Why slimming clubs are super sizing silhouettes...

Although slimming clubs can offer a source of structured support for dieters who find it difficult to drop a dress size without the aid of external encouragement, these specialised weight loss services are also super sizing the silhouettes of obese and overweight individuals with a susceptibility to psychological sensitivity. Due to their inability to address weight gain as an individualised issue i.e. they're incapable of providing a personalised plan that tackles the physical, psychological and physiological side of overweight and obesity, many mainstream clubs and consultants have created a cloned and competitive environment that not only leads to ineffective weight loss in the long-term, but encourages the excessive eating and exercise habits that pose as a hazard to physical and psychological health. 

In order to understand the detrimental consequences that can develop as a result of resorting to slimming support services such as Weight Watchers and Slimming World, we will now take a closer look at three of the most common club members that are moulded by mainstream groups, and the effect that this has on their weight loss efforts.

Member 1: the chronic comparer/unsuccessful slimmer.
Slimmers who struggle with low self-esteem and/or subjective self-criticism are also susceptible to the chronic comparisons that sabotage weight loss success. If this particular type of slimmer fails to achieve the same weekly weight loss as a competitive/more successful member, they're not only likely to accumulate additional weight as a result of turning to food in an attempt to comfort their crippled confidence (emotional eating), but give up on their goals after convincing themselves that they're incapable of creating the same change as their competitive counterparts.

Member 2: the (overly) competitive member/successful slimmer.
Members who maintain a weekly weight loss of more than 2-4lbs a week often do so by resorting to restrictive eating and/or an excessive exercise regime. Although this particular type of slimmer is successful in the short-term, their rapid results and detrimental determination to be slimmer of the week, every week, will inevitably lead to long-term weight gain when their energy intake increases - an outcome that occurs when they return back to real food, and a realistic exercise regime.

Member 3: the (dangerously) dedicated dieter/successful and/or unsuccessful slimmer.
Slimmers who strategically cut and count calories and/or see specific food sources as a 'syn' are also prone to the psychological perception that food can make them fat, or thin. Despite the short-term success that stems from sustaining a substantial caloric deficit, this particular type of slimmer will often experience one, or all, of the following outcomes:

• they develop an overwhelming obsession with syns, sums and scales that spirals into disordered eating, binge eating and/or a detrimental eating disorder
• they cut their caloric consumption to the point where their body perceives starvation - an action that stalls weight loss and slows metabolism as the body is forced to conserve calories i.e. it stores energy as opposed to eliminating it, in fear of famine
• the frequent weight fluctuations that stem from their inability to sustain such a strategic diet and lifestyle deters their determination and triggers a toxic cycle of yo-yo dieting - a combination that's commonly seen in slimmers who source a new club the second that weight loss is no longer successful and/or satisfactory.

Final thought: although it may be tempting to turn to slimming clubs, the success stories that stem from these specialised weight loss services are not only often short-lived, but the result of members resorting to an unrealistic eating and exercise regime that fails to promote a positive relationship with food.