Up! Up! Living lighter the African and Caribbean way

Up! Up! Living lighter the African and Caribbean way is a weight management programme tailored for people of Black, African and Caribbean heritage living in Lewisham. The programme is free to access. 

This service has been developed through an extensive co-production process led by Kings College London and Food for Purpose and delivered by Guys and St Thomas’ NHS Trust.

The 12-week programme is made up of three components: physical activity, nutrition coaching and cooking sessions. Both virtual, and face to face, sessions are available. Face-to-face sessions are currently held in Catford South and New Cross.

To sign up to the UP! UP! programme, complete the Self Referral Form.

If you are eligible for the programme, you will be contacted by the team about the next steps.

Universal adult weight management

 If you have had an NHS Health Check, referred by your GP, have a BMI of 30+, Black, Asian or any other ethnic minority with a BMI of 27.5 or over, you can attend up to 12 weekly meetings for free and gain access to online tools for Slimming World.

Slimming World integrates three key principles to help families adopt healthier lifestyles:

A warm empowering group environment which supports members and facilitates behaviour change around eating and activity habits

A satisfying eating plan to promote healthy eating patterns for life

An activity management programme to help members gradually increase physical activity levels

You will be unable to attend these meetings for free if you have an eating disorder, are pregnant or have been a paid Slimming World member in last three months.  

For a self-referral with Slimming World, please contact 01773546088.

Underweight?

Being underweight is not good for your health. Find out more about what you can do if you are concerned about yourself or someone else.

Overweight?

If you are overweight or obese, try to lose some weight. Aim to lose weight gradually up to 2lbs a week. Find out more about eating a healthy, balanced diet and how to maintain good health that can help you feel your best. There is help available in the borough if you are trying to lose weight:

Referral to a dietician

If you have a BMI of 35+ (or a BMI 30+ if you have two or more existing diseases), you can be referred to a community dietician for specialist weight management. The clinics take place in a one-to-one environment and you can be referred by your GP, practice nurse or our health trainers.

Check your weight

A good way to check if you and your family are keeping to a healthy weight is to check your body mass index (BMI). This will give you an upper and a lower range that is right for your height and age. You can also check the BMI of other members of your family, including your children.