The company claims this new slimming product is set to ‘revolutionise dieting by taking the willpower out of weight loss and put an end to yo-yo dieting’. Now that’s a bold claim.
Slimsticks contains Slimjac – a blend of Konjac, palm oil and oat oil in powder form, which you mix with water and drink before meals. Konjac is grown in China, Taiwan, Japan and Southeast Asia for its large, starchy corms, used to create a flour and jelly of the same name.
It is also used as a vegan substitute for gelatine. These properties would suggest that the ‘weight loss’ link applies to the viscosity of the product and perhaps leads to a feeling of being full, resulting in a satiety effect. The company also suggests that the droplets of palm and oat oil suppress hunger signals.
Franco Beer, managing director of Inovate Health, says: “People can at last relax when it comes to losing weight knowing that with Slimsticks they can still enjoy the foods they like to eat and yet lose weight. By giving you both an instant and then longer-term feeling of fullness, Slimsticks is a very effective way shedding pounds minus the usual struggle.”
Slimsticks with Konjac is being launched at a watershed time in the world of slimming supplements and aids sold across Europe. This is because, from 14 December 2012, new guidelines from the EFSA come into force. After this date, products carrying dubious and unproven slimming claims that have not been approved by EFSA will need to be withdrawn from the market, or any misleading claims will need to be removed from packaging. The EFSA will need to prepare to enforce these regulations.
Once again, a ‘slimming product’ has been given the legislative seal of approval, but this product doesn’t make you lose weight; Slimsticks make you feel full. A healthy, balanced meal combining slow release carbohydrates can have exactly the same effect.
This is great for the manufacturers of this product – you can’t deny the clever marketing. To have an approved health claim from the EFSA is impressive. Will it put an end to yo-yo dieting? My prediction is a big, fat no.
Weight loss products on the market with such backing in terms of approved health claims is slim pickings. Will it fly off the shelves? I will back that.
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