Why Julianne’s on a Mission to Help Tackle Obesity in NI.

Julianne Dickenson is the owner of Solutions Weight Management by Julianne, which brings specialist dietetic weight management services to Belfast. The new clinic is based at 81 Rosetta Road in the city, providing personalised and evidence-based weight loss solutions to the local community.

JULIANNE, TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR WORK BACKGROUND!

I like to be different. I’m not your typical dietitian. No white coat and apple here! After working as a dietitian in a busy hospital in Nottingham, I saw a job advertisement for a dietitian in Bahrain. I wasn’t too sure where that was but intuitively I knew I was getting that job!

TELL US HOW AND WHY YOU CAME TO START YOUR BUSINESS.

Obesity is a major public health issue in Northern Ireland, but the Middle East has one of the highest rates of obesity in the world. My clients ranged from traditional Arabic foods, western fast food, rich desserts and Arabic sweets. Most were highly educated, driven women. I took a lot of time to understand how this came to be and the more I learnt, the more I realised that obesity was not just a personal failing. Even though the Royal College of Physicians and the American Medical Association now classify obesity as a disease, we still need to do much better here in Northern Ireland. I want to help change that.

DID YOU ALWAYS KNOW YOU WANTED TO DO THIS?

My journey into weight loss wasn’t planned from a young age! I knew I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives. A lot of my work is in a clinical setting, helping individuals manage diabetes and high blood pressure, but also helping those who have been on a diet for decades and don’t know where to start.

WHAT IS THE CONCEPT BEHIND YOUR BUSINESS?

There is a real gap in weight management services in the private health sector in the North. Despite this, obese patients are stigmatised and dismissed at both public and private level.

Weight loss is about more than calories and willpower. There are so many factors that affect weight gain and loss—genetics, hormones, bias and emotional factors like weight stigma, which we know makes it even harder to get treatment. My vision is to make sure every person living with obesity has the knowledge and tools to take control of their weight.

WHAT IS YOUR EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND?

I hold a BSc (Hons) Human Nutrition and Dietetics degree from the University of Ulster. I’m a Public Module Nutrition Consultant, a Personal Trainer, a Diabetes Specialist, and a trained provider of NHS and private Weight Loss Programmes such as WW and YMCA gym schemes.

CAN YOU TALK US THROUGH WHAT YOUR BUSINESS PROVIDES?

What does a person seeking help experience?
My bespoke services are tailored to individual long-term success and include:

• In-depth screening and consultation to create a comprehensive assessment and custom nutrition plan
• Medically supervised weight loss programmes
• Advice and guidance on weight loss medication from my colleagues
• 1:1 in-person or online ‘Hormone or Wegovy Specialist Review’ (a new weight loss treatment for effective long-term weight loss)

IS THERE A BIG MARKET FOR WHAT YOU ARE PROVIDING?

Obesity is one of the biggest health challenges we face right now. In Northern Ireland nearly 60% of adults are classed as obese. 1 out of 10 children are overweight* by the time they leave primary school.

When obesity is not just about your weight, but a chronic illness, it needs to be treated like any other disease. It’s also important to remember that this is a growing public health issue—it’s not going away. It’s estimated to cost the NHS more than £50 million each year.

The cause of obesity is much more complex than “eat less and move more”. The issue is we’ve made it hard to talk about weight, we blame individuals and that shame stops people getting the help they need. My clients tell me the weight loss industry has failed them, I’m trying to show them that this doesn’t have to be the case.

WHAT DO YOU MOST LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB?

My work is so much more than helping someone lose weight. It’s helping them live again. My clients are people who are stuck in a cycle of guilt and shame. It’s amazing to see what happens when the narrative gets re-written.
When a client tells me they’ve taken their first walk in years, or someone says they’ve lowered their blood pressure.

Solutions Weight Management By Julianne

📍 Office: First Floor, 81 Rosetta Road, BT6 0LR, Belfast
📞 Tel: 073 622 29778
🌐 solutionsweightmanagement.co.uk
📧 info@solutionsweightmanagement.co.uk
📱 @solutions_weight_management
📸 @solutionsweightmanagement by Julianne

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