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Meal Replacements Under the Spotlight
By WLR Dietitian
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With summer just around the corner, it’s likely many of us
will be tempted to stray from our usual sensible diet plan and
instead try something a little more extreme to quickly shift
those pounds. But while ‘miracle’ pills, patches and potions
abound, the number one choice for many of us are meal
replacement diets. Yes, in desperate times – we’re talking
two weeks until we have to bear all on the beach – many of us
are prepared to survive on just one meal each evening and fill
up on strawberry shakes, tomato soup and chocolate bars during
the day.
What’s the theory?
As most Weight Loss Resources members know, to lose weight
we need to take in fewer calories than our body needs. When
this happens, we draw on our fat stores to provide us with the
extra energy we require to function properly. In the long
term, this means we lose fat – and as a result, the pounds
drop off.
Quite simply, meal replacement products offer a way
to help us control our calorie intake, without having to worry
about counting them for two meals a day. Ultimately, most plans provide
around 1,200-1,400 calories each day.
How do I follow it?
It couldn’t be easier! Simply pick a meal replacement brand
– the most popular one is Slim Fast – and follow the
instructions.
In general, you replace two meals – usually breakfast and
lunch – with a meal replacement shake, soup or bar and then
have a 600-calorie healthy meal in the evening. Slim Fast even
includes ready meals if you can’t be bothered to cook yourself
a meal from scratch in the evening.
Most plans also allow two to three 100-calorie snacks a day
and recommend drinking six to eight glasses of water or
low-calorie drinks. Some plans, such as Slim Fast, also
provide written information on healthy living, including
guidelines for healthy weight loss, changing eating habits and
becoming more active.
How much weight can I expect to lose?
As with any reduced-calorie diet, the amount of weight
you’ll lose will depend on the number of calories you consume.
In general, an intake of 1,200 to 1,400 calories a day, will
result in a weight loss of around 1-2lb each week.
Are meal replacement products healthy?
By law, meal replacement products must provide the
recommended amount of nutrients needed for good health and
their composition must conform to certain standards defined by
a European Directive. According to this Directive – the
guidelines for which are based on research looking at the
nutritional needs of dieters – meal replacement products must
contain between 200 and 400 calories, at least 25 percent
protein and 23 vitamins and minerals.
With regard to fibre, most products contain around 5-6g.
Healthy eating guidelines recommend adults have 18g fibre
daily and so two meal replacement products make a
contribution to this. Most plans also recommend
including fruit and veg as snacks and as part of your main
meal.
Ultimately, meal replacement products are not designed to
be the only source of nutrition and contrary to popular
belief, they are not the same as ‘very low calorie diets’,
which generally provide less than 800 calories daily and are
unsuitable for most of us.
What are the pros?
Several studies have found that meal replacements are as
effective as traditional calorie-counted diets in terms of
helping people to lose weight in the short term. Better still,
the commonly held belief that meal replacements only help
people to lose weight temporarily doesn’t seem to be supported
by current research. In fact, long term follow up studies
suggest that meal replacements may actually help people to
keep their new lower weight.
Many people also like meal replacement products because
they are convenient, they take away the need to think about
food during the day and they mean the calorie counting has
already been done for them.
What about the cons?
One of the main problems with the research to date is that
no large long-term trials have been carried out in the UK –
the majority of research has been based in the USA and
Germany. Meanwhile, few trials have taken place using meal
replacements in ‘real-life’ situations.
Firstly, most studies have provided meal replacement
products free of charge – it’s unknown whether people would be
as likely to stick to the diet if they had to buy the products
themselves. Secondly, most studies have used meal replacements
as part of a comprehensive programme, which includes support
and dietary advice from health professionals – little is known
about the weight loss achieved and maintained by people who
buy and use meal replacement products on their own. Finally,
most studies have involved people who are overweight or obese
– few have studied normal weight people with a Body Mass Index
of 20-24.9, who simply want to lose a small amount of weight.
One of the other main problems with meal replacement diets
is that on their own, they do little to educate people about
their eating habits. While replacing high-calorie breakfasts
and lunches with a shake, soup or bar will almost certainly
result in weight loss, returning to poor eating habits once
you stop taking the products means you will almost certainly
pile the weight back on again. Most nutrition experts
recognise that if meal replacement products are to be
effective at keeping the weight off in the long term, it’s
essential to provide education and support on healthy eating
when meal replacement products are no longer used – and this
isn’t always a priority for people who want a quick
weight-loss ‘fix’.
Who do meal replacements suit?
According to the British Dietetic Association, meal
replacement plans are considered to be a good option for
people who like a simple approach to weight loss and don’t
want to have to think about planning or preparing individual
meals. They’re also a potentially good option for people who
prefer to eat foods that are already calorie and portion
controlled for them. Meanwhile, Dietitians in Obesity
Management UK say they may be useful for people who have
difficulty finding time to prepare meals or struggle to
control or understand portion sizes.
And who won’t meal replacements suit?
Generally speaking, if you enjoy variety in your
diet and like to cook, you won’t enjoy surviving on meal replacements.
Many people find them boring after a while, especially as the
flavours are generally limited. If you hate strawberry,
chocolate and vanilla milkshakes, meal replacement diets won’t suit
you!
It’s also an expensive diet to follow – most meal
replacement products are quite pricey. If you’re on a tight
budget, you’ll get more for your money if you buy fresh fruit
and veg. Finally, if you suffer with lactose intolerance, most
products won’t be suitable as they are based on skimmed milk.
Are the products suitable for people with diabetes?
Studies do support the safety of using meal replacements in
people with type 2 diabetes who are overweight or obese.
However, if you have diabetes, it’s essential that you consult
your doctor before starting any weight loss plan, including
one based on meal replacements, as your medication might need
to be adjusted as a result.
Does the diet have any side effects?
None of the research published to date suggest any adverse
side effects when using meal replacements. In the past, meal
replacements were considered to be a quick fix that
potentially led to yo-yo dieting. It was thought most people
piled the weight back on once they returned to normal eating
habits. However, the latest research suggests that people
can maintain the weight they lose, providing they receive advice
and stick to eating a healthy, balanced diet once they stop
taking the products.
What do the experts say?
Although meal replacement products have been available for
some time, until now most health professionals have been
reluctant to recommend them to people who need to lose weight.
However, thanks to a number of studies supporting their
use, several major health organisations with an interest in
helping the public to lose weight now suggest meal
replacements are a suitable option for some people.
Organisations such as the National Obesity Forum, the British
Dietetic Association and Dietitians in Obesity Management UK
say meal replacements offer an alternative to other more
conventional dietary treatments and may prove beneficial for
some people. However, they also say this is just one of a
range of possible dietary treatments to help people lose
weight and recommend that additional support and advice needs
to be given so that people learn to change the poor eating
habits that helped them pile on the pounds in the first place.
As well as cutting calories in a controlled way, many
nutrition experts also think meal replacement diets are
effective because they offer a structured plan and are the
ultimate convenience food as they require little or no
preparation or cooking. Furthermore, they take away the
‘pressure’ of deciding what to eat for two meals each day, yet
still allow an element of choice for one meal.
Juliette’s verdict
There’s certainly been an about turn in the way health
professionals now view meal replacement products.
Nevertheless, it’s important not to get too carried away with
the results of studies to date. It’s great news that research
suggests meal replacements can help people lose weight and
keep it off but it’s important to remember that most study
participants received additional dietary advice. Plus the very
fact that someone is taking part in a study can affect their
levels of motivation, with the result they are more likely to
be successful.
What is clear however, is that more research still needs to
be done to identify the suitability and effectiveness of meal
replacement diets for ‘real-life’ situations and for people who
have relatively small amounts of weight to lose.
Trying meal replacements is unlikely to do you any harm.
However, for them to be successful in the long term, it’s
essential you learn about what constitutes a healthy, balanced
diet. Meal replacements might help you lose weight, but if you
go back to eating greasy fry-ups for breakfast, mayo-laden
sarnies for lunch and snack constantly on crisps, chocolate
and fast food, once you stop taking the products, the pounds
will quickly pile back on.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that your taste buds might
quickly get tired of the same old flavours with the result
that you end up craving your favourite foods. And
unfortunately, cravings brought on by denial can quickly
result in bingeing that in turn, causes many people to ditch
their dieting intentions for good.
Finally, there’s a lot to be said for getting our nutrients
from food. While meal replacement products might be
nutritionally balanced, there’s good evidence to suggest our
bodies are better able to utilise the vitamins and minerals
found naturally in food rather than those found in fortified
foods.
Ultimately, you can’t get away from the fact that following
a calorie-controlled diet based on a wide range of fresh foods
including fruit, veg, wholegrains, low-fat dairy products and
lean protein-rich foods such as lean red meat, skinless
chicken, fish and eggs, is the cheapest, tastiest and most
enjoyable way to get all the nutrients we need for good health
– and to help us lose weight.
But if you still fancy trying meal replacement products,
there doesn’t seem to be any reason why you shouldn’t give
them a go. Nevertheless, for the best results, I suggest you
use them as a kick-start to help you shift a few pounds and
then switch to a longer-term healthier eating plan that allows
you to enjoy eating ‘proper’ food!
Further information
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