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Original poster

How do things like slimming world "get away with" using their members as free labour?

62 replies

00100001 · 02/08/2023 10:03

So, you have the leader who is making money, bit the "social team" are paying members of the group that are volunteering their time for the leader.

I mean, maybe some leaders give them free membership? Or a free magazine or whatever?

But it's crazy that the business model is one paid employee and half a dozen 'volunteers'.

OP posts:
homeforme · 02/08/2023 17:26

They used to be SINS.

VimtoVimto · 02/08/2023 17:31

Syns were originally called Sins but they changed that and invented the theory about synergy in about 2000. WW had just previously ran an ad campaign with the slogan ‘No food is a Sin’

PurpleButterflyWings · 02/08/2023 17:36

I don't know about the cult thing or if what you say is true @00100001 but I have to say I never liked it. Always had little groups of women in 2s, 3s, and 4s, who never came alone... I always went alone and felt really left out. They (the little cliques) were very closed off and didn't speak to me. So after 3-5 weeks I would stop going tbh.

jennyfromthefarm · 02/08/2023 17:40

It's not a cult. It's a group. Groups will vary depending on the consultant/members who attend.

I did SW and lost a significant amount of weight. It does work. But in my experience it doesn't promote healthy of particularly sustainable eating habits. I don't get the hate for it tbh, there are loads of diets out there each with their own flaws.

ALongHardWinter · 02/08/2023 17:45

Grannyknowsbest · 02/08/2023 10:50

Slimming world is a cult.
Been scientifically proven not to work.
Biggest money making scam there is.
Nutritionist agree

You have just confirmed what I have suspected for some time now!

topnoddy · 02/08/2023 17:51

Grannyknowsbest · 02/08/2023 10:50

Slimming world is a cult.
Been scientifically proven not to work.
Biggest money making scam there is.
Nutritionist agree

I've sat in on a couple of meetings with my partner and found it all very odd , i get the cult bit . Seemed like a cross between that and a comedy sketch to me

usernother · 02/08/2023 17:58

It's a load a shite but it's not a cult, it's just a business. I've been on and off over the years to different groups, always on my own and never felt unwelcome. Some people help out because they want to, none of them are forced to.

NeedWineNow · 02/08/2023 18:06

I’m actually sitting in my SW group at the moment waiting for our meeting to start. I’ve been on it for a while and I have to say the attraction is waning. I can understand the plan and our group is very friendly but having to think about food is exhausting. I’ll keep going until my holiday in a few weeks and then will knock it on the head I think.

ilovepixie · 02/08/2023 18:13

FlickyCrumble · 02/08/2023 11:04

They get free class membership and tbh in my experience they are usually friends of team leader.?

They don't get free membership. They are just usually good friends of the leader. In our SW we had social team nights out and so on.

Tangledbaby · 02/08/2023 18:15

I used to do slimming world and lost 3 stone which was great.

Then lockdown happened and I had a baby.

Slimming world and any other type of diet or healthy eating will work so long as you stick to it.

I have friends who didn’t do any fad diets and saw a dietitian and joined a a gym with a PT and did an overall lifestyle change. and guess what? The minute they stopped healthy eating and working out they gained the weight back!

It’s the same no matter what diet you follow, calories in VS calories out.

mistermagpie · 02/08/2023 20:06

Tangledbaby · 02/08/2023 18:15

I used to do slimming world and lost 3 stone which was great.

Then lockdown happened and I had a baby.

Slimming world and any other type of diet or healthy eating will work so long as you stick to it.

I have friends who didn’t do any fad diets and saw a dietitian and joined a a gym with a PT and did an overall lifestyle change. and guess what? The minute they stopped healthy eating and working out they gained the weight back!

It’s the same no matter what diet you follow, calories in VS calories out.

Well yes, this is the thing. I've been slim pretty much all my life, I weigh the same now as I did before I had my three children and am in my 40s.

I don't have the best diet by Mumsnet standards (I eat carbs at every meal...) but I don't eat big portions, don't snack much and do a lot more exercise than most people I know.

I have always been like this though, it's not some fad thing or because I want to fit into a dress or look nice on the beach, it's just my actual permanent lifestyle. The problem with a lot of 'diets' including SW, is that what they should be promoting is that to be a healthy weight forever, you need to change your lifestyle forever. If you do that then you won't pile the weight back on ever again. But that's boring and slow and takes commitment or a real change of approach to eating and exercise, so it doesn't sound as fun as 'drop a dress size in two weeks' or whatever.

BigFatLiar · 03/08/2023 15:12

The problem with a lot of 'diets' including SW, is that what they should be promoting is that to be a healthy weight forever, you need to change your lifestyle forever.

Don't know about WW or others as OH was a SW goer but when you reach your goal weight then they give you a booklet on how to maintain that weight. You're expected to go along about once a month and don't have to pay provided you're maintaining. So at least they recognise that it takes effort to keep the weight off.

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