There will always be bullets. The weight-loss category can’t seem to completely escape the wild claims glorified by dramatic before-and-after images and coated in illusion. Magic bullets always promise to kill a weight problem quickly, and the many desperate consumers that riddle the weight-loss segment are quick to pull the trigger on hotshot products and of-the-moment diets. Unfortunately this can be a cycle vicious to all those involved—products (and manufacturers) come and go without any sustained, long-term sales; consumers are often left dissatisfied and distrustful of natural weight-loss products that didn’t live up to the hype; and retailers are left dealing with the mess of misled consumers, ever-changing products and threats to their staff’s credibility. In response, the natural products industry is continuing to move away from magic bullets and toward science-based products that help consumers more responsibly manage their weight and body by controlling hunger, trading fat for lean muscle and improving overall nutrition, diet and lifestyle.
People around the world snap up natural weight-control products to the tune of $7.5 billion each year, according to Frost & Sullivan, which noted the category is growing almost 7 percent annually. The market research firm’s Christopher Shanahan noted while Europe is the largest market for satiety ingredients and has tight regulatory controls of weight supplements, North America is an established market with a few dominant ingredients, such as hoodia, and much looser regulation that enables easier entry for new products. He added the North American market currently faces challenges such as declining consumer confidence in supplements following several safety-related issues in recent years (ephedra, Hydroxycut, etc.). Among the current market drivers, according to Shanahan, are fiber and protein for satiety; functional food and beverage formulations; co-branded products; and scientifically supported ingredients.
Ingredients may rise and fall, products come and go, but one thing that is becoming more consistent is the need for science, responsibility and commitment in the weight-management category. “There is an absolute requirement for research support for all weight-loss ingredients in today’s dietary supplement market,” said Stephen Holt, M.D., Holt Institute, who noted a significant proportion of all weight-loss supplements are sold with relatively weak evidence of efficacy.
“This category commands the highest volume of sales in the dietary supplements segment and, hence, is prey to many fly-by-night operators out to make a quick buck, and who sell products with wild claims,” added R.V. Venkatesh, Gencor Pacific, who stated supporting science and research is the only way to ensure the public gets a good product that is safe and efficacious.
“Science supporting any ingredient that plays in the weight-management sector is a must in today’s environment,” said Scott Steil, NutraBridge, who agreed the entire weight-supplement industry suffers from the actions of a few bad apples. However, he noted the vast majority of top supplement companies do require any weight-loss or blood-sugar management product be validated with solid human, clinical studies. “We invest most of our resources in the science that supports our ingredients, which has proven to be a strategy that is paying off for our customers and consumers,” he said. “In fact, last year the weight-loss marketplace remained flat in terms of sales, yet our ingredient sales more than doubled.” He credited scientific support for this growth.
“We regard clinical research to be essential to our product,” echoed Bob Green, Nutratech, who noted even in the best-case scenarios, manufacturers and retailers have too often focused on the “flavor of the month” new ingredients that, in most cases, do not have substantial scientific backing. “If consumers aren’t demanding more scientific proof, they should be,” he remarked, noting his company posts all its supporting science on its Web site, as do many reputable supplement companies. “We have no problem putting the research out there for people to make up their own minds.”