11
May
2016
|
01:00
Europe/Amsterdam

Slimming World partners in ground-breaking Government health campaign

Slimming World, along with Amazon, Asda and BBC Get Inspired, is a partner in a pioneering new adult health campaign launched by Public Health England.

The ‘One You’ campaign is the most significant public health campaign in the last five years and the first ever nationwide campaign to address preventable disease in adults. It aims to improve the health of adults across the country by avoiding future diseases caused by modern day life. Slimming World – the largest group-based commercial weight loss organisation in the UK and Ireland – has joined the campaign as the weight management partner.

‘One You’ aims to encourage adults, particularly those in middle age, to take control of their health to enjoy significant benefits now, and in later life.

Everyday habits and behaviours – such as eating too much unhealthy food, drinking more than is recommended, smoking and not being active enough – are responsible for around 40% of all deaths in England, costing the NHS over £11 billion a year. Primarily aimed at 40-60 year-olds, the ‘One You’ campaign encourages people to take control of their health to help them lead a healthier old age.

Dr Jacquie Lavin, Head of Nutrition & Research
We’re delighted to be partnering with the Government in this important health campaign. 
Dr Jacquie Lavin, Head of Nutrition & Research

Professor Sir Muir Gray, clinical adviser for the One You campaign, said:

“Many diseases that impact people’s health and shorten their lives can be prevented. Currently 42% of middle aged adults are living with at least one long-term health condition, often causing premature death, pain, suffering and time in and out of hospital.

“Treating these conditions is putting huge pressure on our NHS and if we continue the way we’re going, we are facing a tidal wave of preventable illnesses that could overwhelm the health services in this country. It’s time for adults, particularly those in middle-age, to fight back against lifestyle diseases.”

Dr Jacquie Lavin, Head of Nutrition and Research at Slimming World, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with the Government in this important health campaign. We know how much energy and confidence losing weight gives our members. They also enjoy significant benefits to their health and wellbeing, like fewer aches and pains, lower risk of illness and improved mental health and sleep. As our members develop new healthier lifestyles many of them reduce how much alcohol they drink too.

“Making healthy lifestyle changes, such as improving diet and becoming more active can benefit people’s health right away. It also helps raise self-esteem and self-confidence by helping people to feel more in control of their own lives. Our research shows that as Slimming World members learn new healthy habits they share them with their families too, meaning that they are passed on to the next generation as part of everyday life.”

The ‘One You’ campaign will also be made visible on every high street through pharmacies, and a number of other organisations will be encouraging their employees to make lifestyle changes to improve their health, including Travis Perkins, Britvic, the Ministry of Defence, NHS England, Crossrail, and a number of other government departments.

As part of its commitment to the campaign partnership, Slimming World is offering discounts for group and online membership between 7 March and 29 May 2016. People who complete the ‘How Are You?’ online quiz and find that they could improve their health by losing weight will be taken to a sign up page on the Slimming World website to take advantage of the offers.

 

Notes to Editors

Slimming World was founded by Margaret Miles-Bramwell (OBE, FRSA) in 1969. There are now more than 18,000 groups held weekly across the UK and Republic of Ireland via a network of 4,000 community-based Slimming World Consultants, who receive specific training in the role of diet and physical activity in weight management, as well as sophisticated behaviour-change techniques.

Slimming World’s healthy eating plan, Food Optimising, is based on the science of satiety and energy density. Our phased activity programme, Body Magic, eases members into activity until it becomes an intrinsic part of their daily routine. The principles behind Slimming World’s philosophy are based on a deep understanding of the challenges faced by overweight people and a recognition that those who struggle with weight carry a double burden, the weight itself and a burden of guilt and shame about their weight. Slimming World’s programme integrates practical, up-to-date advice with a highly developed support system based on care and compassion, and Consultant training focuses on facilitating behaviour change in a warm and friendly group environment. Consultant training is delivered through the Slimming World Academy. Slimming World also invests in a comprehensive research programme to develop its support for long-term weight management. The group support provided by Slimming World is recognised as effective by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the NHS.

For more information about Slimming World’s approach visit www.slimmingworld.co.uk or call 0344 897 8000.

For the Press Office please email public.relations@slimmingworld.co.uk