New guidelines in the UK will encourage overweight patients to “lose a little, keep it off” in a bid to tackle the increasingly prevalent issue of obesity.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is recommending that adults who are overweight aim for 3 per cent weight loss, with the possibility of doctors sending patients to slimming classes. According to NICE, even a slight weight loss can have major benefits for health and patients who start to lose weight are likely to want to continue until they reach a healthier weight. Obesity is linked to an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease and strokes and costs the NHS billions of pounds per year.

The latest statistics show that two thirds of adults living in England are overweight, which is characterised by a BMI (body mass index) of more than 25.

Under the new guidelines, somebody weighing 15 stone 10 pounds would have to lose 6lb to reach the 3% weight loss mark and their BMI would fall from 35 to 33.

Professor Mike Kelly, from NICE, said that the aim of the campaign was to encourage changes in lifestyle habits, rather than introducing people to quick-fix solutions. The goal is for people to adopt healthier lifestyle habits, such as exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet, which would contribute to significant weight loss over a period of time.

Professor Kelly said that it is important to understand that weight loss requires commitment and dedication and it is not something that will suddenly happen overnight. With the support of health workers and initiatives, such as slimming classes, NICE is hoping that overweight people in the UK will start to learn about healthy living and make lifelong changes to the way they live their lives.