The rising success of low-GI foods may be down to their promise of longer lasting satisfaction compared with the deprivation associated with low-calorie or reduced fat foods.
The glycaemic index, which ranks foods based on the speed at which the sugars are broken down and released into the body, is emerging as the basis for a healthy diet, and as a means of losing weight.This is because the consumers are moving away from the deprivation model and becoming more interested in stabilizing blood sugar levels and controlling cravings than counting calories.
The Primaliv yoghurt [marketed in Sweden] uses images to demonstrate energy levels going up and down.
Consumers don’t know GI but they can related to an energy high and energy low. The HealthFocus research has found that in almost every country surveyed, only half the overweight consumers questioned admit to their weight problem.
And for those that do, eating less and exercising more is not a solution. So food companies need to start talking about lifestyle and satisfaction, using transparent changes or small, gradual changes that fit into existing behaviour.
This attitude is even more important when it comes to children, increasingly overweight yet often not recognised as such by parents. Even if a mother is concerned about a child's weight, growth and development is still a greater concern.
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The Zone Diet: Think Hormones, Please! The zone diet works on the principle that we are essentially meat eaters, as our ancestors, and so have to modify our diets. It advocates a "40-30-30" plan for carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Inclusion of such a balanced diet helps in weight loss by utilising fats for energy.
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