Independent mental health hospital Capio Nightingale in London has launched a dedicated weight management and obesity service.

The psychological treatment programme will aim to offer a non-surgical, sustainable treatment to address the root causes of overeating.

It will be aimed at both obese people as well as individuals who are classed as "pre-obese" - those who need to change their lifestyle in order to maintain long term health.

The service includes a free initial consultation and is also being offered to those who have tried, but repeatedly failed, to achieve or maintain weight loss and those that have emotional issues with food.

Dr Bijal Chheda Varma, joint-lead of the Capio Nightingale Hospital obesity therapy team said: "The UK is at risk of entering an obesity crisis, with the incidence of overweight patient numbers soaring.

"By carefully tailoring our programme to the individual needs of the patient, we can address the underlying psychological triggers for overeating.

Our therapies, which include cognitive behavioural therapy, attachment therapy, interpersonal therapy and psychodynamic therapy offer a more sustainable, cost-efficient and non-invasive solution to those that are obese."

The new treatment model that underpins the service has been developed by the hospital's multi-disciplinary team of clinical psychologists, psychotherapists, dieticians and consultant psychiatrists.

The team is spearheaded by psychologist Jeanne Vorster and Dr Chheda-Varma.

For more information, see: www.nightingalehospital.co.uk