Lifestyle

Welcome to our section for families and individuals. It's easy to neglect looking after your health when you are leading a busy life. Often its a challenge just to get through all the things you need to do in a day  and before you know it  a weight or health problem has crept up on you.

On these pages you will find plenty of suggestions that can help you and your family to regain the balance and begin to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

A few small changes can make all the difference - and some of them can even be fun ! These are all things that you can do yourself, but its always a good idea to  ask a professional such as your pharmacist, practice nurse or GP for advice if you are worried about your health. 

You know your BMI - what next?

Now you know your BMI measurement, healing whether you have had it measured by a health professional or recorded it yourself, what are your thoughts and possible next steps?

Are you...

Concerned about your health?

Thinking of losing weight?

Thinking of increasing your physical activity? 

Interested in a National Obesity Week campaign event? 

 

How do I find out what my BMI is?

scalesOne of the easiest and quickest ways to find out your BMI is to ask your pharmacist who will be able to carry out the measurements and tell you what your number is.  It’s always good to be properly measured by a professional using medically approved equipment as the majority of people doing it themselves often under-estimate their weight and over-estimate their height.  Your pharmacist will also be able to answer your questions and advise on future courses of action.
 
obeseYou can find your nearest pharmacist by clicking here. This external link will take you to the national NHS Choices website, click on ‘Pharmacies (chemists)’ enter your postcode and click ‘Search’.  
 
If, for any reason you do not want to speak to a pharmacist or another health professional, you can use our BMI calculator on this page which does all the maths for you.  Make sure you enter numbers either in imperial or metric and then click on ‘calculate BMI’.  This will tell you your BMI measurement.

Popular diets

Diet books are rarely off the top ten best-sellers list and their appeal is understandable. They are frequently celebrity endorsed, search promise a new and unique approach and often provide compelling accounts of personal success stories. The eating rules of popular diets are generally the most novel aspect of the diets, rather than their scientific basis, as is often claimed. The most popular diet books include:

 

Read more: Popular diets

Physical Activity

Physical activity is an important factor in the regulation of human energy metabolism. In terms of weight management the most important role of physical activity appears to be in the prevention of weight gain/regain. In other words, the benefits achieved by a moderate (30 min/day) level of physical activity on weight loss over and above that achieved by dietary restriction is modest, but in the case of maintaining a weight loss the inclusion of physical activity appears crucial.

 

Read more: Physical Activity

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

veritySome women with weight problems may be suffering from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) – symptoms of which, cialis among others, doctor can include being overweight, rapid weight gain and difficulty in losing weight.  You can contact the self-help group Verity to find out more.

Stroke

Stroke associationThe Stroke Association is working for a world where there are fewer strokes and all those touched by stroke get the help they need.

Raised cholesterol

Heart UKH?E?A?R?T UK seeks to raise awareness about the risks of high cholesterol, viagra lobby for better detection of those at risk, fund research into improved treatment and support health professional training.

Heart disease

British Heart FoundationThe British Heart Foundation has a mission to play a leading role in the fight against disease of the heart and circulation so that it is no longer a major cause of disability and premature death.

Type two diabetes

Diabetes UKDiabetes UK is the largest organisation in the UK working for people with diabetes, medications funding research, campaigning and helping people live with the condition.

MEND

MEND logoBeing overweight as a child is a condition that should be taken seriously. Overweight children may become obese and suffer physically and emotionally. Not only can their size cause problems now, but if they continue to gain weight at an excessive rate, it is likely to lead to health issues in the future. There are several organisations dedicated to helping families to become fitter. 

 

Fitter, healthier, happier families 

MEND (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition…Do it!) is an organisation dedicated to reducing global childhood and family overweight and obesity levels. We currently offer three different programmes which families can join: MEND 7-13 for overweight children aged 7-13, MEND 5-7 for overweight children aged 5-7, and MEND 2-4, an early years healthy lifestyle programme for 2-4 year olds and their families, whatever the child's weight. All of our programmes involve parents or carers. 
 

Why join MEND’s Programmes? 

  • FREE healthy lifestyle programmes which help children become fitter, healthier and happier 
  • Set goals to help your child reach and maintain a healthy weight as they grow and develop 
  • Meet other families and make new friends 
  • Boost your child’s confidence and self esteem 
  • Take part in fun games and activities to help your child get fit 
  • Learn how to read food labels and how to cook healthy recipes 
  • Do it as a family like the 12,500 others that have already benefited 
  • National Obesity Forum (NOF) approved 
 

Details of current and upcoming MEND Programmes are available on the MEND website. If you are interested in finding out more, please contact MEND on Freephone 0800 230 0263, or email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.