We Don't Have the Science, But We're Going to Make the Claim Anyway

Kellogg is petitioning the European Union to allow it to claim that its cereals help with weight loss. Read about it here: http://www.foodpolitics.com/

Apparently, Kellogg's doesn't have to prove scientifically that their cereals promote weight loss, but it's interesting that they can't just throw the claim on the box as they do here. It doesn't sound like a perfect process, but at least it is a process.

As to the claims, they're dubious at best, as you can read here: http://www.diet-blog.com/archives/2006/03/09/special_k_diet_cereal_for_weight_loss.php

That doesn't stop Kellogg's, of course, they enthusiastically promote their diet and even have an entire website devoted to it. See it here: http://www.specialk.com/challenge

Of course you'll lose weight if you eat fewer calories, so if you substitute a bowl of Special K, for a Cheeseburger and fries, you will lose weight in the short term.

The problem is, of course, that you won't keep that weight off. As soon as you return to eating the cheeseburger and fries instead of the cereal, you will regain the weight.

Real long-term weight loss comes from making real changes to your diet that you'll stick with for the rest of your life, not replacing meals with a bowl of cereal for a few weeks.