Adults living with obesity who wish to manage their weight can access free support through a new service provided by the City of Wolverhampton Council.
Lifestyles service Live Well Wolverhampton offers a free weight management programme for adults with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30+, or 27.5+ for those of Black African, African Caribbean and Asian origin. To check your BMI, visit NHS.
The service provides confidential information, advice, guidance, self-help tools and lifestyle interventions including face-to-face sessions with Slimming World or Gro Health over a period of 12 weeks to enable and maintain positive lifestyle choices. Gro Health also offers a 12-week support service via a digital app.
Commissioned by the council’s Public Health team, Live Well Wolverhampton is open to adults who live in Wolverhampton or who are registered with a GP in the city.
Councillor Obaida Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Community, said: “In England, it is estimated that around a quarter of adults live with obesity, and in Wolverhampton that number is even higher at 29.7%.
“This matters because obesity increases the risk of a range of conditions, including cardiovascular disease and cancer, which are major causes of premature mortality in Wolverhampton.
“It can also contribute to type 2 diabetes and stroke, affect quality of life and self-esteem and contribute to mental health challenges, such as depression. Maintaining a healthy weight therefore helps reduce these risks.
“Providing services such as Live Well Wolverhampton underpins our ambition to support Wulfrunians to live longer, healthier, lives and, working in partnership with local GP practices, we are proactively inviting eligible residents to access these services.
“If you live with obesity and would like structured support to manage your weight, we encourage you to think about taking advantage of the free support on offer through Live Well Wolverhampton.”
Availability is limited and referrals can only be accepted from health care professionals, so interested individuals are urged to speak to their GP practice for more information.