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) [804KB] (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)