'There will always be a role for our slimming groups'

Organiser says 'weight loss drugs' won't replace them

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SLIMMING World Team Developer and Consultant from Rochdale says slimming clubs are needed more than ever despite the growing popularity of weight loss medication.

While the arrival of 'weight loss injections' have undoubtedly changed the weight management landscape, Alyson Hartley, who runs groups in Cutgate, Rochdale, says the drugs will never replace weight-loss methods based on life-style changes, like Slimming World.

Alyson became a Slimming World member in 2017 after struggling with her weight for the majority of her adult life.

She says: "While, of course, we know and our members are living proof that lasting weight loss can be achieved without drugs, we also understand that when you're desperate to lose weight, it can be tempting to try something new that promises instant results.

"The truth is though there's no magic bullet - losing weight and maintaining that weight loss requires change.

"Weight loss drugs need to go hand-in-hand with making changes to your diet, activity and mindset. They're not a replacement for those changes."

A recent University of Oxford studyl found exactly this.

It showed that people who stop taking weight loss drugs typically regained the weight they lost within a year, with full weight regain expected in under two years, if they don’t maintain a healthy lifestyle afterwards.

Alyson says Slimming World’s approach is focused on helping its members to make lasting changes.