Obesity Abstracts

Background: There is a lack of data about the longer-term outcomes achieved by people attending community weight loss programmes, with the general perception that weight loss is not maintained. This study investigated the feasibility of contacting previous members of a commercial weight management organisation, Slimming World, to assess longer term (2.5–3 year) weight outcomes and explore their strategies for long-term weight management.

Methods: 6299 adults with Derbyshire/Nottinghamshire postcodes, who joined Slimming World in the preceding 2.5–3 years, were invited to participate in a survey via email/post. Responses were matched with Slimming World membership records to verify previous weight data.

Results: 378 individuals, aged ≤65 years, completed the survey and all 360 non-pregnant female (mean age 48.0 (10.7) years) responses were analysed. Mean weight on joining Slimming World was 90.0 (18.6) kg and BMI 33.3 (6.35) kg/m². At time of survey mean weight was 84.7 (18.8) kg and BMI 30.7 (7.22) kg/m², with mean weight loss of 6.4 (9.7)%. 87.2% were still aiming to lose weight. Half (50.6%) were still attending, or had re-joined Slimming World at the time of survey achieving a mean weight loss of 9.1 (10.2)% and BMI reduction of 2.3 kg/m². Of those currently attending, 86.3% were lighter than they were at the start of their weight loss journey with 25.7% between 5 and 10% and 44.3% >10% lighter. Of those no longer attending, 74.2% were lighter than when they initially joined, with a mean weight loss of 4.2 (8.9)%. 17.4% were between 5-10% and 22.5% >10% lighter. Behaviours/factors members felt contributed to losing weight and maintaining weight loss included eating more fruit/vegetables (72.5 and 48.6% respectively), using Slimming World recipes (59.8%, 38.2%), changing the way they cook (55.6%, 34%), regularly monitoring weight (53.9%, 26.7%), group support (52%, 30.9%) and increasing physical activity (38.5%, 24.2%). A smaller number felt family support was helpful (17.1%, 12.1%).

Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that Slimming World supports people in making healthy behaviour changes to enable weight loss and longer-term weight loss maintenance.

Keywords: Long-term, weight-loss, community weight management, behaviour change.

Disclosures: All authors work at Slimming World, Alfreton.