ANALYSIS: Slim Pickings

MARK McLAUGHLIN
Edinburgh Evening News
20 May 2010

With obesity a growing problem in Scotland, the demand for diets, slimming products and more extreme weight loss measures is also on the rise. MARK McLAUGHLIN investigates the best way to fight the flab

SCOTTISH consumers spend nearly GBP 90 per household on products such as slimming shakes, low-fat processed meals and weight-loss pills.

Recent Scottish Parliament figures show that 229 people in the Lothians had obesity listed on their death certificate in the last five years.

With obesity-related illness in the Lothians higher than anywhere in Scotland, local nutritionists Emma Conroy, of Edinburgh Nutrition, and Edinburgh University's Dr Fred Pender have their work cut out helping people navigate their way through the marketing spin toward a slimmer waistline.

Here, they cast their eye over some of the top fitness fads that promise to help us to achieve a healthy lifestyle, to see how likely they are to deliver on their pledge.

SLIMMING DRINKS / MEALS / PILLS

SCOTS are clearly being lured by the growing range of brands tempting us to eat ourselves thin on their products, with Weight Watchers increasing its product range by 14 per cent, Kellogg's Special K now available in 31 different varieties and muscle-sculpting range Maximuscle more than tripling its range in two years, while diet pills continue to spark controversy over their effectiveness and effect.

Emma said: "There's no substitute for eating good healthy food. You can't fool your brain with processed rubbish.

Dr Pender said: "There's nothing better for losing weight than a natural balanced diet.

"Some of these slimming drinks do very little to help."

GASTRIC BANDS

AROUND 3,000 people are on weight-loss waiting lists while about 155 surgeries are carried out across Scotland annually.

Emma said: "I find the fact that they're now offering gastric band surgery on the NHS depressing, especially when I read stories or encounter people who have had it at a young age.

"The obesity is often a symptom of an underlying emotional problem.

"The weight will come off initially but if you don't treat the emotional problem the weight will soon go back on again."

"It's a pretty drastic and brutal way to try to lose weight."

Dr Pender said: "It's a sign of the times that people are starting to accept more radical approaches to weight loss."

NINTENDO WII FIT TRAINING

NINTENDO'S Wii Fit range of games are widely seen as the antidote to sedentary computer geeks spending hours in the armchair moving nothing but their thumbs. It is currently the third best selling console game in history, and pits players against a series of fitness challenges intended to give them a workout while keeping them entertained.

Emma said: "I always believe outdoor exercise is best. Having said that, the games are very enjoyable and the way it measures your weight and performance is motivating for some people. If people are encouraged to use it regularly then it's fine."

Dr Pender said: "While Wii-fit is aerobic, I would question how regularly people are using it."

GYM

JOINING a gym is often the first step in any new weight-loss regime, but with private memberships costing as much as GBP 50 a month, few can afford to the break the bank to break a sweat. However, some city gyms are now offering annual memberships for as little as GBP 19.99 a month.

Emma said: "Some people love the gym or love going for a swim, which is great, but I think the best way to lose weight to is to incorporate exercise into your daily routine.

"Most of us lead pretty sedentary lives, at home and at work, but you can get a lot of benefit from ditching the car and walking."

Dr Pender said: "It's vital to remember that if you're going to the gym you have to work. Some people think that just walking through the door will make you lose weight."

FIVE-A-DAY

THE World Health Organisation recommends eating a minimum of 400g of fruit and vegetables a day to lower the risk of serious health problems, such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and obesity. The NHS has translated this to an easy to remember regime of five 80g portions a day.

Emma said: "Encouraging people to eat five portions of fruit and veg a day is really just the lowest number that the department of health thought they could get people to follow. In the Mediterranean most people eat over ten portions a day.

"I'm not a fan of these fruit juices and smoothies that claim to offer 'two of your five a day'. I'd prefer it if people just ate apples and oranges rather than something that's been heavily processed."

Dr Pender said: "Five a day is the minimum you should be eating, whereas ten a day would significantly increase the balance of your diet. If you're eating ten a day there's less room for rubbish like sweets."