Weight management

Being overweight or living with obesity increases your risk of developing serious health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer and strokes. It can also affect your quality of life, your mobility and contribute to mental health problems.

You can read more about being overweight and/or obese, including how to tell if it applies to you, on the national NHS website.

Local services and solutions to support you to manage your weight are currently arranged by a combination of NHS organisations and local authorities.

The NHS and local partners in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland are working together to review weight management options for adults and children. The timescales for the review are yet to be decided.

In the interim, the information below tells you what support is available to you .

You can read more about the services, treatment and support available for adults and children using the links below.

Both adults and children’s weight management services are categorised into four levels of support known as tiers. Each has its own eligibility criteria based on body mass index (BMI) and any health conditions.

Tier 1: Universal services – Online and written resources and guides are available, and general support is provided by public health teams, GPs and nurses. This support is available to everyone.
Tier 2: Lifestyle weight management services – Patients in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland can access a number of structured education programmes, which provide nutritional, physical activity and lifestyle advice, often delivered in group settings, in local communities. These services are provided over a limited period of time.
Tier 3: Specialist weight management services – These provide more intensive, individual support for people with severe obesity, complex health needs, and experiencing adverse health conditions. Support will last longer than the tier two services, usually around 6-12 months, and will involve a team of health professionals who will work together to provide tailored support. Some patients using tier 3 services may be offered weight loss medication on the NHS, but only if it is right for them and they meet medication eligibility criteria.
Tier 4: Surgical and Non-Surgical Interventions – Tier four services, such as bariatric surgery and other medical interventions, are provided in hospital settings for adult patients only, and will only be available where a patient has not achieved weight loss through lower tier support and they meet the clinical criteria.

Weight loss medication

Weight loss medication and injections are only available on the NHS to people who meet certain eligibility criteria. They are only prescribed where it is appropriate as part of a specialist weight management service (tier 3 service).

Time-limited services or pilots

Some services are put in place for a limited period of time. This could be to test a new way of providing a service before making it available more widely, known as a pilot. Other times funding might only be available on a short-term basis.

Eligibility criteria

Sometimes services or treatments are only available to people who meet certain criteria. This is to make sure limited public funding is prioritised to help people with the greatest health needs.