Finding the right balance
Reaching and keeping your body at a healthy weight is about finding the right balance.
It's a combination of eating a healthy balanced diet - the right foods in the right amounts and doing the right amount of exercise for you.
Food provides energy which is measured in calories. You use this energy up when you’re moving or even standing still. The amount of calories you use up or ‘burn’ depends on how active you are.
Moving more is important in helping you balance the calories you take in with the calories you use up. This is how you’ll maintain a healthy weight:
- you’ll gain weight if you take in more calories than you use up
- you’ll lose weight if you use up more calories than you take in
- you’ll maintain a healthy weight if you balance the calories you take in with the calories you use up
Find out how to make healthy eating and drinking part of your everyday life.
Find out how to move more every day.
Most people put on weight because they eat and drink more calories than they burn through everyday movement and body functions. In some cases your weight gain may be due to an underlying health condition. The NHS website covers medical issues that can cause weight gain.
If you're concerned about being underweight the NHS website also has information to help you.