Legacy of weight-loss pioneer remembered

“I bet we are reaching way into the millions now for the reach of the people’s lives she has affected in a positive way.”

Slimming World boss Margaret Miles-Bramwell OBE, 76, died surrounded by her family on 2 February.

Her journey started in a church hall in Alfreton, Derbyshire, in 1969 – but her business expanded became a network of more than 3,500 consultants and about 700,000 members, according to the company.

Ahead of her funeral on Monday, we look at the life and legacy of the entrepreneur, who colleagues have said was “revolutionary” with “a massive heart”.

Born in April 1948, Mrs Miles-Bramwell was adopted by Emma-Selina and Samuel Birch, and grew up in South Normanton – a mining village in Derbyshire.

Aged 15, she fell pregnant with daughter, Claire, and made a home with her baby’s father, Roy Miles, whom she married in 1964.

In 1977, they had their second child together, Dominic, and three years later their son Ben was born.

After she and Mr Miles separated, the businesswoman married her late husband Tony Whittaker in 1996, who died in 2021 after being diagnosed with cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.

Last month, Mrs Miles-Bramwell died at her home in Mallorca, Spain.

Mrs Miles-Bramwell’s funeral will take place on Monday at Derby Cathedral and ahead of the service, her cortege will leave her home in Mansfield Woodhouse, Nottinghamshire, and head to Slimming World’s offices in Alfreton.

Professionally, Mrs Miles-Bramwell started small, in a church hall in Alfreton where she had her first slimming group in 1969.

In 1988, it opened its 1000th group – and had 5,000 groups eight years later.

The entrepreneur funded research on macronutrients 1996 – in relation to weight management, their energy density and satiety for Slimming World’s food optimising eating plan.

While shortly after a health scare and major surgery in 1997, Mrs Miles-Bramwell founded the charity Slimmers Making It A Little Easier For Someone (SMILES).

In 2000, Slimming World pioneered the first-ever NHS weight management referral scheme, and opened its first groups in the Republic of Ireland nine years later.

Mrs Miles-Bramwell received an OBE for services to the health of the nation and charity, and in 2010 the University of Derby awarded her an honorary master’s degree.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, she released emergency financial reserves to Slimming World and its consultant franchisees to save the company during lockdown.

Mrs Miles-Bramwell was named Business Woman of the Year at the National Business Women’s Awards in 2023, and had been honoured in the Top 100 Influential People 2025.

In the words of those who knew her, Mrs Miles-Bramwell wanted to “put an end to the shame, guilt, judgement and humiliation faced by those struggling with their weight in 1960s England”.

Marie Gregory said the businesswoman had “made a huge difference to so many lives”.

“You can look at member figures, the people at head office – it’s their families, people who have had children who couldn’t have had children before,” the 43-year-old said.

“I bet we are reaching way into the millions now just for the reach of the people’s lives she has affected in a positive way.”

Ms Gregory, who has been with the company nearly 14 years, said: “I am not looking forward to Monday because it will be a really hard day.”

Debbie Lockwood has worked for Slimming World for 31 years.

The 61-year-old training and development manager described the late entrepreneur as “just gorgeous” and “so much fun”.

“Whenever I think of Margaret, the word laughter is the first thing that comes into my head,” she said.

“She had the wickedest laugh and she was always so much fun to be around.

“Margaret was so passionate about members – that was her first love, making sure our members get the service they deserve.”

But above all, Mrs Miles-Bramwell had “built communities”, said Ms Lockwood.

“Margaret knew – she was so clever in 1969 – that’s what people needed, a community of slimmers who never judged you, you were never going to be humiliated, never going to be told what to do.

“You were absolutely empowered to figure yourself out and do your own thinking, and that was revolutionary.”

Rebecca Robinson, a 50-year-old director of communications, said Mrs Miles-Bramwell left a huge legacy.

Ms Robinson, who has been with the company for more than 20 years, added: “She was a larger than life character, with a fantastic sense of humour, incredibly intelligent and knowledgeable.

“She was full of integrity, a massive heart, and she really would light up the room when she came in.

“There are still moments when we expect her to walk through the doors, and we realise what a special person we have lost.

“But Margaret’s left a huge legacy.

“Margaret created a legacy in Slimming World that runs through everything we do so Margaret will still be with us in everything we do going forward.”