Help to have a healthy weight

The type and the amount of food you eat each day has a big influence on your weight. It affects your overall wellbeing and risk of long term health problems.

Balanced diet

The NHS eat well guide shows how much of each food group you should eat to have a well-balanced and healthy diet. A good balanced diet should include:

• 5 or more portions of fruit and vegetables each day
• 1 portion of starchy foods with each meal – wholegrain where possible
• 2 or more portions of fish each week – 1 of which should be oily fish
• less food that is high in fat, salt and sugar – these should be in small amounts

You can get more information and advice, including healthy recipe ideas, from:

• British Nutrition Foundation – helping you eat well
• NHS Change4Life – food facts
• NHS One You – eat better

Risks of obesity

The level of obesity in Thurrock is significantly higher than the average for England.

More than 7 out of every 10 adults are overweight or obese, which means they have a higher risk of developing serious health problems, such as:

• heart disease
• stroke
• high blood pressure
• type 2 diabetes
• gallstones
• breathing problems – sleep apnoea, asthma
• certain cancers
• psychological issues – stress, anxiety and depression

Where to get help

Free help is available to Thurrock residents whose weight puts them at higher risk of ill-health. To find out whether you're eligible for free help, first you need to check your body mass index (BMI). You can do this online using the NHS BMI calculator.

You can get free help to lose weight if you are 18 years-old or older, and have a BMI of 27 or more.

If you are eligible, contact Thurrock Healthy Lifestyle Service for advice on weight management and to access the following services for free:

• Slimming World
• Shift the Timber

If you are worried about your weight, you can also get help from:

• NHS weight loss plan
• Your GP