DIET DECODER
Smart snacking with Slim-Fast, though drink is 0 no great shake
DIET: The Slim-Fast Diet (www.slim-fast.ca) CREATOR: “Slim Fast was launched more than 25 years ago by Thompson Medical in the USA,” says Barb Ledermann, nutrition affairs manager of Unilever Canada. “Since 2000, the Slim Fast brand has been part of the Unilever family of brands.” CREDENTIALS: “ Around the world there are nutrition researchers, registered dietitians and food experts who develop Slim-Fast products and are responsible for developing the Slim-Fast Plan,” says Ledermann. CELEBRITY EDGE: A number of celebrities have endorsed it over its 25-year existence, most notably comic Whoopi Goldberg, who was dropped by Slim-Fast in July 2004 after she made sexual puns on President George W. Bush’s name at a Democratic fundraiser. CLAIM: The Slim-Fast Diet gives structure, portion control, balanced nutrition and energy needed to lose weight and keep it off. Dieters who eat Slim-Fast products with healthy snacks and meals will get 100 per cent of their daily nutrients, reduce calorie intake and feel satisfied. PROGRAM: The Slim-Fast Diet relies on three factors for weight loss: eat, play and share. Daily meal plans include two Slim-Fast meal replacements and dieters are encouraged to adopt a fun fitness routine that matches their level of strength, endurance and flexibility as suggested by the SlimFast website. The share component of the program takes place online, with an e-newsletter, success stories and Q-&-As by Slim-Fast’s registered dietitians. SIDE NOTES: Slim-Fast encourages smart snacking and has lots of tips on how to replace high-calorie junk foods with satisfying, healthy snacks. Snacks high in fibre and water content and lower in calories help keep you fuller, longer. Fruit, veggies or oatmeal are smart snack choices. ALLOWED: Slim-Fast products, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, “sensible meals,” calorie-free fluids. PROHIBITED: Nothing, but if dieters follow meal plans they won’t stray too far from the above list. EXPERT OPINION: There are lots of positives to the Slim-Fast Diet, says Heidi Smith, a consulting dietitian at the University of Guelph’s Health and Performance Centre and author of Nutrition for the Long Run ( A Nutrition Handbook for Runners, Walkers and Active Individuals). The website is a great resource for dieters that provides simple meal plans and recipes, offers online advice from a dietitian and promotes positive messages about weight loss, she says.
Slim-Fast also encourages people to eat three meals and three snacks every day and dieters will consume an adequate amount of fruits, veggies and dairy products on the plan. “The calorie intake they recommend is reasonable,” Smith says. “ And they’re promoting a weight loss of one pound per week, which is healthy.”
Smith notes that Slim-Fast Optima Snack Bars are comparable to granola bars in their sugar content, but have better nutrient content.
But the fundamental flaw with the Slim-Fast program is its reliance on meal replacements. They are relatively low in fibre and one of the primary ingredients is sugar. “There is nothing magical about these shakes,” she says. “With the Slim-Fast supplements, you’re missing out on the active nutrients in real food, called phytonutrients, as well as dietary fibre.”
Dieters may want to eat real food instead of Slim-Fast products if they’re planning on following the diet for a long time, Smith says. EXPERT VERDICT: “The website is a great resource and their products are fine for the occasional quick meal or snack. But over the long term, it would be worth the effort to put together meals and snacks made up of real foods to benefit from the fibre and active nutrients found in real foods.” OUR VERDICT: Easy, eat-onthemeals and snacks, regular eating times and loads of fresh fruit and veggies get a hearty cheer. But this food lover knows pre-packaged meal bars and shakes won’t continue to satisfy. We wonder how long this diet can be sustained. Comments to: health@thestar.ca.