A Dumbarton teenager has praised the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde service which has changed her life through an incredible weight loss journey.
Rhiana McGroggan (18) from Bonhill in Alexandria has lost more than one-third of her body weight since joining the NHSGGC Weigh to Go programme. Rhiana joined Weigh to Go in January 2024, and by August that year her weight had dropped from 15st 8lb to 12st 3lb – that’s more than three stone in seven months.
By continuing her journey with free access to Slimming World through Weigh to Go and ongoing support from her Weigh to Go nurse, Rhiana is now sitting at 9st 3lb, with a BMI of 22 – losing a total of 6st 5lb in the process.
The sensational change has reinvigorated the teen and helped her return to her passion of football, which she now enjoys by regularly playing as a right-back or in midfield with local team Vale of Leven Ladies.
It’s also given her the drive and confidence to start a college course in Sports and Fitness at West College Scotland, take up football coaching, and start volunteering as a netball coach at her old primary school.
Rhiana said: “I’m really grateful to Weigh to Go and my nurse Julie who’s been helping me. She’s been with me every step of the way.
“I didn’t think I’d be able to do it but I’m really proud and now I’ve got the football keeping me keep active so I’m moving into a different way of life, thinking more about my nutrition and fitness.”
Weigh to Go is an NHSGGC service for young people who are overweight and want to lose or manage their weight.
People aged 12-15 with a BMI over 25 can access support from a Weigh to Go Nurse for up to 24 weeks, while those aged 16-18 with a BMI over 25 can have free access to Slimming World and support from a Weigh to Go Nurse at key intervals in the programme.
The service emphasises sustainable change through healthy eating and exercise and is available to young people across Greater Glasgow and Clyde who meet the criteria through self-referral and a range of other referral sources, including health professionals, education and social work.
“I started by getting referred by my doctor then making small changes to my diet and lifestyle – cutting out snacks or swapping them for healthier options,” Rhiana explained. “By week 12 I wasn’t far off losing 10% of my body weight, even though the target for all 24 weeks of the programme is 5%.
“From a health aspect as well, I had sport-induced asthma diagnosed when I was younger, but it’s not as severe now. I could get out of breath just by walking but losing the weight helped me with that and now I don’t need to use my inhaler as much.”
Rhiana is sharing her journey to encourage young people in a similar situation to reach out for support from Weigh to Go.
“Having access to a free service like this is definitely a big thing,” she added. “Young people are always getting bullied just because of the way they look, and they shouldn’t.
“It’s a hard thing to do – start eating healthy – because you can even get made fun of for that but Weigh to Go is free and open. I could talk about my journey if I needed help or wanted to try some new things. I could just talk to Julie about anything, and she would keep me motivated.”
Julie McConalogue, NHSGGC Weigh to Go Nurse, said: “We’re so proud of Rhiana for sticking to her plan and seeing it through.
“She’s used Weigh to Go to build healthy habits around food and exercise that have not only brought sustainable weight loss, but made her feel more confident, energetic and in control.
“A service like Weigh to Go gives young people simple, realistic and manageable advice that can help navigate the stressful world they live in and, like we’ve seen with Rhiana and others, it can bring real change and real confidence in body and mind.”
For more information on Weigh to Go, visit: https://www.nhsggc.scot/hospitals-services/services-a-to-z/weigh-to-go/
