Dead loss weight-loss products

After an indulgent Christmas, people may be tempted to turn to weight-loss products like healthy food ranges and slimming drugs. They're often not worth paying for, says Which?

The consumer organisation surveyed more than 2,500 of its members and found that just over half (51%) had bought foods or drinks to aid weight loss in the previous year. But Which? analysis of calorie, fat and sugar levels of some ‘diet' and ‘light' brands show that they provide little benefit over standard versions.

Kellogg's Special K, often perceived as a slimming cereal, has the same calories (171kcal per 30g) as Kellogg's Cornflakes and even more than Kellogg's Branflakes (157kcal).

Weight Watchers Thick sliced white bread (68kcal per 29g slice) is nutritionally so similar to Warburtons Toastie sliced white (69kcal per 29g slice) and Asda Danish white bread (63kcal per 25g slice) that Which? recommends buying the one you prefer.

McVitie's Lights digestive biscuits have less fat than McVitie's Original biscuits, but they actually have more sugar (2.9g rather than 2.5g per 15g biscuit), so the difference between the biscuits is only 4kcal.

M&S's Count on Us lasagne has 440 calories, less than the M&S standard range, which has 620kcal. However, a standard lasagne from Morrisons has 464kcal, and the Waitrose version has 468kcal - not that different to the M&S healthy option.

However, when it came to supermarket sausages, Which? found that it's better to buy low-fat. On average, healthy range sausages have half as many calories, 81% less fat and 80% less saturated fat.

Which? also looked at over-the-counter weight-loss supplements and didn't think that any were proven to help lose weight in the long-term. Body Perfect Fat Burner Capsules, Bio Synergy provided no evidence of clinically significant weight loss and one expert felt that Lipobind, Goldshield was just ‘an expensive bulking agent'.

Nikki Ratcliff, Head of Services Research, Which?, says: "If you're looking for a New Year quick-fix to shed a few pounds, weight-loss products aren't the answer. The harsh reality is that exercise coupled with a healthy balanced diet is the only effective way to lose weight.

"Just because foods are labelled as light or advertised as diet brands, it doesn't mean that they're the lowest calorie option. Look at other similar products on the shelf - you might find some that don't brand themselves as light actually have fewer calories or less fat or less sugar, so you'd be better off buying them instead."