Resources

There is a greater risk of becoming overweight or obsese because of changes in eating patterns and lifestyles. This means that these ages are an important time to prevent excess weight gain, and to protect your health now and in the future.

Science shows that weight gain has a lot to do with things beyond our control, like genetics and environmental factors. Weight gain can happen over months or years and the reasons behind each person’s weight can be different. Even with the same eating habits or the same amount of physical activity, people can have a different body shape and weight.

There are steps we can all take, like eating well, exercising, managing stress and sleeping well to improve our health and wellbeing. These are important for everyone.

Healthy Ireland, the HSE and safefood have developed this campaign to support you with information and advice on eating well, sleeping well, keeping active and managing stress to promote a healthy weight.

 

Obesity

Health is not determined by body weight alone. When weight begins to affect health and quality of life it is called obesity. Obesity can be defined as a chronic, progressive and relapsing disease in which abnormal or excess fat impairs health, increases the risk of long-term medical complications, and reduces quality of life and life-span.

Find out more information on obesity, what causes it and how to manage it on the HSE website

 

Body mass index (BMI)

Your BMI is calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms by your height in metres squared. Work out your BMI using the safefood BMI healthy weight calculator . People with a BMI of 30 or more have a high risk of obesity.

 

Waist circumference

The amount of weight you carry around your middle can affect your:

  • hormones
  • immune system
  • risk of heart disease and diabetes

If you have more weight around your middle area than elsewhere, this may increase your risk of obesity.

Men have a higher risk of health problems if their waist circumference is more than 102 centimetres (40 inches).

Women have a higher risk of health problems if their waist circumference is more than 88 centimetres (35 inches).

Waist size cut offs are lower for people of certain ethnicities because of higher risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Learn how to measure your waist circumference on safefood.net

 

Weight management programmes

We now know much more about the role genetics, hormones and our environment play in how our weight is controlled.

  • we know that certain genes can make people feel more hungry and less full, making following an eating plan more difficult
  • we know that going on a very strict diet and losing a lot of weight will actually make our body fight against this weight loss and regain weight
  • we know that our environment and the constant reminders about food and eating, like from the TV, our phones, shops or petrol stations, make us want to eat. Our brain then rewards us for eating

Regardless of body size and shape, following healthy habits including healthy eating, being active, sleeping well and managing stress have many benefits for physical and mental health.

We know that these habits can typically lead to moderate weight loss and improved health - we just can’t predict how each individual will respond due to the fact that everyone is different in terms of genetics, hormones and their environment. But we do know some people will need more specialist support to manage their weight, and your GP is best placed is to talk to about this.

If you and your GP are considering using a commercial weight management programme, here are some things to look for:

  • the programme is not a one size fits all diet and has individualised nutritional and physical activity components
  • the programme includes behaviour change counselling that can teach you how to develop and stick with healthier eating and physical activity habits. For example, goal setting and keeping food and activity records or journals
  • any nutritional advice is guided by a healthcare professional
  • physical activity is promoted at a gradual, rather than injury-inducing rapid, pace
  • there are slow and steady weight-loss goals, usually 1 to 2 pounds (0.5-1kg) per week. The programme does not promote or imply dramatic, rapid weight loss as an outcome
  • the programme does not promote diets less than 800 calories, and if diets contain less than 1200 calories they are supervised by a healthcare professional
  • the programme does not require the use or purchase of any products, vitamins, supplements or injections
  • the programme does not make outlandish claims like ‘you will only lose fat’ or ‘we can target problem areas’
  • the programme includes support for maintaining the weight loss over the long-term
  • the programme provides you with statistics that include the percentage of participants who drop out, the average percentage of weight participants lose, and the average weight loss participants sustain following completion of the maintenance programme.

safefood: Healthy weight for you is a free weight loss programme that helps you reach a healthy weight through personalised meal plans. The meal plans developed by nutritionists include a meal tracker to support safe and healthy weight management for you. Each meal plan covers nutritionally balanced recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks including vegetarian selections. Join the programme at safefood: Healthy weight for you

Find more tips and information about managing your weight at gov.ie/healthyireland