We hope you all managed to catch our Young Slimmer of the Year 2009 Leanne Needham on GMTV last thursday. She made two appearances, first chatting to Penny Smith and later to Andrew Castle. If you missed it you can see the interview here.

Read Leanne's story and see her amazing transformation on the Slimming World website here...

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.”

Managing Director Caryl Richards’ response to the first over-the-counter slimming pill, Alli, going on sale was published online in Medical News Today. "Doling out pills for weight loss is not a solution to obesity," Caryl told the health news website. "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 people receive at a Slimming World group plays a key role in boosting self-esteem and confidence to make the changes and keep weight off in the long term. Plus Slimming World offers a more cost-effective solution at just £4.50 per week without any unpleasant side-effects."

You can read the full article - and rate it - here.

This is the 10th year that a Slimming World team will be taking on the 26.2 mile challenge in the Flora London Marathon next weekend (26th April) to raise money for SMILES – SMILES stands for SLIMMERS MAKING IT a LITTLE EASIER for SOMEONE. During 2009 all Slimming World’s fundraising efforts will go to raising money for the NSPCC’s Child’s Voice Appeal. Every single penny we raise will go towards helping the charity transform Childline and the NSPCC Helpline to answer many more calls for help.

Slimming World’s marathon team are: Kathryn Briggs and Paul Siddall from Head Office, Consultant Jo Gregory from Derbyshire, and members Lindsey Bellis from North Wales, Tracey Paveley (see photo below) from London, Iain Bullock from Somerset.

Anyone who’d like to pledge to the marathon team’s fundraising can do so via www.justgiving.com/paulsiddall

When the BBC undertook to find out more about obesity and what it means to today’s young people, they came to Slimming World to talk to our young members. (You can view the video here...)

“What is obesity?”, “What makes us obese?” And, “what can we do to avoid becoming obese?”, were just some of the questions they posed. In 2008 the UK government’s Foresight report predicted that this generation of young people could be the first to die before their parents – because of the health risks associated with being seriously overweight.

Speaking to young people who are or have been overweight the BBC team, Charlotte Ashton and Anthony Baxter discovered that relentless bullying, low self-esteem, feeling left out, not being able to go out, not wanting to go on holiday, feeling trapped, are all part of the experience of being overweight. So it’s not just about the long term health risks, it’s also about getting the most out of life now.

The good news is that by making small but significant changes young people can avoid becoming a “fatistic”. At 14stone, Kirsty, who’d never worn high heels or a dress tells how she’s cut down on chocolates, crisps and white bread. While young Slimming World member 14 year old Taylor talks about how he swapped fatty meals for potato wedges and salad and inspired friends Stephanie and Shane to make similar changes.

Slimming World’s very own Young Slimmer of the Year, 2008, Jack Mitchell who lost 7½ stone over 2 years warns that if you do have any worries about weight, you should take action sooner rather than later. “Stop now,” warns Jack “because you’ll ruin your body.” And don’t think about taking slimming pills, because they’re not the solution.

So the messages are: Healthy eating and activity. It’s not always easy, which is why Slimming World offers free support to 11-15 year olds, and has created a special Free2Go eating plan that helps them to make simple changes to cut out the chocolates and chips and eat more healthily.

For more information about Free2Go visit our website. To read Jack's story on the BBC website  click here.

 

The government has today launched a healthy living campaign to stem the rising obesity rates in England warning that, left alone, obese and overweight people would cost the taxpayer £50bn by 2050.

 

The "eat well, move more, live longer" message of the "Change4Life" campaign isn’t a surprise to Slimming World members who do just that! With Food Optimising and Body Magic, they lead healthier, fitter lives… and pass those positive changes to their families too.

 

For forty years, Slimming World has been helping people all over the UK to make small changes to the way they shop, cook and eat, and to take realistic steps to become more active in their day to day lives. Hand in hand, with the powerfully motivating group support Slimming World is renowned for, hundreds of thousands of slimmers have lost millions of pounds and reaped the many health benefits associated with weight loss.  You can read their inspiring stories of success here…

 

Whether you want to lose weight to feel more energetic, to love the way you look, to lead a healthier life or to avoid health problems in the future, join a warm and friendly Slimming World group and start making easy, realistic change towards a healthy new you - for life.

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

 

 Slimmers who follow the eating plan and attend a Slimming World group also benefit from the additional support of: 

• 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!

Hundreds of thousands of members of Slimming World groups across the UK are learning to make the most of the credit crunch by sharing tips and ideas about how to slim down their food bills as well as their waistlines. They’re cutting out takeaways and ready meals, spending less on crisps and biscuits and filling up on fruit and vegetables.

In a campaign launched after many Consultants reported that members were struggling with household bills, we set out to crack the credit crunch.

Driven by our 2,500 Consultants based at the heart of communities the campaign has gathered pace. Consultants are leading the way by surveying supermarket best food buys and sharing low-cost budget recipes for the whole family.

Caryl Richards, Slimming World Managing Director, says: “We got the message loud and clear from many of our 300,000 members that they were feeling the pinch. The last thing they wanted to do was give up their weight loss plans, so Consultants made it their mission to create a forum for sharing bargains and cooking on a budget.”

Members around the UK have been pooling ideas not just about how to boost their weight losses, but how to eat healthily and heartily without spending a fortune. Prices of some of the most popular fruit and vegetables have risen by up to 30 per cent at leading supermarket chains in the past year. So Consultants and members share news about the lowest supermarket prices and best value fruit and veg and Buy One Get One Free offers on healthy foods.

Results of a credit crunch survey showed that since joining Slimming World:

• 57% of members had reduced their spending on takeaways from an average £15 to £0
• 71% of members ate fewer takeaways
• 66% have fewer ready meals
• 81% spent less on biscuits, chocolates and crisps
• 95% eat more fruit and vegetables.

“We’re hearing that members are gathering to share news not just about reducing numbers on the scales, but about how to drop the size of their bills at the tills,” says Caryl.

“Keeping the cost of food down is all part of the challenge of healthy eating on a budget. Some members report having cut their shopping bill by half.

“Members of Slimming World groups have always shared food and recipe ideas to help keep them motivated and inspired for their weight loss. But now they’re sharing credit-crunch and money-saving tips too. Every week Consultants and members come to group with ideas about bargains and how to reduce their grocery bills. And in-between groups they’re texting, emailing and calling each other with news about the latest savings,” she adds.

In weekly groups, Consultants and members share tips and ideas about:

• how to prepare healthy fast foods like burgers and pizzas at home without having to spend on takeaways
• where to go for the cheapest prices and price comparison on similar products from different supermarkets
• sharing meal ideas to feed the family for a fiver
• how to prepare filling, credit-crunching, satisfying meals  like shepherd’s pie, pasta bakes, egg and chips
• offering incentives and membership discounts encourage members to stay on track with their healthy weight loss.

 To find your local warm and friendly group - and slim while you save - visit our nearest group page. Or take a look through our 'Save £££s and lose lbs' feature here...

 

It’s been a real Family Affair for the Coupe’s as not only have Jan and Alan lost an incredible 12 stone between them, but their son Chris has lost a further 5 stone simply by eating the same Food Optimising meals!

The couple, who attend Christine Micallef’s group in Stubbington (Hampshire), joined Slimming World in 2006 - tomorrow they’re on the GMTV sofas. What a difference two years can make! Tune in to hear more about their amazing journey!