Responsible retailers depend on reputable manufacturers to provide carefully chosen and scientifically proven ingredients in weight management products— and to shift away from gimmicks.

WIth the holidays over, it’s time to get back to reality and keep “hedonic hunger” eating patterns in check.Consumers seeking natural ways to help them, as well as the buyers at natural product stores, are finding that manufacturers are treading lightly when putting new weight loss products on the market.

“Currently, there are not new, innovative weight management products. It is a broad category, and it’s missing novel, fresh products,” said Rob Maru, vice president of innovation and brand development Reserveage Organics (Gainesville, FL).

But this caution is well-founded, according to Mike Uckele, CN, CEO and president of Uckele Health & Nutrition, Inc. (Blissfield, MI), maker of BerryLean and Physio-Lean. “Manufacturers should tread very carefully with the ingredients and formulas they use for their products, because when consumers commit themselves to a program, they deserve results,” he said.

Retailer Mark Stayton, sales manager and supplement department manager with Martindale’s Natural Markets in Springfield, PA, agreed that manufacturers are playing it safe, especially when it comes to weight management.“The new products that are coming out are often using some variation of glucomannan,” he noted. “LifeExtension’s LuraLean and Natural Factor’s PGX are both derived from it. The ingredient makes you feel full and slows down the absorption of sugars so you don’t have cravings or feel hungry. Then manufacturers will add other ingredients to that.”

Another ingredient of note is African mango extract, Stayton said.“LifeExtension has been selling it as Irvingia. It’s fairly new, and while LifeExtension was the first to have it about two years ago, since Dr. Oz talked about it, other manufacturers are picking up on it,” he said, stressing that there are no controversies surrounding these ingredients. “They are completely safe, have no stimulants and [show no signs of] trouble down the road.”

Ed Jones, owner of Nutrition World (Chattanooga, TN), agreed.“Gone are the days of gimmicky weight loss products, at least for me,” he said. His store also carries LifeExtension’s Calorie Control Weight Management Formula and Natural Factor’s PGX, as well as products that contain conjugated linoleic acids (CLA). “They are incredibly wellresearched and we post a lecture about them on our website.”

An Epidemic

New Year’s resolutions or not, obesity and its complications are a growing epidemic, said Michael T. Murray, ND, director of product development and education with Natural Factors Nutritional Products, Inc. (Everett, WA).

He pointed to recent alarming statistics:

• 78 percent of American adults are overweight – 34 percent of which are obese – totaling more than 72 million people – six percent, more than 15 million people, are extremely (“morbidly”) obese

• Two million people are “super” obese – in excess of 500lbs Consumers seeking natural ways to help them, as well as the buyers at natural product stores, are finding that manufacturers are treading lightly when putting new weight loss products on the market.

• Over 32 percent of children are overweight – 16 percent of which are obese; 11 percent extremely obese

• 300,000+ obesity-caused deaths occur per year in the US, making it the No. 1 cause of preventable death “Research linking health consequences with weight increases also pushes the market to healthy alternatives,” added Jack Grogan, CN, chief science officer with Uckele Health & Nutrition. The Center for Disease Control, he noted, warns that as weight increases to reach the levels referred to as “overweight” and “obesity,” the risks for the following conditions also increases:

• Coronary heart disease

• Type 2 diabetes

• Cancers (endometrial, breast and colon)

• Hypertension (high blood pressure)

• Dyslipidemia (high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides)

• Stroke

• Liver and gallbladder disease

• Sleep apnea and respiratory problems

• Osteoarthritis (a degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint)

• Gynecological problems (abnormal menses, infertility)

What’s Inside

The best ingredients for weight loss “burn fat and guilt,” said Keith Lennertz, director of product development with LifeExtension (Fort Lauderdale, FL). “Given that the vast majority of weight loss attempts will fail in the long run, it is essential that companies ensure their products deliver value as far as advancing health that goes beyond the sole preoccupation with losing weight,” he said, offering an example of a “hot” ingredient that does more than just help consumers shed pounds. “Fucoxanthin activates thermogenesis at the genetic level without having to resort to harsh stimulants that have dominated the category to serve this function, but it is also a highly effective antioxidant carotenoid that helps to oxidize toxic fat accumulation in the liver as the result of poor diet and nutrition (Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease is reaching epidemic proportions in Americans). By doing so, fucoxanthin Can help to restore healthier liver function and contribute to general overall health and vitality. Consumers are looking for products that can work harder for them and provide multiple benefits,” he said.

Jared Schneider, president of IPS Companies, Inc. (Orlando, FL), said he lost more than 50 pounds by eating better, being active three to four times a week and taking the right supplements.“I obsessed over researching the best herbs and amino acids that would help me lose the weight, but that wouldn’t give me the shakes or make my body feel like it was on fire. I had finally found the perfect ingredients, however, I had to buy each one individually from the vitamin store. That is how I came up with Twilight Trim, the perfect blend of amino acids and herbs that comes all in one package.”

Twilight Trim contains CLA, “one of the absolute best ingredients for weight management. There have been many studies done on its beneficial effects of weight loss and muscle gain,”Schneider said. “Guggulsterones, or guggul, is an herb that has been used in homeopathy for more than 2,000 years. It has been shown to assist in fat reduction and reduce bad cholesterol.Chromium picolinate is one that is not currently in Twilight Trim, but we are excited to be working on developing a new product that does include it.”

Reserveage Organics’ Maru said the company is offering new products this year based on a combination of high-quality, university clinical studies and traditional, homeopathic solutions.“The studies focus on natural ingredients proven to not only safely reduce appetite, but also effectively increase caloric burn without the use of harmful stimulants,” he said.

“What often sells well is not necessarily the best ingredients for weight management,” Maru added. “The best types of ingredients safely increase caloric burn and mimic the effects of caloric restriction without causing unpleasant side effects like nervousness and anxiety. Resveratrol is an ingredient that meets all these requirements.”

Natural Factors is continuing to build a strong scientific base by investing in solid research rather than marketing propaganda, noted Murray. Detailed scientific investigations have already shown PGX to: reduce appetite; promote satiety; decrease the level of compounds that stimulate overeating; reduce after-meal blood glucose levels when added to or taken with foods (reducing the glycemic index of any food or beverage); increase insulin sensitivity and decrease blood insulin levels; stabilize blood sugar levels in the overweight and obese; and lower blood cholesterol and triglycerides.

At Uckele, Grogan said the company recommends a combination of herbs, amino acids and nutrients to support metabolic function, lean mass, energy production and body fat management:

• The minerals chromium and iodine support a healthy energy production and fat metabolism.

• The amino acids tyrosine, acetyl Lcarnitine and taurine support a healthy energy production, stress response and recovery, and fat metabolism.

• The vitamin calcium pantothenate supports a healthy stress response and

• The herbal extracts guggul, garcinia, rhodiola, tribulis, green tea, astragalus, gymnena, mucuna, grapeseed, cinnamon and ginger support a healthy glandular function, stress recovery, fat metabolism and energy production.

• The herbal extracts yerba mate, guarana and citrus aurantium are natural stimulant-containing plants offering caffeine and synephrine, which support the basic metabolism, energy production and fat metabolism.

• The herbal extract colus forskohli is a natural up-regulator of the stimulantcontaining herbal extracts by improving their effectiveness and the length of time they exert a positive influence on the metabolism.

Careful Consideration

With all the controversy and overwhelming information surrounding the topic of weight loss, deciding which products to choose and how to educate consumers about them can be a tricky proposition for retailers. “They need to stay up to date on the standards set Forth by the Food and Drug Administration,” noted Rob Saint Laurent, Med, owner and president of Designs on Fitness, Inc. (Acushnet, MA).“All dietary supplements are regulated by strict standards and must be safe for consumption. Retailers should purchase from manufacturers that utilize certified good manufacturing practices, as well as companies that purchase raw materials from domestic suppliers. Good manufacturers are always looking for ways to improve efficiency and reduce crosscontamination, ultimately lowering cost to the retailer.”

Aside from the manufacturer’s credentials, retailers should follow the product trends set forth by the industry’s leading companies. “These companies have the budgets to thoroughly research and develop products based on clinical studies,” Saint Laurent continued. “Once these benefits for specific ingredients have been established, retailers can confidently purchase and promote their product selections. Retailers can use their websites as information portals to Keep consumers updated. Newsletters, articles, research studies and factoids are all effective ways to inform consumers of new product trends.”

Retailer Stayton said he and other natural product stores have been cautious.“We’re dealing with manufacturers who are doing their due diligence. We can’t test every product that comes into the store, so we have to rely on good manufacturers and know their reputations.”

As for consumer knowledge, Uckele’s Vice President of Sales Kevin Isley said a strong awareness of natural products is growing. “However, for some a drug mindset still exists of wishful thinking for a quick fix—a magic pill that will allow them to eat whatever and how much they want, maintain a sedentary lifestyle and still lose weight,” he said.

“Advertising and the internet, as well as old, inaccurate information and hearsay are how many people are informed. The concern is that that information may or may not be accurate.”Grogan added that too many people automatically assume that any weight loss is automatically fat loss. “The focus of well-constructed weight management programs should be to decrease fat weight and to protect lean mass, muscle, bone, organ and connective tissue weight,” he said. “Poorly designed weight loss programs can actually decrease lean body mass at a faster rate than fat loss. Basically, people become smaller, fatter versions of themselves with no improvement in body composition. Well-designed weight management programs should include adequate complete proteins, low sugar diet guidelines, adequate fiber and targeted supplementation to enhance a healthy, natural metabolism.”

The consumer also needs to be aware that cravings can be reduced with a balanced nutritional program with adequate protein. “The glycemic response to high-sugar, high-fat processed foods increases appetite and offers a shortterm sense of well-being because of the effect on brain chemistry,” Grogan said.“These foods also increase the desire for more of those same foods, and creates a cycle of overeating because of the spike and dip effects that these foods have on blood sugar, insulin and the stress hormones.”

The Snackers

Designs on Fitness Inc.’s Saint Laurent, who is also a certified master fitness trainer and author of the book FitWorks!, pointed out that snacking is a particularly troublesome area that he has witnessed with hundreds of his own clients over the years. “But the pendulum may be starting To swing in a positive direction,” he added. “There is increasing media attention paid to this issue; for example, the advantages of eating four to six smaller meals for easier weight management.Plus, research shows that 57 percent of Americans are attempting to eat healthier overall, with 66 percent trying to eat healthier snacks and nearly 33 percent skipping larger meals in favor of grazing on smaller pre-prepared foods for reasons such as time and weight loss (according to a recent Packaged Facts report). It appears more people are beginning to see the need for change in this often overlooked area. This, in turn, will open up industry opportunities for snack creations that offer both convenience and health benefits.”

The company’s product, Lean Snack, is a patent-pending functional food offering 75 calories per serving. Saint Laurent called it a sustained-energy mix that contains 8g of complex carbohydrates from brown rice, 1g of sugar, 4g of fiber, 6g of high BV (biological value) proteins and 2g of fat, plus clinically effective amounts of CLA and green tea extract as EGCG.

“Industry experts believe there is much more health awareness in recent years than in the past,” Saint Laurent pointed out, noting that Research Analyst Carl Drummond predicted that demand for healthier snacks in both solid food and beverage form will be on the rise as Americans are made more aware of obesity and healthier eating habits through governmental efforts lead by First Lady Michelle Obama and private advocacy groups alike.

“To illustrate, many of the big names in the food and beverage industry have recently pledged their support for the First Lady’s campaign ‘Let’s Move,’ with a goal of cutting one trillion calories off their products by 2012,” he said. “They realize the need to adapt to the changing landscape and will make it their mission to cut back on sugar, fat and sodium to meet this growing trend.”