Frequently asked questions (2024)

What training do Slimming World Consultants receive?

The quality of our service is delivered through our people and we maintain our very high standards by selecting only the very best to become Slimming World Consultants, staff and managers. There is a strong management support structure with regular re-training and a real emphasis on quality of service provision. All Consultants are recruited from successful group members and are carefully selected through an interview process to ensure they have the necessary skills to empower and support people in their weight management.

Slimming World has a dedicated training department which, within the Slimming World Academy, co-ordinates the development and delivery of tailored training to all of its Consultants and managers. Slimming World Consultants receive specific training in dietary aspects of weight management, the role of physical activity in weight control and importantly, advanced training in behaviour change. The training is supported by a team of registered nutritionists and dietitians at Slimming World’s Head Office.

How long do members stay?

Members can access our groups for as long as they feel they need our support. Slimming World groups have the benefit of not being limited in the number of weeks’ support we can offer, so if a member has a lot of weight to lose we can support them through their whole journey. Past members are always free to re-join if they feel they need support once again in managing their weight, and for some this practice of re-joining when needed is a very effective way of managing their weight long-term. Welcoming members back in a non-critical, non-judgemental way is key for their success.

What are your long-term success rates?

Our research shows that on average members lose around 4% of their body weight in 12 weeks and 8% in 6 months. Member retention is a key measure of successful weight loss. Around 11% of our members are target member attending free of charge to maintain their personally chosen target weight. However, we do not measure our success by the number of attending target members as many decide to visit the group less frequently and some decide they are happy to ‘go it alone’ once they reach a target they are happy with. Our aim is to empower members to make lifestyle changes to manage their weight – changes which they can comfortably make for life.

Do you have other options for people not wanting to attend group?

For those people who are unable to or would prefer not to attend a local group, Slimming World Online offers a web-based weight loss programme based on the same healthy eating plan, the same step-by-step activity programme and empowering support towards behaviour change using online versions of the motivational tools used in groups.

Can men join?

Most certainly! Slimming World has around 60,000 members who are men and 222 male Consultants. When they make the decision to join, we find that men generally achieve excellent weight losses in Slimming World groups. A survey of Slimming World men-only groups showed that of the men who had been attending for 12 weeks, 91% had reduced their weight by at least 5% and 34% had lost 10% or more. Of those who had been members for 24 weeks, all had lost 5% of their body weight and the majority (69%) had lost 10% or more.

We often find that men are generally more focused when they start on a healthy eating plan, with less social pressures than women feel, and fewer negative feelings about previous attempts to lose weight. Men tell us they appreciate the fact that, due to the generosity and flexibility of Slimming World’s healthy eating plan, they don’t have to give up the foods they love most, whether that be beer, chips or curry for example.