While Neil Armstrong made his great leap for mankind on the surface of the moon in 1969, a British woman called Margaret Miles-Bramwell made a giant leap for overweight people everywhere when she created a radical new approach to slimming. Forty years later, her approach has turned into a business success story beyond her wildest dreams.
With a deep understanding of the twin burdens faced by slimmers - hunger and guilt - Margaret launched a new approach to weight loss that encouraged slimmers to eat to satisfy their appetite and offered motivational support from a ‘teacher’ trained in the psychology of slimming – support that has evolved into a unique and extraordinary system at the cutting edge of behaviour change techniques.
This September the club that has become the nation’s favourite slimming organisation will celebrate its Ruby Anniversary with festivities at Slimming World groups across the UK and Ireland.
The slimming club launched by Margaret Miles-Bramwell OBE in September 1969 when she was just 21 started out with four groups in Alfreton, Derbyshire, where the headquarters are still based. It now holds 6,000 groups every week and boasts a membership of 300,000 men, women and adolescents, making it the UK’s leading weight-loss organisation.
The first slimming club to understand that the psychology of slimming was as important as diet, Slimming World recognised that it was more useful to slimmers to praise success and offer understanding in an atmosphere of warmth, humour and support rather than guilt and humiliation. Over the years the company has led the way and set the highest standards for the science of successful slimming.
“Slimming World has always offered the most sustainable long term weight loss option,” says Caryl Richards, Slimming World’s Managing Director. “There’s no such thing as a ‘quick fix’. Slimming World offers members a lasting solution. During a recession, it’s easy for people to think that looking after themselves is a luxury, but as we’re facing a major obesity crisis in the UK, our message is that maintaining a healthy weight isn’t a luxury – it’s a necessity for a healthy future. And we’ve made it our mission to help people achieve that without spending a fortune, make friends, have fun and enjoy themselves. Our 40th birthday is a real opportunity to celebrate that,” she says.
SLIMMING WORLD THROUGH THE DECADES
1970s – While millions were tempted by the quick fix, faddy solutions of the day from the grapefruit diet or liquid protein drinks made from the extract of cattle hide, Margaret introduced the “Sin-a-day” eating plan that encouraged unlimited amounts of healthy foods.
1980s – Slimming World is famous for its Original (Red) and Green eating plan. The Original eating plan promoted the benefits of filling up on protein. In the 80s the club recognised that carbs – pasta, rice, potatoes and pulses – were also important in satisfying appetite, and introduced the popular Green plan.
1990s – Male attendance at slimming clubs began to grow rapidly. While men-only groups have never really taken off, membership of men at groups has steadily risen. Slimming World now has 85 male Consultants and around 10,000 members who are men.
2000s – In the early 21st Century the “Sin-A-Day” eating plan transformed into Food Optimising reflecting the synergy between Free Food (lean meat, fish, eggs, pasta, potatoes, pulses, fruit and vegetables), Healthy Extras (wholemeal cereals and bread, milk, cheese and yogurt) and Syns – those foods we all have to limit if we’re to navigate a safe route to long term weight management success – like chocolate, crisps and alcohol.
2001 – Slimming World pioneered ‘slimming on referral’ when it piloted a scheme with Greater Derby Primary Care Trust where overweight patients could be referred to a Slimming World group by a health professional. Weight loss support from commercial weight loss organisations has now become a recognised method in a raft of measures to urgently tackle rising obesity by the National Health Service.
2003 – Since the very early days Slimming World has recognised the importance of activity in helping to manage weight. In the early days Consultants, or teachers as they were then known, offered isometric exercises in the weekly sessions. Later, recognising that many overweight people have had traumatic experiences of exercise, a unique and sophisticated activity support programme was developed in collaboration with Professor Ken Fox, head of exercise & health sciences at Bristol University and introduced in 2003. The Body Magic programme acknowledges the vital importance of activity as part of a healthy lifestyle and encourages members to make regular activity an intrinsic part of their daily routine.
2004 – For the first time people outside the UK were able to access Slimming World services with the launch of an online support programme, www.bodyoptimise.com
2006 – The company responded to requests from parents and families increasingly concerned about the weight of their children when it launched its Family Affair scheme and offered free membership to 11-15 year olds attending with a parent or guardian. More than 10,000 young people attend groups each year and benefit from the specially created healthy eating plan called Free2Go that encourages them to make healthy food choices. In the same year Slimming World opened its first groups in Northern Ireland.
2009 – Slimming World moved across the border and opened groups in the Republic of Ireland on the company’s first international venture. And Slimming World celebrates four decades of helping people to lose weight without calorie counting, deprivation, guilt or hunger!
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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 6,000 groups held weekly nationwide via a network of 2,500 Slimming World trained Consultants.
· In 2009 Slimming World celebrates its 40th Anniversary and four decades of helping people to lose weight without deprivation, guilt or hunger.
· 300,000 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 Slimming World on Referral 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 OptimisingÒ, 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.
· For further information please contact the Slimming World press office on 01773 546039, 01773 546101 or 01773 546037 or email: public.relations@slimming-world.com
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