Uh-Oh Olestra

Some strong feelings about fat replacers in yesterday's blog. One person's perfect solution is another's toxic nightmare.

Take Olestra. As a non-digested fat, it has to be eliminated via the digestive tract- and it's not oozing out through your pores! There is no polite way to describe "anal leakage" (the medical literature came up with this term after a lot of thinking, I am sure) which David S. reported. I'm not sure what "just a few" chips are for him, but many people who have tried these chips have problems with diarrhea, with consumption of more than the recommended serving size (about 75 calories or about 10-15 chips). That 75 calories perserving sounds like a small amount, so many people double or triple the serving - the calories still aren't crazy (but maybe your digestive track will be!).

Peggy K. didn't like any of the dozens of David Burke sprays. With the variety of butter-flavored sprays, I suspect that is the taste that people really want. I guess you can't fool your buds for every flavor!

Z-trim had a vote of confidence. A lot of people told me they hadn't heard of it, that's because it is only available on line for now (on the market shelves in a few months)

For the record, I don't have any affiliation wtih any of the companies producing these items...but love 'em or hate 'em, fat replacers are here to stay.

Comments

I'd like to know your opinion on so called natural medicines that are supposed to curb your appetite and increase your energy level so you lose weight. I had a fight with a guy on myspace, who contacted me for weight loss tips for his parents. I told him the best way is to watch what you eat and exercise. He was convinced that this natural remedy was the answer and there was no telling him otherwise. He claimed it was made from whole foods and that it removed the toxins from your system, which helped you lose weight. I would love to know your opinion on these. Thanks, Melissa