Our Story: More Than a Diet

LighterLife began over 35 years ago when our founders, Jackie and Bar, took part in a groundbreaking study on how effective Very Low-Calorie Diets (VLCDs) are for fast, safe weight loss. Having struggled with weight problems all their lives, they were the perfect subjects.

Then, as they got talking, they agreed there’s more to losing weight, and keeping it off, than learning how to bake low-fat chocolate cake or counting calories. It’s about what’s going on in your head, and understanding why you eat the way you do. Because successful weight loss starts in your mind, not in your mouth.

And so the LighterLife Programme was born, combining nutritionally complete meal products for fast, safe weight loss, with powerful Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Mindfulness techniques to support that diet plan.

Today, the first, small, dedicated support group from 1991 has grown into a nationally recognised weight loss and weight management company. And we’re privileged and proud to have helped over a million people transform their lives and start living the new, healthier, lighter ones they deserve.

Meet Our Team

Bar Hewlett – Co-Founder

A passionate health advocate, educator, and co-founder of LighterLife, Bar has been transforming the way people approach weight management for over 30 years.

With a degree in engineering and a background in teaching, Bar has a natural ability to break down complex scientific concepts into practical, easy-to-understand strategies. Combining this with a deep understanding of the emotional side of eating behaviours, she has helped over a million people break free from the dieting cycle and build healthier, more balanced lives.

Beyond supporting individuals, Bar is a strong advocate for integrity in the industry. She has worked tirelessly with regulatory bodies to ensure LighterLife’s programme remains both science-backed and genuinely consumer-focused. Her mission is simple: to empower people with the knowledge and tools to make lasting, sustainable changes in their health journey.

Jackie Cox BSc, MSc – Co-Founder

Having lived life as an obese child, teenager, and adult, Jackie truly understands the complexities that come with it. She has two psychology degrees and over three decades of counselling experience, bringing a wealth of professional and personal expertise to LighterLife.

Jackie plays a pivotal role in shaping the LighterLife programme, creating its transformative materials, and driving the ongoing development of our unique, life-changing groupwork. Passionate about helping others break free from the vicious dieting cycle, she co-founded LighterLife to help people empower themselves to make lasting, positive changes to their health and well-being. To live their best possible lives.

Rebecca Hunter – Co-Founder

Becca has a BA Business degree with Human Resources Management and is deeply passionate about helping people and creating a positive impact. Whether supporting clients in achieving their goals or empowering staff to succeed, Becca believes in a culture of collaboration, compassion, and growth.

Ensuring that every client and staff member feels valued, heard, and supported, she strives to make a difference every day by helping others thrive in both personal and professional settings.

Dr. Kelly Johnston – Head of Nutrition & Research

Kelly is the Head of Nutrition & Research at LighterLife and is also a visiting academic at King’s College London. With a background in biochemistry and nutritional physiology, her research over the years has focused on the impact of a wide range of dietary components on nutrient absorption and their subsequent impact on postprandial glycaemic response and appetite.

Additionally, she’s overseen a wide range of more clinically invasive studies investigating the impact of diet on cardiometabolic health outcomes in both healthy-weight and obese patient groups. She’s a recognised expert in all regulatory matters pertaining to the use of formula foods for weight loss and maintenance both within the UK and the EU, and is involved in the pan-European industry trade group Total Diet and Meal Replacements (TDMR) Europe as both a scientific and a media officer.

Kelly oversees our commercial research efforts and works with a wide range of academic, corporate and NHS partners to further progress our knowledge and understanding of the impact of formula-diets on human health.

Dr. Matt Capehorn – Medical Director

Matt is a distinguished expert in obesity and weight management, with extensive experience in both clinical practice and academic leadership. He is a full-time General Practitioner and serves as the Clinical Manager at the Rotherham Institute for Obesity.

With a specialist focus on obesity management, he spent seven years as the Clinical Director of the National Obesity Forum (NOF) and has been a member of the Board of Trustees for the Association for the Study of Obesity (ASO). He also serves as an Expert Adviser to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on obesity and actively contributes to multiple advisory boards, including academic advisory panels.

Matt has presented at All-Party Parliamentary Group meetings on obesity and is a dedicated educator, serving as a visiting lecturer at the University of Chester’s MSc course in obesity. Additionally, he holds an honorary senior lectureship at the University of Sheffield and is a member of the Academic Advisory Board at the College of Contemporary Health (CCH).

Through his work in clinical practice, policy advising, and academia, he continues to shape the field of obesity management, contributing to research, education, and national health initiatives.

Our Wider LighterLife Team

We work with scientists, nutritionists, and dieticians to ensure all your Foodpacks meet the high demands of all legislation, and are the best quality, best-tasting Foodpacks money can buy.

And our network of LighterLife Mentors and Head Office Team together share decades of insights, wisdom, and client care experience.