Slimming World puts weight behind new diet report

A new report into the serious health risks of obsessive calorie counting has been welcomed by the UK’s leading slimming club for highlighting the dangers of modern faddy diets.

Slimming World, which has been helping people to lose weight for more than 40 years through healthy eating, group support and increased activity, says it hopes that the report will increase awareness of the risks of quick fix diets that rely on starvation or cutting out nutrient-rich foods or even whole food groups.

The report, released by the Future Foundation think-tank, has revealed that millions of Britons are at risk of conditions like heart disease and cancer because their obsessive diets are causing them to miss out on essential vitamins and minerals.

Jenny Allan, Slimming World nutritionist, says: “With more celebrity endorsements, increased coverage in magazines and the use of the internet as a source of health information, we’ve definitely seen an increase in the number of people trying faddy diets as a quick fix way to lose weight.

“Promising rapid weight loss, these diets often persuade slimmers to take unnecessarily drastic steps to slim down such as living on tiny portions, cutting out certain nutrient-rich foods or even whole food groups or consuming mainly liquid foods. Diets like these are unsustainable, often have nasty side-effects and in some case are actually very unhealthy.

“The good news is you don’t need to go to extreme lengths to lose weight and you don’t ever need to feel hungry or deprived. In fact you’re far more likely to be successful in the long term by making small changes to the way you shop, cook and eat than by following an unrealistic faddy diet. It’s now generally acknowledged that Slimming World’s approach, based on the science of energy density, is the best way to lose weight. Put simply, that means choosing foods which are filling and low in calories such as fruit and vegetables, pasta, potatoes, eggs, lean meat and fish, and there is no reason why you can’t still enjoy the odd treat like chocolate or wine as part of a healthy balanced diet. Our eating plan is in line with all healthy eating recommendations, encouraging people to eat food from all the major food groups – with a third of their intake fruit or vegetables – so that they get the full complement of vitamins and minerals and still lose weight.

“It’s a healthy lifestyle approach that means people don’t just lose weight, go back to their old way of eating and pile it all back on again as they often do with fad diets. With the support of a group of likeminded slimmers they shares ideas, experiences and motivations on a weekly basis, building confidence and self esteem, developing coping strategies and staying on track with weekly weigh-ins until, gradually, healthy behaviours become healthy habits.”

For further information please contact the Slimming World press office on 01773 546101 or email: public.relations@slimming-world.com

Notes to Editors

• Slimming World is the largest and most advanced slimming organisation in the UK. Margaret Miles-Bramwell (OBE, FRSA) founded the company in 1969 and there are now around 7,750 groups held weekly nationwide via a network of 2,700 Slimming World trained Consultants.
• 400,000 members attend Slimming World every week and achieve outstanding success.
• Members lose 17,857 stones every week: 2,551 stones every day, over 106 stones every hour, that’s 1 stone 10 lbs lost every minute of every day with Slimming World.
• Slimming World pioneered referral schemes in the UK and actively supports the building of partnerships with the NHS and local authorities to develop effective strategies to manage overweight and obesity in the community. Slimming World works with university researchers and specialists in an active research programme to further knowledge of the causes and treatment of obesity.
• Slimming World’s healthy eating plan, Food Optimising, and the principles behind Slimming World’s philosophy are based on a deep understanding of the challenges faced by overweight people. Slimming World integrates practical, up-to-date dietary advice with a highly developed support system.
• • Slimming World Consultants receive specific training in dietary aspects and the role of physical activity in weight control. The highly developed training focuses on facilitating behaviour change in a group environment, acknowledged by experts as being the most effective way to support long-term weight management.