Keeping fit and losing weight
For many people working in health and care who spend most of their time looking after others, their own health and well-being can often take a back seat. Looking after your physical health is key to supporting your overall health and well-being, including your mental health.
To help with this, staff working for NHS organisations can access a digital weight management programme to help them lose weight and improve their health.
So far, over 15,000 NHS staff have signed up to the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme since it started in July 2021. This programme is part of a wider commitment in the NHS Long Term Plan, to help people living with obesity who want to improve their health.
The programme provides online access to a 12-week weight management plan to support you on your journey to a healthier lifestyle. As a digital programme, it can be used anywhere, allowing you to complete the programme in your own time.
Who can sign up?
NHS Colleagues in England are eligible to register for this programme if:
- You are a member of staff working in the NHS (working in any role, including bank staff and staff on temporary contracts) with a valid NHS email address
- You are over 18 years of age
- You have a BMI of 30 or greater (this is lowered to 27.5 or greater for people from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic groups, as these groups are at an increased risk of conditions such as Type 2 diabetes at a lower BMI)
To check your BMI, please use the NHS BMI calculator
If you are not eligible for this programme, many support offers are still available to improve your health and well-being. Please visit NHS Better Health where you can find lots of free support and tools to help you improve your health and wellbeing.
You can find out more about the weight management scheme here: Digital weight management programme for NHS staff
NHS and social care staff can also access gym membership discounts via Bluelight and also Health Service Discounts.