Thousands of people all over the UK are taking to the streets this Saturday, 21st February, to support the first ever ‘Let’s Beat Obesity Together’ campaign, launched by Slimming World, the UK’s largest weight loss organisation. The campaign aims to get whole communities together to help tackle the UK’s spiralling obesity crisis.

It’s estimated that around 10,000 Slimming World members will join forces to help raise awareness of the growing obesity epidemic and its effect on individuals and their families. Members who are already feeling the benefits of the help available at Slimming World groups in communities all over the UK are encouraging friends and neighbours to join them, and take advantage of the support they need to lose weight and live healthier lives.

From Strathclyde to Sheffield, from Wolverhampton to Whetstone, Slimming World members are taking part in community events – marching with placards, travelling from town to town on open-topped buses and enlisting the help of local people. In Liverpool, dedicated campaigners will be riding a 26-seater bicycle to launch the campaign; while a bus will be touring Chesterfield to invite people to have their BMI checked, in Essex a 7 foot Dalek bearing the message ‘Let’s Exterminate Obesity’ is lending support!

Campaign organisers are aiming to spread the word that there is a real, sustainable solution to overweight and obesity, and that it’s available in every town in the country.

“Thirty million adults in Britain are overweight or obese and 1 million children are suffering from the effects of overweight to the point where their health and happiness is seriously at risk,” says Caryl Richards, Slimming World’s Managing Director. “It’s a timebomb that threatens the health and future of our society, and unless something is done, today’s children could be the first to die before their parents. We’re thrilled that our members are giving up their time and getting involved at ‘grass roots’ level to tell people in their own local communities that the problem is serious, that we can’t (as individuals) bury our head in the sand hoping it will go away, and that there is effective help at hand.

“The Government is spending millions of pounds to encourage the nation to make changes and adopt a healthier lifestyle. Raising awareness in this way is a start but education alone won’t do it. Individuals (and their families) need support to help them make changes to habits and routines they find it hard to break – and the Government isn’t able to harness real ‘people power’ in the way that we will be doing on Saturday 21st.”

Slimming World celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. Each week 300,000 members attend 6,000 Slimming World groups in local pubs, village halls and community centres all around Britain – 30,000 young people between 11 and 15 years have attended group free of charge since the company launched its Family Affair scheme in 2006. This January, Slimming World has seen a 13% increase in membership, and opened 110 new groups.

“Despite the recession membership numbers are higher at the end of January than they have ever been,” says Caryl Richards, “Yet there are still thousands of people across the country who are desperate for clear and practical advice about how to live more healthily. It’s crucial that at community level people have access to the support that they need to become healthier and manage their weight, before the problem gets any worse.
“It’s time to harness the expertise of the thousands of trained weight management consultants in communities the length and breadth of the UK. And that’s just what this campaign aims to do”, promises Caryl.

Slimming World groups across the country will launch a week of activity, starting on Saturday, February 21st. Between then and March 7th, groups will welcome anyone who would like to find out more about the company’s unique support programme and how to make healthy changes for life.

Slimming World’s Let’s Beat It Together campaign takes place February 21st to March 7th. For more information about Slimming World or to find the nearest group, click here or call 0844 897 8000.