Treatment: lifestyle - Obesity

If you live with obesity, your healthcare team can work with you to find treatments that suit you and your life.

Your healthcare team may include your:

• GP
• specialist doctor
• dietitian
• nurse
• physiotherapist
• psychologist or counsellor
• occupational therapist

Local courses and support groups are also available. Ask your GP about them.

Treatments for obesity

Treatments for obesity include:

• lifestyle changes, including eating well, being active and sleeping well
• managing other health conditions you may have
• looking after your mental health
• medicines
• surgery

Lifestyle changes can help you to:

• manage your weight
• improve your quality of life
• reduce your risk of weight-related health problems

Making lifestyle changes

It's normal if you find it hard to change your habits and routines.

It can help to:

• plan what changes you will make
• keep a diary of your habits - for example your sleep, mood, eating habits
• set goals - make 2 or 3 small changes at a time

Get good quality sleep

Sleep is important for your health and your weight. Not sleeping well impacts your metabolism and hunger levels.

You're more likely to eat higher energy foods and be less active when you sleep badly.

There are things you can do to get better quality sleep.

Routine

Try to go to sleep and get up at the same time every day.

Daylight

Getting daylight can help you sleep at night.

Smartphones, computers and TVs

Do not look at screens for a few hours before going to bed.

Food at night

Avoid eating large meals 1 to 2 hours before bedtime.

Physical activity

Being physically active during the day may help you sleep better at night.

Caffeine

Avoid caffeine in the evenings. Things that contain caffeine include coffee, black tea, energy drinks and chocolate.

Drink less alcohol

Taking a break from or cutting down on alcohol can help improve your sleep quality.

Eating well

Eating well means that you focus on:

• eating regularly and spreading out your meals and snacks
• eating nutritious foods
• understanding your appetite

Changing your eating habits takes time and planning. Keep a note of your eating and drinking habits. This can help you see where you can make changes.

Your GP may refer you to a dietitian. They can support you to eat in a way that nourishes your body and suits your lifestyle.

Healthy eating

Eat at regular intervals

Eating regularly and spreading your meals and snacks across the day can help you manage obesity.

This is because:

• you get enough calories over the day to keep your energy levels steady
• it reduces your chance of getting hungry late in the day
• you're more likely to get the nutrients that you need for your health

It may help to eat something every 3 to 5 hours during the day. But you may prefer to eat more or less often than that.

Find an eating routine that works best for you.

Eating nutritious foods

Eat a variety of foods from each of the different food groups every day. This helps you to get all the nutrients your body needs.

Healthy choices include:

• fruit and vegetables
• fish, meat, poultry, eggs, beans and other vegetarian sources of protein
• high fibre or wholegrain starchy foods, including bread, rice, pasta, cereals and potatoes with the skin on
• dairy foods for calcium and Vitamin D
• foods that contain unsaturated fats, such as olive oil or rapeseed oil
• water

Avoid fad diets

Talk to your GP or dietitian to figure out the best approach for you.

A fad diet is a plan that promises fast weight loss, but usually in an unhealthy way.

Losing weight very fast can affect your metabolism and cause you to regain weight in the future.

Being physically active

Becoming more physically active can be part of your treatment plan for obesity.

Physical activity can help you:

• manage your weight - it works alongside a healthy diet
• improve your fitness and strength
• improve your mood
• reduce anxiety and stress
• lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and some cancers

Regular physical activity is a safe and effective way to improve your health.

The risks of not being active are higher than being active.

Types of exercise for obesity

Physical activity can include:

• moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as walking, cycling and swimming.
• muscle-strengthening exercises at least 2 days a week
• adding more movement into your day

Moderate-intensity activity is when your breathing and heart rate increase, but you can still talk. It’s recommended you do 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week.

Muscle-strengthening exercises can include:

• pilates
• yoga
• exercise classes
• gardening

Limit time spent being inactive

Being inactive means having long periods of inactivity, with little to no movement. This is also called sedentary behaviour.

Replacing time spent being inactive with any form of physical activity benefits your health.

If you find it hard to meet these guidelines yet, that's OK - just do as much as you can manage.

Getting started

Most people living with obesity do not need medical advice before starting light or moderate activity.

If you experience warning signs, stop and talk to your doctor or nurse. Warning signs include chest pain, breathlessness, dizziness, or extreme tiredness.

Start slowly and listen to your body. Every move counts.

Exercises for people with obesity

Tips to fit physical activity in to your day

Managing other health conditions

Having other health conditions can make it more difficult to manage obesity.

They may affect your mobility or your ability to do day-to-day tasks such as preparing or cooking meals.

This can make it harder to be active and eat healthy.

Getting support to manage these conditions can help you manage obesity.

Your doctor may talk to you about:

• your symptoms
• your medicines
• the best treatments to manage your health condition
• any other issues that might be affecting your health

There are courses you can do to help you manage conditions such as:

• diabetes
• lung conditions
• coronary heart disease (CHD)
• other long-term (chronic) conditions

Look after your mental health

Looking after your mental health is important when living with obesity.

Ask for help if you are finding it hard to cope with stress.

Your healthcare team may recommend you talk to a mental health professional as part of your treatment.

Looking after your mental health

Weight bias and weight stigma

Weight stigma and weight bias exist because of poor understanding of the causes of obesity.

Weight stigma happens when you are treated unfairly because of your weight or body size. It can lead to discrimination at work, school, or in the healthcare system.

Weight bias is when people have negative attitudes, beliefs and stereotyped ideas about you because of your weight or body size.

It can lead to you experiencing feelings of shame, guilt and anxiety. This is known as internalised weight bias. It can have a negative impact on your mental health and make it harder to manage your weight.

Ask your GP or doctor about weight bias and weight stigma.

Learn more about weight stigma from the Irish Coalition for People living with Obesity.

Our health and weight programmes

The HSE weight management programme is a free 12 month programme run by HSE dietitians.

This programme supports you to manage your weight and health. It can be an important part of your treatment.

Treating obesity in children

Treatment for children with obesity usually focuses on lifestyle changes, including a healthier diet.

Children and weight