IT’S A WASTE , FOR YOUR WAIST
A new research has revealed that the slimming supplements available in the market place do not facilitate weight loss beyond the placebo effect.
“There are scores of slimming supplements out there claiming weight-loss effects through all sorts of mechanisms of action. The market for these is huge, but unlike for regulated drugs, effectiveness does not have to be proven for these to be sold,” said Dr. Thomas Ellrott, lead researcher.
At the 11th International Congress on Obesity hosted in Stockholm, experts were clear when it came to over-the-counter slimming supplements: “save your money, the only thing you are going to lose is your money,” said Judith Stern, a professor in the Departments of Nutrition and Internal Medicine at the University of California Davis.
Two studies presented at the congress showed supplements were ineffective.
Thomas Ellrott, a professor at the university of Goettingen in Germany, presented a study in which nine popular supplements, proposing nine different weight loss solutions, were tested against placebo pills in a controlled trial.
“There are scores of slimming supplements out there claiming weight-loss effects through all sorts of mechanisms of action… the market for these is huge, but unlike for regulated drugs, effectiveness does not have to be proven for these to be sold,” he said.
The participants in his study that took weight loss supplements lost between one and two kilograms, while those taking the placebo lost 1.2 kg on average.
“Not a single product was any more effective than placebo pills in producing weight loss over the two months of the study, regardless of how it claims to work,” he said.
Despite their proven lack of effectiveness, the market for supplements ranging from cabbage powder to fibre pills to plant extracts generates a whopping 13 billion dollars (10 billion euros) per year, said Igho Onakpoya of the Universities of Exeter and Plymouth
But Professor Naveed Sattar, professor of metabolic medicine at Glasgow University, said there was little evidence that diet supplements were effective.
He said: “It might give you a placebo effect but if you fall back into the same old habits you will go back to the weight trajectory you were on. I don’t think the evidence base is that strong.
Only one drug – Orlistat – is licensed for use in the treatment of obesity. It is available at pharmacies, under the name Alli, to patients with a BMI of 28 or more.
However, other products also claim to be backed by scientific research. A trial at the University of Oklahoma found that Capsiplex, which is made from capsicum extract , can help burn as many calories as a 25-minute jog.
Nutritionist Dr Carrie Ruxton, a member of the Scottish Food Advisory Committee, said some supplements may help motivate consumers to improve their diet and exercise regime. But she warned: “Supplements for weight management are no substitute for a calorie-controlled diet and exercise as a means of controlling weight.”
Robert Verkerk, executive and scientific director of the Alliance for Natural Health, said some herbal and natural products could offer help for slimmers. He said: “There is plenty of evidence that some products are very helpful, but by and large they cannot be taken in isolation and they should be coupled with an altered diet and lifestyle regime which incorporates an abundance of exercise.
