamlets residents, aged 18 and older, who are overweight or living with obesity, and living with a physical disability. Through a 12-week programme of focused one-to-one and small group exercise and nutrition sessions, you will be able to:

• increase your physical activity levels with support from our expert instructors
• work with a dietician to identify ways to eat healthily and to manage your weight.

You can choose your sessions to be provided in-person or remotely, or a combination of both.

Our specialist, qualified and experienced team will help you to set achievable goals and lose weight. We will also advise you on ways to sustain your weight loss beyond the programme.

Sessions will be run in different areas of Tower Hamlets including Ability Bow Gym, and online.

How to sign up

If you have any questions about joining the programme, please contact reception@abilitybow.org  or telephone 020 89807778.

For health professionals wishing to refer patients, complete the form on EMIS ‘‘Disability Weight Management Tier 2 Ability Bow’ and send it to nelondon.abilitybowreferrals@nhs.net or telephone 020 89807778.

Shape Up Weight Management Service for adults with learning disabilities

The Community Learning Disability Service and Create are running a Tier 2 weight management programme to support adults with learning disabilities within Tower Hamlets to lose weight and to develop healthier, more active lifestyles.   

Participants, and their carers or support workers, will be supported to develop personalised timetables and identify weekly goals. We expect participants to attend all sessions and complete ‘homework’ tasks (healthy eating, exercise) and to be supported to do this by their support network (family and paid support). We offer weekly fitness and information sessions over a minimum of 12 weeks as well as  one-on-one input from health and lifestyle professionals working within the  Community Learning Disability Service.  We encourage people to join group sessions but also offer home visits as needed.    

How to sign up

If you want to know more about this exciting new programme, please contact the Community Learning Disability Service on 020 7771 5500 or email elft.shapeup@nhs.net .

For health professionals wishing to refer patients, please complete the form on EMIS “Learning Disability Weight Management Tier 2 CLDS’ and send it to elft.shapeup@nhs.net.