In our first year working with Slimming World we listened to your feedback about our partnership, and we have been working to make a positive difference to many people living with diabetes.
We partnered with Slimming World in 2024 to work together and share expertise on weight loss, healthy eating and diabetes.
We know that many people find keeping to a healthy weight a considerable struggle, and this is also the case for people with all types of diabetes. We also know that no two people with diabetes are the same, and getting support to lose weight can help many people, manage their blood sugar levels, blood pressure and cholesterol and it can lead to other important health benefits including remission of type 2 diabetes.
Over the past year we have hosted two focus groups to hear directly from people living with diabetes, and healthcare professionals, about what they want to see from our partnership with Slimming World.
These focus groups helped us gain valuable understanding about how this partnership could make a difference to the lives of people with diabetes, including growing understanding of all types of diabetes and stigma surrounding the condition.
Language was an area for discussion within the focus groups, and insights from the groups have helped us to work with Slimming World on amending some of the language used in their diabetes materials. For example, how the use of insulin for people living with type 1 diabetes is phrased.
We also heard your concerns around disordered eating and eating disorders, and we have taken the time, together in partnership, to understand Slimming World’s safeguarding processes. Following the focus groups, and hearing the concerns raised, Slimming World have reviewed and updated their policies where needed and they continue to work with specialists in the eating disorders and disordered eating space.
We continue to work together to ensure eating disorders and disordered eating remain a priority area, including reviewing findings from our own investment into important research to strengthen understanding.
Here are some highlights of what we achieved in our first year working with Slimming World:
Increased knowledge and understanding of diabetes
Our clinical team delivered Diabetes Education Sessions over the past year - to Slimming World key staff members designed to further their knowledge and understanding of all types of diabetes.
These sessions covered a range of topics such as ‘Understanding how we talk about diabetes’, ‘How to treat hypos’, and ‘Physical activity and diabetes management’.
Our goal, together, is that Slimming World group facilitators feel more comfortable talking about diabetes and understand the stigma surrounding the condition so we can work together to address it.
Taking the guesswork out of recipes
We consistently hear that when it comes to food and living with all types of diabetes, it can be difficult to choose new recipes, especially when you’re following a new plan where there isn’t nutritional content available.
If you’ve been to our recipes hub recently, you’ll have spotted 12 tasty new recipes that have been selected in partnership with Slimming World. You may have spotted these recipes in Balance, too. These recipes, and more are also available on the Slimming World website, and include important nutritional information. Keep an eye out for more recipes coming over the next 12 months.
We delivered new printed materials about living with diabetes
Over the past year, we’ve been working hard with Slimming World to identify materials where diabetes is mentioned, and using what we’ve learned from our focus groups, we've reviewed and updated these to make them the best possible fit for people living with all types of diabetes.
If you’re a Slimming World member, and you live with diabetes, you’ll be issued a brand new member booklet about living with diabetes. This updated member booklet is available for all Slimming World members who live with diabetes and includes stories from other members living with diabetes who are Slimming World Members, as well as updated health information reviewed by our clinical team.
As always, anything that has been reviewed by our clinical team will feature our Diabetes UK logo.
What’s next?
In our second year of partnership, we’ll be continuing to ensure that Slimming World materials are inclusive and reflect the challenges of life with diabetes.
We also want to be able to bring you new, exciting recipes that take out the guesswork of nutritional information, and we’re looking forward to publishing more recipes.
We’ll also be expanding our Diabetes Education Sessions and working with Slimming World group facilitators to help them further their understanding of all types of diabetes, and how they can support their members. Plus, they’ll support with signposting to our diabetes materials such as Learning Zone, our Forum and our Helpline.
