A practical guide to using medicines to manage overweight and obesity
Diet, physical activity and behavioural approaches
All medicines for weight management should be used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. Encourage people to increase their physical activity and improve their diet regardless of any weight loss, because of the other health benefits it can bring. Encourage them to meet the recommendations in the Department of Health and Social Care's physical activity guidelines on weekly activity for adults and older adults and disabled adults. Advise them to also reduce the amount of time they spend being inactive.
Provide information and arrange support and counselling on additional diet, physical activity and behavioural strategies, using your overweight and obesity management pathway and local services.
More information is available in the NICE guideline on overweight and obesity management section on behavioural overweight and obesity management interventions for adults and the section on physical activity and diet. See also the NICE guideline on behaviour change: individual approaches.
The following resources can support people with overweight and obesity:
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The NHS Better Health website and apps, available to all adults, provide advice on healthy lifestyle changes, such as diet, physical activity, quitting smoking and drinking less.
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The NHS Digital Weight Management Programme is for people with a diagnosis of diabetes (type 1 or type 2), hypertension, or both and:
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a BMI of 27.5 kg/m2 or more if they are from Asian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean ethnicities or
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a BMI of 30 kg/m2 or more if they are from any other ethnicity.
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The NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme is for adults aged 18 or over at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This includes people who have non-diabetic hyperglycaemia, defined as a haemoglobin A1c 42 to 47 mmol/mol (6.0% to 6.4%) or a fasting plasma glucose of 5.5 to 6.9 mmol/litre, measured within the last 12 months. People with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus are also eligible.
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The NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme provides a low calorie, total diet replacement treatment, followed by lifestyle support. It is for adults aged 18 to 65 with a type 2 diabetes diagnosis within the last 6 years and:
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a BMI over 25 kg/m2 if they are from Asian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean ethnicities
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a BMI over 27 kg/m2 if they are from any other ethnicity.
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