With the holidays upon us, the temptation to overeat is everywhere. With that in mind, I wanted to share with you some of the information I have found as I research this “growing” market. For instance, did you know that according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the World Health Organization (WHO) you are “overweight” if your BMI is between 25 and 29.9; and you are “obese” if your BMI is 30 or greater? By the year 2015, 2.3 billion adults will be overweight and 700 million will be obese.
 
Now you might say, so what? Well … here are a few more sobering facts … The personal and societal costs of obesity-related disease are enormous. Avoidance of obesity is important because it increases the risk of developing various chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and osteoarthritis. It has been estimated that individuals who are obese have a 10-50% increased risk of all-cause mortality. Most of this increased risk is due to cardiovascular disease.
 
People with a BMI >40 have death rates from cancer that are 50% higher in men and 60% higher in women compared to their normal-weight counterparts. Obesity is also the number one risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes—a disease with a prevalence rate expected to increase by 50% in the next 10 years. Obese young women at age 18 with a BMI >35 have a seven-fold increased risk of developing severe hip osteoarthritis when they are older.
 
Considering the obesity epidemic and the growing prevalence of overweight people, the weight management industry market is likewise huge, and growing! The weight-loss business continues to boom in the U.S. and many nutrients are being considered for the potential benefits they may add to a functional food or beverage product formulated to aid in weight loss. These nutrients include:
 
·      Bitter orange   
·      Guar gum       
·      Chitosan
·      Glucomannan 
·      Dandelion
·      Caffeine          
·      Psyllium         
·      Cascara
·      Country mallow          
·      L-carnitine      
·      Laminaria
·      Yerba mate      
·      Hydroxycitric acid      
·      Spirulina—blue-green algae
·      Chromium      
·      Green tea        
·      Guggul
·      Ginseng          
·      Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid) 
·      Apple cider vinegar
·      Conjugated linoleic acid         
·      Licorice          
·      Pyruvate
 
Adding any of these ingredients to a food or beverage product requires formulation expertise. Working with an experienced pre-mix provider, such as Fortitech, can help a manufacturer overcome the challenges that present themselves when developing a product aimed at the weight management market. For more information visit www.fortitech.com or e-mail [email protected].
 
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The ideas and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect views held by Nutraceuticals World.