Understanding the connection between your weight and your health starts with good information. The organizations below offer free, science-based education on weight, heart health, diabetes, kidney health, nutrition, and how to start the conversation with a healthcare professional.
Every resource here is published and maintained by the organization that created it. Selecting a resource will take you to that organization's website.
Government health resources
Published by federal health agencies. Free to access, regularly reviewed, and available in Spanish where noted.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Adult BMI Calculator
Weight & health basics
Enter your height and weight to get your BMI and see which category it falls in. The same measure used as the starting point at Know Your Score events.
Government resource
Weight & health basics
Visit site
Interactive tool · EN/ES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
What your BMI category means
Weight & health basics
A plain-language explanation of the adult BMI categories, with worked examples and a note on why BMI is a screening measure rather than a diagnosis.
Government resource
Weight & health basics
Visit site
Web page
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
About Obesity
Weight & health basics
CDC's overview of obesity as a chronic disease, covering contributing factors, associated conditions, and the prevention work underway nationally.
Government resource
Weight & health basics
Visit site
Web page
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Tips for maintaining a healthy weight
Weight & health basics
Practical guidance on balancing food and activity day to day, including healthier drink choices, snacks, and sleep.
Government resource
Weight & health basics
Visit site
Web page
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Steps for losing weight
Weight & health basics
•
Talking with your doctor
How to get started: tracking what you eat, identifying the obstacles in your own routine, setting goals, and knowing when to ask a healthcare professional for support.
Government resource
Weight & health basics
Visit site
Web page
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Physical activity and your weight and health
Weight & health basics
•
Movement & activity
How much activity adults need, what counts as moderate and vigorous, and how activity fits alongside eating changes.
Government resource
Weight & health basics
Visit site
Web page
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Find a diabetes prevention program near you
Diabetes & prediabetes
•
Support & community
•
Finding care
Search by ZIP code for CDC-recognized lifestyle change programs offered in person, online, or in combination. Programs run for a year with a trained coach.
Government resource
Diabetes & prediabetes
Visit site
Search tool
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
About the National Diabetes Prevention Program
Weight & health basics
•
Diabetes & prediabetes
How the year-long lifestyle change program works, who is eligible, and what participants do week to week.
Government resource
Diabetes & prediabetes
Visit site
Web hub
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
PreventT2 curriculum and participant handouts
Weight & health basics
•
Diabetes & prediabetes
•
Nutrition & eating
The full set of session handouts used in CDC-recognized prevention programs, covering food choices, activity, stress, and staying on track. Spanish curriculum available.
Government resource
Diabetes & prediabetes
Visit site
PDF at source · EN/ES
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
What are overweight and obesity?
Weight & health basics
•
Finding care
NHLBI's full condition overview: causes, risk factors, screening, diagnosis, treatment options, and living with the condition long term.
Government resource
Weight & health basics
Visit site
Web hub
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Aim for a healthy weight
Weight & health basics
•
Heart health
Why weight matters to heart health, with practical guidance on setting a realistic target and building an eating and activity plan.
Government resource
Weight & health basics
Visit site
Web page
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Are you at a healthy weight? Fact sheet
Weight & health basics
A short fact sheet on assessing your weight and understanding what the numbers mean. Available for download and self-printing.
Government resource
Weight & health basics
Visit site
PDF at source · EN/ES
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
My Heart Health Tracker
Weight & health basics
•
Heart health
•
Talking with your doctor
A printable tracker for recording your numbers over time and bringing them to your next appointment.
Government resource
Heart health
Visit site
PDF at source
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Make physical activity a habit
Weight & health basics
•
Movement & activity
A tracker and tip sheet for building activity into an ordinary week and keeping it going past the first few weeks.
Government resource
Movement & activity
Visit site
PDF at source
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Heart-healthy eating plan fact sheet
Weight & health basics
•
Heart health
•
Nutrition & eating
What a heart-healthy eating pattern looks like and how much to eat from each food group. Download and print.
Government resource
Nutrition & eating
Visit site
PDF at source
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Put your heart into getting active and eating healthy
Heart health
•
Nutrition & eating
•
Movement & activity
A two-page tip sheet pairing simple ways to move more with practical guidance on planning meals, snacking, and eating out.
Government resource
Movement & activity
Visit site
PDF at source · EN/ES
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Weight Management
Weight & health basics
•
Diabetes & prediabetes
•
Kidney health
NIDDK's main hub on weight and health: how excess weight relates to diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, and liver disease, and what the treatment options are.
Government resource
Weight & health basics
Visit site
Web hub · EN/ES
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Choosing a safe and successful weight-loss program
Weight & health basics
•
Finding care
What to look for and what to avoid when evaluating a program, including the features research associates with lasting results. Useful before signing up for anything.
Government resource
Weight & health basics
Visit site
Web page · EN/ES
MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine)
Weight Control
Weight & health basics
A curated gateway to vetted information on weight, with links to calculators, trackers, and plain-language explainers from across federal agencies.
Government resource
Weight & health basics
Visit site
Web hub · EN/ES
MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine)
Obesity
Weight & health basics
What obesity is, what causes it, and how it is treated — written for a general audience and reviewed by the National Library of Medicine.
Government resource
Weight & health basics
Visit site
Web hub · EN/ES
MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine)
Health risks of obesity
Weight & health basics
•
Heart health
•
Diabetes & prediabetes
A direct look at the conditions associated with excess weight, including blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, sleep apnea, and joint problems.
Government resource
Weight & health basics
Visit site
Web page · EN/ES
MyHealthfinder (HHS)
Obesity: what you can do
Weight & health basics
•
Nutrition & eating
Short, actionable guidance on balancing what you eat with what you burn, written at a plain-language reading level.
Government resource
Weight & health basics
Visit site
Web page · EN/ES
MyHealthfinder (HHS)
Losing weight: questions for the doctor
Talking with your doctor
•
Finding care
A printable list of questions to bring to your next appointment. One of the strongest matches to Know Your Score's "start the conversation" message.
Government resource
Talking with your doctor
Visit site
Web tool · EN/ES
MyHealthfinder (HHS)
Aim for a Healthy Weight
Weight & health basics
•
Diabetes & prediabetes
•
Nutrition & eating
Guidance on calories, activity, and portion sizes for people managing weight alongside heart disease risk factors or diabetes.
Government resource
Weight & health basics
Visit site
Web page · EN/ES
U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services
Dietary Guidelines for Americans
Weight & health basics
•
Nutrition & eating
The federal government's consumer nutrition site, carrying the current Dietary Guidelines, food group guidance, and a meal-planning assistant.
Government resource
Nutrition & eating
Visit site
Web hub + tools
National health organizations
Patient education from professional societies and nonprofit organizations working in cardiovascular, metabolic, kidney, and obesity care.
American Heart Association
Life’s Essential 8
Weight & health basics
•
Heart health
The AHA's eight measures of cardiovascular health — including weight, blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol — with steps for each one.
National organization
Heart health
Visite site
Web hub
American Heart Association
My Life Check — Heart Health Care
Weight & health basics
•
Heart health
The AHA's online assessment. Answer questions about the eight measures and get a score for your own cardiovascular health, along with where to focus first.
National organization
Heart health
Visit site
Interactive tool
American Heart Association
How to keep a healthy weight
Weight & health basics
•
Heart health
A single-page fact sheet on what reaching a healthier weight does for your heart, lungs, blood vessels, and joints.
National organization
Weight & health basics
Visit site
Fact sheet
American Heart Association
Life’s Essential 8 Fact Sheet
Weight & health basics
•
Heart health
•
Talking with your doctor
All eight measures on one page, with the target ranges for each. A useful reference to bring to an appointment.
National organization
Heart health
Visit site
Fact sheet
American Heart Association
Answers by Heart fact sheets
Weight & health basics
•
Heart health
•
Talking with your doctor
A library of short question-and-answer sheets on blood pressure, cholesterol, weight, diabetes, and heart disease, with space to record your own numbers.
National organization
Heart health
Visit site
Fact sheets · EN/ES
American Heart Association
Heart-healthy Recipes
Weight & health basics
•
Heart health
•
Nutrition & eating
A searchable recipe database you can filter by meal, ingredient, and dietary need.
National organization
Nutrition & eating
Visit site
Recipe database
American Diabetes Association
60-Second Type 2 Diabetes Risk Test
Weight & health basics
•
Diabetes & prediabetes
A one-minute questionnaire that estimates your risk for type 2 diabetes and points you to next steps. Free, no registration required.
National organization
Diabetes & prediabetes
Visit site
Interactive tool · EN/ES
American Diabetes Association
Tools and Resources
Weight & health basics
•
Diabetes & prediabetes
•
Nutrition & eating
•
Support & community
The ADA's patient hub: risk tests, education programs, food and nutrition guidance, and support for living with or preventing diabetes.
National organization
Diabetes & prediabetes
Visit site
Web hub · EN/ES
American Diabetes Association
Patient Education Library
Weight & health basics
•
Diabetes & prediabetes
•
Nutrition & eating
More than 170 free, downloadable handouts covering weight management, nutrition, and cardiometabolic risk, available in eleven languages. Written to be shared with patients.
National organization
Diabetes & prediabetes
Visite site
PDF library · 11 languages
Obesity Association
Understanding Obesity
Weight & health basics
•
Talking with your doctor
•
Finding care
Patient education from the American Diabetes Association's obesity division: what obesity is, how it is treated, and how to build a care plan with your doctor. Spanish site available.
National organization
Weight & health basics
Visit site
Web hub + video · EN/ES
Obesity Action Coalition
OAC Resource Library
Weight & health basics
•
Nutrition & eating
•
Support & community
A large free library of articles, brochures, and guides covering obesity, nutrition, activity, weight bias, and weight regain.
National organization
Weight & health basics
Visit site
Article and PDF library
Obesity Action Coalition
Helpful links and support tools
Weight & health basics
•
Support & community
•
Finding care
OAC's curated set of outside resources plus its own community forums, regional networks, and personal story collections.
National organization
Support & community
Visit site
Web page
Obesity Action Coalition
Order free printed materials
Weight & health basics
•
Support & community
Single copies of OAC brochures are free; bulk orders for health fairs and community events are available at cost. Allow about three weeks.
National organization
Support & community
Visit site
Order form · EN/ES
The Obesity Society
Patient information pages
Weight & health basics
•
Nutrition & eating
Short, expert-authored sheets from the journal Obesity, including "How much weight do I need to lose?" and strategies for eating better and moving more.
National organization
Weight & health basics
Visite site
PDF at source
American College of Cardiology — CardioSmart
Weight and Heart Health
Weight & health basics
•
Heart health
A printable infographic on how excess weight affects the heart and what steps make a measurable difference. Produced alongside the ACC's 2025 clinical guidance.
National organization
Heart health
Visit site
Infographic
CardioSmart weight hub
CardioSmart weight hub
Weight & health basics
•
Heart health
•
Talking with your doctor
The ACC's patient education hub on weight and cardiovascular risk, with infographics and shared decision-making aids available in multiple languages.
National organization
Heart health
Visit site
Web hub · multilingual
National Kidney Foundation
Overweight, obesity, and your kidneys
Weight & health basics
•
Kidney health
How excess weight affects kidney function directly and through blood pressure and blood sugar, plus what can be done about it.
National organization
Kidney health
Visit site
Web page
National Kidney Foundation
Five weight loss tips to protect your kidneys
Weight & health basics
•
Kidney health
•
Nutrition & eating
Plain-language, practical guidance framed around kidney protection rather than appearance.
National organization
Kidney health
Visit site
Article
National Kidney Foundation
Obesity and CKD: where to start
Weight & health basics
•
Kidney health
•
Talking with your doctor
A one-page guide on setting goals, handling setbacks, and finding support when managing weight alongside kidney disease.
National organization
PDF at source
Visit site
PDF at source
American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery
For Patients
Weight & health basics
•
Finding care
ASMBS's patient hub, covering obesity-related conditions, the full range of procedures, and what to expect before and after.
National organization
Finding care
Visit site
Web hub + video
American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery
Disease of Obesity
Weight & health basics
•
Finding care
An overview of obesity as a disease rather than a lifestyle choice, covering contributing factors and the conditions it is associated with.
National organization
Weight & health basics
Visit site
Web page
American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery
Find a Provider
Weight & health basics
•
Finding care
Search board-certified providers specializing in metabolic and bariatric care by location, procedure, or name.
National organization
Finding care
Visit site
Search tool
STOP Obesity Alliance — George Washington University
Fast Facts series
Weight & health basics
Short, heavily cited fact sheets on the science of obesity and current approaches to addressing it. Free to download and share.
National organization
Weight & health basics
Visit site
PDF at source
STOP Obesity Alliance — George Washington University
Chronic diseases associated with obesity
Weight & health basics
•
Heart health
•
Diabetes & prediabetes
A single sheet laying out the conditions linked to excess weight and what the evidence says about the effect of weight reduction on each.
National organization
Weight & health basics
Visit site
PDF at source
STOP Obesity Alliance — George Washington University
Mental Health and Obesity
Weight & health basics
•
Support & community
How mental health and weight affect one another, and why weight bias is treated as an independent health concern.
National organization
Support & community
Visit site
PDF at source
STOP Obesity Alliance — George Washington University
Costs of Obesity
Weight & health basics
What excess weight costs individuals and the health system, covering medical spending, disability, and productivity.
National organization
Weight & health basics
Visit site
PDF at source