Slimming World is a

weight loss Weight loss, in the context of medicine, health, or physical fitness, refers to a reduction of the total body mass, by a mean loss of fluid, body fat ( adipose tissue), or lean mass (namely bone mineral deposits, muscle, tendon, and other co ...

organisation based in

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the nor ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

that caters for men and women of all ages. It was founded in Derbyshire in 1969 by Margaret Miles-Bramwell, who remains its chairman. Its focus is predominantly weight loss, and supports members to maintain a healthy weight once they reach their target. It operates through a network of 3,500 "consultants" across the country. Slimming World offers an eating plan based on food satiety and energy density as well as a group support service called IMAGE Therapy.

Company history

The company began in 1969 with a handful of groups in

before expanding into

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other English counties, functions have ...

. By the 1980s, Slimming World had 700 classes in the UK and by 2012 there were more than 10,000 groups, making it the largest slimming club in the UK and

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. Slimming World launched its charity SMILES (Slimmers Making It a Little Easier for Someone) in 1997 and has since raised more than £25,000,000 for good causes. Slimming World publishes recipe books and directories for group members and launched ''Slimming World'' magazine in 1998. In 2001, the company launched a referral scheme in which GPs could "prescribe" 12 weeks' attendance to patients wishing to lose weight. In 2011, a paper in the journal Obesity Facts showed patients attending at least 10 sessions achieved a clinically significant loss of 5% of their body weight. Slimming World now works with about 60 UK health authorities and more than 100,000 patients had been referred by April 2011.Slimming, Slimming World Health website - what is Slimming World on Referral?
/ref> It also signed the Government's Public Health Responsibility Deal, in which participants pledged to help the public eat more healthily and exercise more.Department of Health - Public Health responsibility Deal - Slimming World promotes the CMO’s physical activity guidelines
/ref>

Diet overview

Efficacy

In its 2014 guidance, the

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department of Health and Social Care in England that publishes guidelines in four areas: * the use of health technologies withi ...

lists Slimming World alongside the

Rosemary Conley Rosemary Jean Neil Conley CBE, DL (''née'' Weston, 19 December 1946)''The International Who's Who of Women 2002'', Europa, , p. 113 is an English businesswoman, author and broadcaster on exercise and health. Conley authored a low-fat diet and ...

and Weight Watchers programmes as being "effective at 12 to 18 months".

Physical activity

Slimming World encourages members to introduce

physical activity Physical activity is defined as any voluntary bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure.Global Recommendations on Physical Activity for Health, 2009. World Health Organization. Geneva, Switzerland. Accessed 13/ ...

into their everyday routines. It introduces this gently with activities such as walking up stairs instead of taking the lift. Members get bronze, silver, gold and platinum awards as their activity levels increase, achieving platinum when they routinely exercise or undertake 30 minutes' activity five times weekly.Inside Government - new activity guidelines (2011)
/ref> Since 2011, Slimming World has helped more than 150,000 people to become more active.

Health and pregnancy

Slimming World works in partnership with the Royal College of Midwives and is the first national slimming organisation to support pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers to manage their weight healthily during

pregnancy Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring develops (gestation, gestates) inside a woman, woman's uterus (womb). A multiple birth, multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins. Pregnancy usually occur ...

.Royal College of Midwives - Media Centre
/ref> Its policy was written in collaboration with the college and mothers take part with the consent of their midwife.

References