BodySlims has become a powerful support for people who feel they’ve “tried everything” when it comes to weight loss, but it’s not just participants who are noticing the difference. More and more, healthcare professionals are seeing first-hand the impact that structured lifestyle change, accountability and mindset work can have on both physical and mental health.

 

One of those doctors is Dr. Siobahn Chidley, who is a specialist GP, registered with the Irish College of General Practitioners, who moved to Ireland from South Africa. She has a special interest in lifestyle medicine and disease prevention, and is particularly focused on how changes in daily habits can transform long-term health and help people manage existing medical challenges. She now runs a dedicated Wellness and Lifestyle Centre in Killenard, Co. Laois, which is entirely focused on supporting patients to make sustainable lifestyle changes.

 

Today, Dr. Chidley regularly recommends the BodySlims programme as an adjunct to medical care for patients struggling with their weight, metabolic health, liver issues, pain, and low mood. She’s particularly passionate about helping people make sustainable changes that protect their long-term health, not just deliver a quick fix on the scales.

 

In this Q&A, Dr. Chidley shares her perspective as a GP on the real health risks of excess weight, why mindset matters so much, and why she believes that the BodySlims programme can play an important role alongside modern medicine.

Can you tell us a little about your background as a GP and the types of patients you most often work with?

 

I am a South African trained GP who moved to Ireland in 2002. I have been practicing as a GP ever since. I spent a lot of time providing healthcare to prisoners and working with the addiction services. I now have a GP practice in Kildare but my passion and focus is on disease prevention and health promotion through lifestyle. I have a Wellbeing Centre in Killenard Co. Laois which focuses on lifestyle changes to minimise and prevent disease.

 

What first drew your attention to BodySlims, and why did you begin recommending it to your patients/How many patients have you recommended the programme to?


I first discovered BodySlims through a patient with whom I had been working to change lifestyle and improve mental health. He was making some progress but when he came back for his review he was healthy, happy and vibrant again. I asked him what happened and he said Bodyslims... so I decided to try it myself and work out what it is that BodySlims were doing that had made such a difference for him. The structured programme and the 'How' with the clear concise explanation in a way which anyone can understand seemed to be the trick. I have recommended it to countless patients since then including my friends. Each person experiences their own journey within BodySlims but the change is definitely very obvious so I recommend it regularly as an add on to the interventions that we do within Lifestyle medicine and General practice.

 

Medical Perspective on Weight Loss

 

From your experience as a doctor, what are the biggest health risks associated with carrying excess weight that people might not always realise?


For women, I would imagine its breast cancer and indeed most forms of cancer. Excess body weight is an independent risk factor. I do believe most people are unaware of the impact on gut health. I think mental health, heart disease and strokes are fairly well known but I would say that pain and pain management is particularly impacted by excess body weight. My particular interest is non alcoholic fatty liver disease and the effect that this can have on a person. There are genetic factors but ultimately the only way to treat this is to lose weight so I recommend BodySlims to people who have this as it can be as debilitating as Alcoholic fatty liver disease and I think a lot of people are not aware of this. 

 

Many people feel they’ve “tried everything.” From a medical perspective, what makes sustainable weight loss so challenging for so many?

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The mindset that is attached to food , the body and ability to exercise. My experience is that once the mindset in any behaviour fully changes then the change is sustainable but the trick is to change the mindset and the limiting beliefs that people may have. It is an area where western medicine is poor as we don't have the time to change the mindset and it is through collaboration with a programme like BodySlims I feel we can achieve a whole lot more. From a medical perspective it is quicker to manage a person and their struggles alone and in one consultation but one will become so much more successful in achieving health outcomes if we move forward in a multidisciplinary and collaborative fashion. Another thing that as doctors we are probably not aware is that people do not understand food as well as we think thanks to advertising and shops etc so this could be a factor and we tend not to have the time to discuss it in detail and as we all know dieticians are hard to come by in the public sector. 

 

Why BodySlims Works

 

Why do you feel BodySlims is effective compared to other programmes or quick-fix approaches?

 

The structured approach and the app is the first step to success. Having a start and finish date to the program is also very effective. I believe the key to the effectiveness is the daily check in as well as the seminars and videos on mindset. It is a ' one on one' programme delivered to a group. The notes that are provided are a great add on and I find I ask people between programs to revert back to certain aspects of it . BodySlims has been around for a very long time so people can turn back to it when they are struggling so it is effective as a grounding tool for lifelong weight loss if a person engages to the full.

 

In your experience, what kind of results or health improvements have you seen in patients who’ve completed BodySlims?

 

Mental health and mobility is the first to change. People on BodySlims are generally more happy and motivated and there is a noticeable improvement in pain and joint mobility. A lot of patients show improved Blood pressure to the point that medication is adjusted and the weight loss eventually shows in the reduction in HBa1c as well as liver function tests. The impact on fatty liver is something that I am watching and it anecdotally is improving with people who are sustained in the Bodyslims habits.

 

Mind & Body Connection

 

As a GP, you see the physical impact of weight, but also the emotional one. How important is mindset in achieving and maintaining weight loss?


The mindset is everything. One can calorie count and exercise for a short time but if one does not change the mindset then food restriction and calorie counting becomes just that... a punishment and another task to achieve which in the context of weight loss leads to the cycle of weight loss and weight gain. If the mind set can change to food as nourishment and nurturing a body back to health then the change will be sustainable. Carla's gentle nurturing approach and explanations are particularly useful to those who have a long history of excess weight and all of the accompanying limiting beliefs and negative self talk.



When it comes to protecting your long-term health, you don’t have to do it alone. If you’re ready to rewrite your story, like so many BodySlims success stories already have, then take the first step by joining the BodySlims programme today.