Did you see John and Gill Whitelock, from Wendy George’s Sunderland group, who appeared in the Sun and on the GMTV couch, not once but twice on Tuesday! To watch them chatting to Andrew Castle and Kate Garraway go to http://www.gm.tv/index.cfm?articleid=34544

Yet another Mr and Mrs Slimming World couple featured in this week’s Pick Me Up Magazine. Alison Wallace and Gareth McLean met and fell in love at Norma Green’s group in Ashington, Northumberland. Now 10 of their relatives also attend a group!

Last but by no means least, Helen Savill and David Llewellyn, from Janice Clark’s group in Newport, Wales, told Woman Summer Diet Special about how a holiday snap and wedding proposal promoted them to lose 10 stone!

If you and your other half would like to lose weight together, find your nearest group here... you're sure of a really warm welcome... and you could be on the GMTV sofa this time next year!

If you've seen the Mirror today, you'll already know about our amazing Greatest Loser superstars - 10 fabulous Slimming World members who have lost more than 130 stones between them! Visit the Mirror website to read more about them. Or visit Slimming World's website to hear from John Devonshire, from Llanrwst in Conwy, North Wales has been crowned Slimming World’s Greatest Loser 2009 after losing a truly astonishing 16st 9lbs.

John told us: “When I began my weight loss journey I decided that I wanted to lose at least half my body weight so that I can say ‘I’ve lost me’. Now, after losing 16st 9lbs I’m literally a new man.”

Obesity is one of the UK's most urgent health problems, and, in England, it's growing at 1.25 per cent each year. This means that by the end of 2009, another 675,000 people will be obese - that's 1,850 people every day becoming a statistic, and putting their long-term health at risk.  

Researchers at Slimming World have identified that if slimmers are successful in the first six weeks of a weight loss campaign, they're far more likely to carry on and lose weight in the long term. The motivation of a great start in those crucial first six weeks is strongly linked to would-be slimmers reaching their ultimate target weight and the longer they keep going to a slimming group the more likely they are to stay at their goal weight long term.  

Now we're is marking its 40th anniversary by unveiling a brand new eating plan which promises to make losing weight easier than ever before. Created by our expert team of nutritionists, the new plan, called 'Extra Easy', has been piloted throughout 2008 with highly successful results.  

Our new plan cuts right through all the conflicting advice around at this time of year to give a really easy, flexible start to every slimmer's journey. It's easy to follow with loads more choices, no measuring and no counting. And because it's based on basic everyday filling foods it fits easily with the family whatever their lifestyle.

In trials members had great results on the scales - as well as saving money on their weekly shopping bills!  In trials members who tried the new plan were enthusiastic about its flexibility and adaptability. They report that because it is so easy to follow, with no weighing or measuring, plenty of choice and enough freedom to still enjoy a glass of wine or chocolate it is easier than ever to stick to. 

Sue Kennedy, a member who has been trying the new eating plan since November says: "I had been struggling to get to my target weight and Extra Easy has made it feel less of a struggle. I love it! I lost 4lbs in two weeks - I'm very happy, it's going to be a slimmer New Year." 

The Extra Easy Plan is based around four main principles:  

• Choice and satisfaction: choosing healthier foods and eating to satisfy your appetite
• Sustainability: choosing normal everyday foods that fit with the whole family and can be cooked and prepared easily
• Affordability: choosing foods that fit with every budget and taste
• Healthy eating: based on a healthy balanced diet that includes all essential food groups and encourages slimmers to fill up on at least five fruit and vegetables a day

• Group support: through the support of a group, a Consultant or online, members learn to identify their own personal, emotional and mental blocks that prevent successful weight management. Ongoing support and encouragement boosts their confidence and self-esteem.
• Becoming more active:  building activity into their everyday life by taking small steps to make activity an intrinsic part of the day.
  

A truly easy weight loss plan is the holy grail for slimmers. Our new plan isn't magic - it does require people to change their eating habits and make healthier, low fat food choices. But we believe it genuinely is the most liberating and 'user friendly' weight loss plan currently available to slimmers in the UK, and we're 100% confident that anyone who tries it will lose weight.

To find out more about Extra Easy, visit our Extra Easy page here, or try it for FREE with our new 7-day eating plan!

Our Woman of the Year superstar, Penny Melly, who lost a fabulous 10st 7.5lbs to scoop the title, appeared on GMTV on Wednesday morning and looked amazing!  She then went to the Ritz in London for a photo call which resulted in her featuring in yesterday's The Sun, Daily Mirror, Daily Express and Daily Star! 

You can read all about her and watch a video online on the Daily Mail website, The Sun, Daily Mirror, The Scotsman, Channel 4 News, AOL, Virgin Media, Teletext, MSN, Pruhealth and Fenland Today! Penny’s also appeared on BBC Essex Breakfast radio and Essex FM. And you can watch our super slideshow - celebrating competition winners from all over the country - right here.

Saturday 8th November saw the gorgeous and the glamorous gather at the ICC in Birmingham for the highlight of our Slimming World calendar, our annual awards ceremony.  This year’s host, alongside Margaret, was the delicious John Barrowman, who wowed the crowds with his charm and his singing ability, giving an impromptu performance of his new single.  The event celebrated the amazing achievements of our title winners throughout the year and introduced the 10 national finalists for Slimming World’s Woman of the Year competition 2008.

This year we were thrilled to have Women of the Year from all 4 corners of the UK:

• Woman of the Year for England: Penny Melly from the Westcliff on Sea group, who lost a fantastic 10st 7½lb with the support of her Consultant Pat Blake

• Woman of the Year for Ireland: Sinead Carlin who is a super 5st 9lb lighter thanks to the help from the Derry group and Consultant Clare McDaid 

• Woman of the Year for Scotland: Nancy Allan from the Bo’ness group, with an amazing weight loss of 10st 13½lb, helped by Consultant Joan Paterson

• Woman of the Year for Wales: Eileen McConnell from the Colwyn Bay group, who's celebrating a fabulous 9st 7lb weight loss with Consultant Debbie Vaughan

However there can only be one overall winner and the title of Slimming World’s Woman of the Year and after a nail-biting wait, the £5000 prize went to...

Penny Melly!
You can read Penny's story right here.

Congratulations to all our Woman of the Year superstars, and we'll bring you more news about Penny's success over the next few days.

Once a female-only market, slimming clubs have been steadily gate-crashed over the years by member’s husbands, boyfriends and sons, who have proven that they are indeed better slimmers.  Data from our Slimming World on Referral* scheme shows that men’s weight loss is on average 23% greater than women during the 12 week referral period!

Dr Jacquie Lavin, Slimming World Nutritionist said, “Men tend to have a more muscle mass than women do and, as muscle uses up energy, it means that men often lose weight a little faster than women. Men often see very good weight losses in the first few weeks, which motivates them to carry on and they often reach targets quicker than women.

“Men also tend to be focused when they start on a healthy eating plan especially when they joining a slimming club that’s full of women. And they tend to feel less social pressure than women feel and have fewer negative feelings about previous diets they may have tried.”

Success is made easy for male dieters at Slimming World.  We understand that curry, chips and beer are the things men hate giving up most – and the good news is that with Slimming World they don’t have to.

46 year old consultant Chris Nicholls, who runs a 44-strong male class in Mid-Glamorgan, believes some of his members could definitely give any female dieter a run for their money.

“Since I started running the class 21 months ago, the total weight loss of my members so far has been an amazing 334 stone. Our members range from 24 – 60 years of age, and are lorry drivers, office workers, builders or are retired. I lost 10 stone myself with Slimming World, before becoming a Consultant to help others.

“Life can get quite competitive with my members and their wives and girlfriends, some of whom also attend other Slimming World groups. Male slimmers have fantastic motivation, and are able to channel their energy to achieving their weight loss goal.

Every year after Christmas, Slimming World members all over the UK take part in a 6-week Slimathon in aid of our charity SMILES (Slimmers Making It a Little Easier for Someone) which, this year, is supporting the NSPCC.  And we're delighted to announce that 2008's results have now been finalised and 2008's grand total is £42,000! An enormous thank you and congratulations to all 400 fabulous slimmers who took part and lost an incredible 232 stones between them for this incredibly worthwhile cause.

This year's shining Slimathon star is Jan from West Sussex.  Jan has lost an awesome 1st 4lbs, raising £1,000 in the process, and wins two tickets to the glittering Slimming World Awards ceremony in November.

For more information about SMILES, visit www.slimmingworld.com/smiles.asp.

Here comes the sun – and here comes the July issue of Slimming World Magazine! Dive in and discover how you can shine with our special summer body confidence section – plus much more:

‘Making time for myself helps me look after everyone else’. And taking time out to read Sharron Millen’s story will help you journey towards your target, too. Plus how cover girl Paige Ataou lost 3st and found the way to achieve her dreams.

 

7-day ‘summer slimdown’ eating plan. One week’s menus for wonderful weight-loss results! Try our easy-to-follow and fabulously filling plan.

5 ways to inner body confidence. You don’t have to be at target to have true body confidence.  Try our simple strategies and see your self-esteem soar this summer!

 

Cooking with herbs. Seven fresh and fragrant recipes – high on flavour, low in Syns. Plus the secrets of a perfect Slimming World pizza, and easy-to-make meals for kids who love to help Mum in the kitchen.

 

A fitter, firmer you in 4 weeks. Our summer exercise plans have been put together by experts – but you don’t have to be an expert to do them! Choose your favourite Body Magic activity and see and feel the difference in a month.

 The new issue of Slimming World magazine is available in group and on a newsstand near you on the 29th May.  Don’t miss it!

The News of the World this week reported that doctors in the North West are spending twice as much on obesity drugs as they do in the south, with £8.3million spent on diet pills in Manchester and Liverpool in a year. The smallest bill for pills was the South Central Health Authority which spent only £2.6million. The article claims that the NHS is set to spend £50million on obesity drugs this year. 

Is there an alternative?  Yes, yes, yes! 

Slimming World pioneered Slimming World on Referral as a way of working hand in hand with UK health professionals to help manage overweight and obesity from within the heart of local communities. The scheme is designed so that health professionals – from a single GP practice to a local health authority – can buy 12-week Countdown packs at a subsidised cost, while the patient benefits from Slimming World’s expertise and support free of charge. 

Members who are referred to Slimming World by their GP receive a 12 week course that costs just £44.50 – around ⅓ of the price of a 3 month course of anti-obesity drugs and at a fraction of the cost of a stomach stapling operation at around £7,000. People who attend Slimming World on Referral learn how to change the way they eat, become more active and receive the warm and friendly support of a group. They learn how to make the lasting lifestyle changes that will help them lose weight effectively and in the long-term – saving the NHS money and being more effective!  

Dr James Stubbs, research officer at Slimming World says: “The key to successful and long-term weight loss and maintenance is to make healthy habits a part of your everyday lifestyle. Research has also shown that the support that you receive at a Slimming World group plays a key role in boosting your confidence to make the changes and keep weight off in the long term.” 

Visit our Real Success section to discover how Slimming World on Referral was just what the doctor ordered for members Patricia and Lyndsey:
 www.slimmingworld.com/real_success/letter_patricia_hart.asp
www.slimmingworld.com/real_success/letter_lyndsey_stanley.asp