Healthy weight

Advice on how to measure your and your child’s weight, tips on maintaining a healthy weight and weight loss support available in Southwark.

Many of us are overweight. In Southwark, as many as half of all adults and two out of five children are overweight in 2019.

The benefits of being a healthy weight

Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is important for our long-term health and wellbeing.

Being a healthy weight can reduce your risk of developing:

• diabetes
• heart disease
• some cancers

It can also help improve your self-esteem and mood.

A healthy weight is not the same for everyone and depends on a number of things such as:

• height
• age
• gender
• genetics

Things that can influence losing weight

Losing weight can be hard. Often we go on a diet then lose motivation and put the weight back on again. Losing weight is not as simple as just eating less, eating more healthily and moving more. How much sleep you get and stress can make a difference as well.

Low mood or stress and anxiety can affect your weight

If you are struggling with low mood or stress and anxiety, it can be hard to lose weight. This can be because we are more likely to reach for “comfort food” that tends to be unhealthy and drink more alcohol.

Find information and support on improving your mental health and wellbeing.

How sleep can affect your weight

There is evidence that if you are sleep deprived, it can influence your weight. Adults need seven to eight hours of sleep each night. If you are not regularly getting seven hours, you may be sleep deprived.

When you are tired, you may reach for sugary foods and caffeine to keep going. It is harder to resist unhealthy choices. Being tired impacts on the amount of physical activity that you do.

Find more information on getting a good night’s sleep. If you are struggling with low mood, stress and anxiety, our local support services can help you.

Page last updated: 13 September 2023