Liposuction and Plastic Surgery Information - Slimming chocolate adverts banned

Slimming chocolate adverts banned

Monday, 15 January 2007

It's every dieter's dream, but of course it's too good to be true. A company that claims its chocolate bars actually help you lose weight has had its adverts banned by the UK's Office of Fair Trading.

The product, called "Slim-Choc" claims to have negative calories, and is claimed by the manufacturers to help dieters lose 20 pounds in 20 days, by eating chocolate as part of their diet.

The concept of negative calories is scientifically dubious, relying on the notion that some foods contain fewer calories than the energy expended by the body in digesting them. Thus, the theory goes, you can eat a product containing 100 calories, but if the body spends 200 calories of energy in digesting the product, you're 100 calories better off. Sounds great in theory, but in practice, few nutritionists buy into the concept, and such foods have yet to be identified.

The slim-choc product was sold as a 40 day pack, costing £37 ($70), but, as the Office of Fair Trading said, "the only pounds people are likely to lose are from their wallets".

The company's website appeared to be up, as of this morning, but with no information available, apart from a picture on the home page of a slim girl eating a bar of chocolate. Interestingly, the title of the company's home page referred to "Loosing [sic] weight by eating chocolate". It is unclear whether this is an accidental spelling mistake or a ploy to prevent the company being accused of making the false claim of "Losing weight by eating chocolate".

Tags: UK, weight loss,