Cookie Diet: Misleading Or Hidden Weight Loss Tool?
Company Claims Protein Cookies Replace Meal, Snack Bars
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The following is a transcript of Elenora Andrews' report, shown exactly the way it appeared on NewsChannel 4 at 11 p.m. on August 3, 2004.
NewsChannel 4: The fast track to fitness is fueling what has turned into a multimillion dollar industry, and NewsChannel 4 is trying out one of the newest products, that promises more protein than a beef steak dinner and claims to satisfy hunger and cravings. Elenora Andrews reports.
Elenora Andrews: Touting less than one net carb, 190
calories and only six grams of fat, this half-page ad
for the Halo Power Protein Cookie claims, "you
can lose
weight fast." They say all it takes is eight
cookies a day. Dawn Clark is an experienced dieter who
agreed to try them out.
Dawn Clark: "I've done Slim Fast, Weight Watchers, the grapefruit diet, the cabbage diet."
Nadiya Timperman: "About 98 percent of all dieters fail."
Andrews: We asked registered dietician Nadiya Timperman to check out the cookie diet. She said the Halo Power Protein Cookies label, claiming the product "replaces meal and snack bars" is misleading.
Timperman: "Do I think it's the same as eating a meal? No. Absolutely not. You simply can't mush it all down and stick it into a bar, cookie, or a shake."
Andrews: PatentHEALTH's ad is clear -- eight cookies a day, and you'll lose weight fast. But it's not clear on how to take those cookies.
Clark: "Do you take them instead of a meal, do you take them at breakfast? Half during the day, half at night? That was the hard part ... trying to figure out what worked."
Andrews: So NewsChannel 4 contacted the company.
John Armstrong/PatentHEALTH: "When you folks called and you had some questions about the ad, it sort of, drew our attention to some areas where a little bit of clarification might be of assistance to consumers."
Andrews: The company does admit that the ads and labeling are confusing and because of our investigation, PatentHEALTH is making changes. The North Canton, Ohio company is pulling the Halo Power Protein Cookie off the shelf in areas where it is not selling and will use direct mailings. The company is also creating a specific meal and exercise plan for dieters to follow. As for all those claims to quick weight loss, the company stands behind its product.
Armstrong: "We're trying to reduce any misinterpretation that might exist there. I think this product is far better than other products like it on the market."
Andrews: Though the company claims the cookies taste good, Dawn found them less than palatable.
Clark: "They're hard to take. They're not tasty at all."
Andrews: But the cookies plus a low calorie diet resulted in sweet success.
Clark: "I lost seven pounds."
NewsChannel 4: The company says they'll introduce three new flavors of the cookie this fall. They cost about $2.50 for a tray of eight.
Source: www.nbc4columbus.com
|
