Specialist weight management service
The North Devon specialist weight management service provides assessment, support and guidance to motivated individuals in their efforts to lose weight and improve their long-term medical risks. The support provided is non-judgmental and encourages the individual to make positive and sustainable changes to their lifestyle and eating behaviour. People are encouraged to set realistic and achievable goals focusing on general wellbeing and health improvement as well as weight loss.
Achieving significant weight loss and maintaining it is difficult and requires a change in approach to lifestyle, diet and exercise. We focus on exploring and addressing the individual personal drivers of health behaviours to improve long-term health and weight management through:
- Encouraging a non-diet approach to healthy eating, which decreases restrictive eating
- Exploring motivation and eating behaviours
- Giving individuals the freedom to listen to their body by eating when they are hungry and stopping when they are satisfied
- Promoting a healthy attitude to food and the body for long-term weight management
- Promoting physical activity that is enjoyed
- Acknowledging that everyone is an individual and that different approaches will work for different people
- Providing individuals with the skills, tools, and confidence to tailor lifestyle changes to their individual needs
Some patients may be eligible to proceed to bariatric surgery, where pre- and post-operative support will be provided.
Patient Pathway
Following referral, patients will have a medical assessment followed by individual dietetic and physiotherapy assessments. Patients will then be invited to participate in our multicomponent intervention programme, including access to our online platform, individual consultations, and face-to-face activity/ wellbeing sessions.
All patients will have a progress review at 6 months. Following this, a patient will either be discharged, receive a lower intensity level of support for a further 6 months, or (should the patient desire) be referred for bariatric surgery if eligible.