Super slimmers in a village on the edge of Worcester have lost a combined total of 325 stone in a year.

Members of the Whittington Slimming World group are now 4,550lbs lighter than they were when consultant Sarah McKeon set up the group in August 2017.

The members, who attend the group every week, follow Slimming World’s Food Optimising eating plan created by the organisation’s team of nutritionists, which encourages them to fill up on food such as pasta, rice, potatoes, lean meat and fish, pulses and fruit and veg.

With some members of the group losing as much as seven stone, the results of their discipline are highly evident.

Sarah, 37, who has herself lost a huge amount of weight, said: “Filling up on lots of satisfying foods means you’re never hungry so I’ve never felt as though I was on a diet.

"Before I joined Slimming World I thought losing weight meant going to the gym and counting calories, but now I know it’s about making healthier choices about food and becoming a bit more active."

Sam Davis, a member of Whittington group, added: “Reaching this milestone as a group just proves the huge change that we’ve all made to our lives – some people who’ve lost big amounts of weight have probably even saved their lives.

"It’s brilliant to celebrate together as well because that’s how we’ve been losing weight – together. Every week we support and encourage each other and share tips and recipes, and on top of that we have a lot of fun.

“The support and inspiration we get from our consultant Sarah has also been integral to our success. Because she's lost weight herself, she understands the ups and downs of slimming and can offer us help and advice based on her own experience. Without her, I don’t think we’d have achieved nearly as much.”

Sarah said she was delighted by the group's success in losing so much weight.

"It has made a big difference to their lives and to their whole families’ lives, and all of them are happier and healthier now," she said. "Slimming has never been more important. There are hundreds of overweight and obese people in Worcester and I just want to help even more people to make real changes for life – there’s no better job satisfaction than that!”

Sarahs’s group is held at Whittington Village Hall every Thursday at 9.30am, 5.30pm and 7.30pm. For more, call her on 07903585582.