NICE guidance to NHS recommends Slimming World

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) wants overweight people to go to slimming classes, such as Slimming World to lose weight.

The announcement came as part of new guidelines for the NHS in England which is designed to help people lose weight – even of just a few pounds – to reduce the risk of type-2 diabetes and some cancers.

However Professor Mike Kelly, the director of the centre for public health at NICE appreciates that it’s not always that easy:

We would like to offer an instant solution and a quick win – but realistically it’s important to bear in mind that this is difficult.

It’s not just a question of ‘for goodness’ sake pull yourself together and lose a stone – it doesn’t work like that.

NICE has recommended a number of solutions, including referral to weight-loss groups such as Slimming World.

The guidance for the NHS said that weight-management programmes should:

• Tackle diet, physical activity and change behaviour
  Be focused on lifelong change – not short-term gains
  Last at least three months, but set target weights for the end of the programme and after one year
  Plan to reduce calorie intake, but not ban specific foods or food groups
  Introduce physical activity into daily life, such as walking
  Be respectful and non-judgemental

Founded in 1969, Slimming World is the UK’s favourite way to lose weight – with more members than any other weight loss organisation in the UK. The non-judgemental approach to weight loss is in part built on the knowledge and experience of consultants who have successfully lost weight with the healthy eating plan – food optimising – and understand the thoughts and feelings of slimmers.

In Stretford, our groups have lost over 42 stones in the last month, resulting in members gaining a new lease of life and building the foundations for a brighter future for themselves and their families. Find out more about our groups.