Healthy Weight

If you're overweight or obese, losing weight can reduce your risk of some potentially serious health problems.

Losing weight, even 5% of your current weight, will bring about a range of benefits. It will:

  • reduce your risk of a heart attack
  • reduce your chance of getting diabetes
  • reduce your risk of cancer.

Get Moving with Counterweight - Adult

Counterweight is an education programme for healthy living and weight management.

It consists of 6 educational sessions held every 2 weeks over a 3-month period, followed by 2 further reviews within the year. 

The programme aims to:

  • Help you change your eating behaviour and physical activity levels for the long term
  • Help you achieve a medically worthwhile weight loss of between 5-10% of your starting weight
  • Help you maintain your weight loss
  • Improve your health generally

Counterweight is available through GP referral only. If you have a BMI of 30 or above and would like to lose weight ask your GP to refer you onto the Counterweight Programme.

GetGoing - Child healthy weight

Get Going is an NHS Lothian child healthy weight programme. It is an eight-week course delivered by trained Healthy Lifestyle Coaches in community venues and Xcite Leisure facilities. 

The emphasis is on fun and feeling good.  It's about getting active as a family and working together to make small, realistic lifestyle changes.

The programme includes:

  • An introductory one-to-one appointment between the family and coach.
  • Six 90-minute group sessions, covering healthy eating, physical activity and making positive lifestyle choices.  
  • Opportunities for children to make friends and take part in fun, active games whilst parents/carers get the chance to share ideas and experiences.
  • A follow up one-to-one appointment at the end to help the family make a long-term plan to continue working towards a healthy lifestyle.
  • An optional follow after three and six months

The Get Going programme is available through a self-referral or referral from your GP or health professional.

Download the GetGoing Leaflet (PDF, 804 KB)(opens new window) for more information

Further Information

For more information on Get Going visit NHS Lothian or contact:

Administrator, Dietetics Department, Royal Hospital for Sick Children.

Tel: 0131 536 0302 (1.30pm - 5.00pm)

Email: Get.Going@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk

Web: NHS GetGoing website (opens new window)