Weight Management

Aim to be a healthy weight throughout life.

Maintaining a healthy body weight is one of the most important steps you can take to reduce your cancer risk.

BMI Calculator

In order to help people determine what their healthy weight is, the Body Mass Index (BMI) is used. It is defined as the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in metres (kg/m2).

At the table below, being overweight and obese are classified as BMI in excess of 23 and 25 respectively.

BMI is the most frequently used means of measuring obesity. It is not an appropriate measurement for children, athletes or the frail elderly.

BMI, however, dose not give us information about how fat is distributed in our body. The adverse effect of excess weight is more pronounced when the fat is concentrated mainly in the abdomen.

A way to measure fat distribution is the circumference of the waist. There is excess abdominal fat when waist circumference is greater than:
35.5 inches (90 cm) for men
31.5 inches (80 cm) for women. This means a greater risk of health problem, independently of BMI.

Both types of measurements, BMI and waist circumference, should therefore be combined to watch your weight and waist.

Filling up without filling out

Reducing the calorie and fat content of traditional dishes can be achieved without cutting back on the serving size or compromising on taste. Find out how to lower the energy density of your meals below.

The light choices

Follow our top tips to lower the energy density of your diet:

• Generally, the drier the food the higher its energy density – opt for foods that contain plenty of water. This includes foods that absorb water as they cook, such as pasta and pulses
• Opt for wholegrains as they contain more fibre than refined grains such as white bread or pasta
• When eating out, choose soup or salad (with just a little dressing) as a starter – this will reduce the amount you eat for the rest of the meal
• Add vegetables or fruits to everything! Adding berries to your porridge or extra vegetables to a pasta dish will help to lower the energy density of your meals
• The skins on vegetables and fruits contain fibre, so leaving them on will help fill you up for longer
• Avoid adding extra fat or calories when cooking or serving – use healthy cooking techniques such as grilling, steaming or baking, or use non-stick pans that need very little oil
• Try to avoid energy dense snacks like crisps, biscuits and chocolate bars

For low energy-dense recipes, visit our recipe section.