Slimming foods
Slimming foods: empowering people to manage their body weight
A growing number of people in Europe have problems with their weight. There are multiple causes of overweight - a settled way of life, nutritional behaviour, socio-economic factors, and emotional factors. These can lead to a loss of balance between calorie intake and expenditure, which in turn can result in social issues, such as isolation, as well as health problems, including chronic diseases such as diabetes.
Slimming foods help people to take back control of their weight, often with the help of a healthcare professional. These slimming foods, in the form of specially-formulated products, help ensure calorie control and a nutritionally-balanced diet (an element that is absent from many ‘diets’).
- Slimming foods are easy to use - making it easier to follow and to maximise the chance of success. They also give people confidence in their own progress - with the ultimate goal of returning to a normal diet, a better lifestyle, and a healthy weight.
- Slimming foods are calorie-restricted and nutritionally balanced: they can be used for the purpose of weight loss and weight management
- Slimming foods are reliable: by following manufacturers recommendations, weight loss is easier to manage
The scale of the overweight and obesity problem
- According to a 2007 World Health Organisation report, ‘The challenge of obesity in the WHO European Region and the strategies for response’, overweight and obesity are serious public health challenges in Europe. It estimates that a large number of adults are affected by overweight and obesity in EU member states.
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The WHO estimates that the prevalence of obesity has more than trebled in many European countries since the 1980s.
- WHO projected 150 million obese or overweight adults in the European Region by 2010 (Source: WHO 2007)
- Overweight causes 12 million life-years of ill-health every year in the WHO European Region (Source: WHO 2007)
A responsible industry
Our priority: safe slimming
IDACE members are national associations. Their members are companies that make a range of slimming food products, including meal replacements for low-calorie diets. The industry’s priority is to provide consumers with safe slimming products, which are reliable and have easy-to follow indications.
Our mission: helping people to manage their weight
Our products are nutritionally-balanced in order to help achieve weight loss successfully through a low-calorie diet. They are developed with nutritionists in compliance with very clear regulations and are always accompanied with clear guidance for usage and dietetic recommendations such as daily menus.
The ultimate aim is that individuals move to use of normal foods to control weight, combined with a better lifestyle, including physical exercise. Our slimming foods products have been shown to be effective for more than 15 years.
Meal replacements have been recognised by EFSA as products aimed at losing weight and managing weight.
Testimonial
Our slimming food products have been used by many consumers over the years, with proven satisfaction and success:
"I started a meal replacement programme six weeks ago. I had a BMI of 32. Through increased physical exercise and taking meal replacements I have achieved 12% weight loss and a BMI of 28. More importantly, my high blood pressure disappeared and I have now stopped all medication that I had been receiving for this condition."
Francois (52), Beaune, France
Regulating slimming foods
Specialised nutrition needs specialised regulation.
In the EU, slimming foods are addressed by a specific Directive under the umbrella of the PARNUTS Framework Directive. This specific Directive on ‘foods intended for use in energy-restricted diets for weight reduction’ (Directive 96/8/EC), established in 1996, covers foods that replace the whole daily diet and slimming foods intended to replace a meal.
When this Directive was adopted, it was said that nutritional composition and harmonisation of slimming foods such as snacks and very low calorie diets would be adopted at a later date.
FACTS & FIGURES
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About 5% of turnover is invested in research:the food industry average is 1% |
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The annual turnover of the European dietetic foods sector (including exports) is around €24bn |
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The dietetic foods sector is a world leader:each year, exports total around €8bn |
IDACE MEMBERS
