Effects of Slimming World'™s programme on dietary energy density

Introduction: Diets of low energy density (ED) are beneficial in lowering energy intake and achieving weight loss. Slimming World’s programme encourages the choice of, rather than prescribing, lower ED nutritionally balanced everyday foods. People can eat low ED foods to satiety ad libitum, rather than count calories. This study compared the ED of self-selected diets of Slimming World members to that of British consumers when following their normal diets, and prescribed intervention diets. Methods: One hundred and seventeen slimming world members each completed a 3-d weighed food intake diary, on two occasions. In two previous studies, 132 people completed weighed food diaries: while consuming their habitual diets (control) and while consuming additional snack foods (n = 72, [1]); or additional fruits and vegetables (F&V, n = 60, [2]). ED was calculated for food only (i.e. excluding caloric and acaloric beverages). Results: Habitual daily energy intakes of the slimming world, snacking and F&V studies were 6.4, 9.2 and 8.5 MJ respectively (P < 0.001 slimming world versus other diets). ED of the slimming world diet was significantly lower than the other habitual diets (4.8, 7.9 and 7.3 MJÆ100 g-1 respectively, P < 0.001). It was also signifi- cantly lower than the intervention diets of the other two studies, including where subjects were provided with 300 g or 600 g of F&V per day, (5.4 and 5.8 MJÆ100 g-1 respectively, P < 0.003). Conclusion: Slimming world’s programme enables people to selfselect a significantly lower ED diet than either following a habitual diet or by increasing fruit and vegetable intake per se to reduce ED.