{"id":5474,"date":"2022-09-08T08:08:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-08T07:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/slimmingworld.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/?p=5474"},"modified":"2022-09-15T19:06:20","modified_gmt":"2022-09-15T18:06:20","slug":"discover-losing-weight-is-easier-with-support","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.slimmingworld.co.uk\/blog\/discover-losing-weight-is-easier-with-support\/","title":{"rendered":"Revealed \u2013 losing weight is easier with support"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
If the last few years have taught us anything, it\u2019s that things are better when we\u2019re together \u2013 and that\u2019s definitely true when it comes to weight loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In fact, a recent survey of 2,000 adults* revealed we\u2019re less socially connected to others since the Covid-19 pandemic and that this has had a huge impact on the nation\u2019s weight management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Fast facts:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
38% of those surveyed said they feel less socially connected now than they did before the pandemic<\/li>
Nearly half (44%) said they meet fewer people in real life than before March 2020.<\/li>
31% found it more difficult to manage their weight since the pandemic, with 12% of those saying it was much more difficult<\/li>
More than one in three (36%) reported they had gained weight over the past two years<\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
The study also found that, of those who gained weight, 72% have tried to lose weight in the past two years, with almost half (49%) embarking on a weight loss campaign more than once. Around a third (32%) said they were most likely to try to slim alone, with 13% saying they’d use a weight loss or fitness app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Slimming World is the original social network<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
At Slimming World, we\u2019ve been harnessing the slimming power of social connection for 53 years. Our own research found that feeling connected in a group of kind and understanding people \u2013 who care about your success and positively support you to succeed \u2013 makes all the difference when you\u2019re trying to lose weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our poll of Slimming World members** also found that:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Three in four said they felt more confident and self-assured as a result of joining a Slimming World group<\/li>
73% made new friends<\/li>
68% felt more connected<\/li>
93% felt more committed to their weight loss<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Slimming World members were also three times more likely than non-members to say they experienced no judgement or humiliation when losing weight; nearly five times more likely than non-members to feel they had received kindness and understanding, and more than four times more likely than non-members to say giving and receiving support had been part of their experience.***<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s no substitute for the benefits of real-life connection<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Dr Jacquie Lavin, special advisor on the science of weight management at Slimming World, says: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe sense of belonging our members experience within our groups helps to lift them out of the loneliness and isolation they tell us they feel, to shed any burden of guilt and shame they carry as a result of the way they believe they\u2019re often treated in society, and to make them feel more valued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We believe this feeling of being part of something and knowing that others genuinely care about your success is as important as our healthy eating plan when it comes to successful weight loss, as it\u2019s what helps to keep members coming back to group to get the support they need on those weeks when their commitment might falter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As their self-esteem and self-belief grows, which we find happens in our groups within just a few weeks, they feel safe enough to open up and do the deeper thinking needed to break ingrained habits and make changes. What\u2019s more, they also have more confidence in their ability to adopt the new healthy, life-changing habits that the group supports them to build, and that makes losing weight easier and more successful in the long run.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Joe\u2019s story<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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At 19\u00bdst, Joe Thompson felt held back by anxiety and was desperate to lose weight \u2013 but found it difficult to slim on his own. Then he joined Slimming World and discovered a community of supportive slimmers who spurred him on to lose more than 5st. He says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI was so fearful of joining, but I needn\u2019t have been. The Consultant, Lorna, was so reassuring and as I listened to the other members talking in group, I realised I wasn\u2019t alone. There\u2019s something about being in a space together like that, where we all feel safe enough to talk about our habits and temptations, which is a great connecting factor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I feel such a part of my community now, which is an incredible feeling. My Slimming World group is amazing, I\u2019m not sure I\u2019ve ever met a more supportive group of people. I was having a tough time a few weeks ago and one of the members drove to my house to deliver some home-made Slimming World muffins! I\u2019m constantly blown away by the kindness of the group.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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