SLIMMING SACHETS - Monday 24 June 2002

by the Extra Team

We're a society obsessed with weight loss. Everywhere you turn there are potions, powders and pills all claiming they'll help you shed pounds.

Now another diet drink, produced by a local couple has hit the shelves. Leisa's Secret is the latest powdered diet shake to hit the market.

Weight-loss specialist Doctor David Carey has seen them all and says they're designed to fill you up without the calories.

Battling the bulge for more than thirty years, Neville Byers has just jumped on the meal replacement bandwagon. He's tried everything from fad diets to Weight Watchers.

Three months ago, Dr Carey introduced him to a powdered diet soup which he drinks instead of breakfast. So far, it's helped the former football star drop thirteen kilos.

Tricia Pukallus has also downed diet soups in the past. They didn't work for her so she's giving the new local product Leisa's Secret a go. After two months, the busy mum's lost ten kilos.

The meal replacements come in powdered form and are usually mixed with skim milk or water to make a sweet shake or savoury soup. Leisa's Secret comes in three flavours - chocolate, vanilla and strawberry and its creators believe it's one of the most nutritious on the market because it's high in protein but low in sugar.

It's so healthy they claim even people who don't have a weight problem but don't get time to eat properly should try it.

Dr Carey says most people know that to lose weight you've got to eat well and exercise but if something is eating them, whether it be stress or an emotional problem, they'll continue to dive straight for comfort foods.

However if you do think meal replacements can help, Dr Carey recommends you should generally:

* Never replace more than two meals a day with them.
* Don't stay on them for more than three months unless advised by your doctor.
* Use them in conjunction with a balanced diet and exercise program.
* Check for any interactions with medications.

There can be some serious side effects, if not taken properly. At the end of the day, liquid drinks aren't the long-term answer to weight loss if you're not prepared to change your lifestyle.

Leisa's Secret is available from Woolworths and Action supermarkets as well as some health food stores. It retails for $19.95 For more information on meal supplements contact your doctor.