Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust is bringing back its popular free weight loss groups at the end of April.

The groups are coordinated by the Trust’s health trainers, who work in the community to support and encourage people to live healthier lives. The health trainers focus on helping people to make small, sustainable changes to their lifestyle which can have long-term positive effects on their weight and overall health.

The latest set of weight loss groups comes just in time for summer; the health trainers hope that as well as helping people to lose weight, they can also teach people how to look after their health and be confident that the food they cook and eat is healthy and nutritious.

Catherine Jowitt, Volunteer Lead at the Care Trust, said: “There are lots of benefits to losing weight including increasing your energy, improving mobility, reducing blood pressure and improving mood. In spring, the shops are full of seasonal fresh fruit and vegetables so this is the perfect time to start making healthy changes to our diets.”

The groups run for 12 weeks and will cover topics including food groups and nutrition, portion sizes, tips and food swaps to make favourite meals healthier. There will be nine different groups held at locations across Bradford and surrounding areas including Shipley and Keighley. They will be open to anyone aged over 18 who lives in the Bradford district.

One local lady, Susan*, who attended the first round of weight loss groups in September 2017, said: “Since going to the weight loss groups, I’ve been able to keep up to my new lifestyle because the focus is on the way you cook and the amount you eat, it’s not restrictive so it doesn’t feel like a diet. It finally feels like I’m in control of food, rather than food controlling me.”

To find your nearest weight loss group, visit https://www.bdct.nhs.uk/health-trainer-service/, call 01274 322666, or email healthtrainers@bdct.nhs.uk.