Love handles, a beer belly or a little bit of middle-age spread – whichever name you choose, they all boil down to the same problem: being overweight. This excess weight, especially if you are large around the middle, increases your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Following a healthy diet, combined with physical activity, can help to reduce this risk.

As the UK’s lockdown restrictions ease and our thoughts turn to meeting with friends and family, we naturally want to look and feel our best – especially if we haven’t seen them for a while. Our well-meaning New Year’s resolution diet may have long gone, but there’s every incentive now to shed those extra pounds.

Choosing which way to go about losing weight, however, can feel a daunting task. We’re bombarded with information in a world that’s seemingly obsessed with diets and body image – from social media adverts to celebrity books and YouTube videos. It can all feel a little overwhelming knowing where to start.

Don’t be tempted by any ‘quick fix’ diets, which offer a magic solution to shedding the pounds. Most fad diets, such as cabbage soup or 5:2, are restrictive and have some nutritional or health risks associated with their short-term benefits. Plus, people can lose weight very quickly initially, but soon lose the enthusiasm and return to old eating habits. Instead of an all-or-nothing diet, be realistic in setting your goal and aim to lose 1-2lbs (0.5-1kg) per week.

The Healthier You diabetes prevention programme takes a sustainable approach to being healthy. It provides support and guidance on eating healthily, managing weight and being more active. It’s a lifestyle change programme, helping participants to learn a range of information geared towards a long-term approach to losing weight.

It is very important to understand your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Our simple online health check takes just a few minutes. The Healthier You programme is free to join and you can sign up without visiting your GP. The sessions are now available with a British Sign Language Interpreter if BSL is your first or preferred language.

Use our online checker to find out if you’re at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes: https://www.stopdiabetes.co.uk/know-your-risk