The prevalence of obesity is rising, with current UK statistics indicating that 68 % of men and 58 % of women are classified as overweight or obese(1). Consequently, effective weight management is of increasing importance and considerable attention is being placed on the use of functional ingredients in foods that are less energy dense and more satiating. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of SlimBiome, a commercially available product, on food cravings and the responsiveness of individuals to the food environment, which are characteristics associated with hunger(Reference Steel, Kemps and Tiggemann2, Reference Forman, Hoffman and McGrath3), in overweight and obese women following standard nutritional advice. SlimBiome contains fibre (glucomannan), prebiotics and chromium, which have been shown to increase satiety and reduce energy intake, hunger and fat cravings in overweight and obese adults(Reference Parnell and Reimer4–Reference Anton, Morrison and Cefalu6).
A double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled study was conducted in 20 overweight and obese women over a 4-week period. Inclusion criteria included women aged 18–65 years, with a body mass index between 25–35 kg/m2, no significant health problems, and no history of dieting within the month prior to starting the study. Participants attended three study visits at week 0, week 1 and week 4. At week 0 they were randomly assigned to receive the test drink or placebo and were instructed to consume the drink three times a day for 4 weeks. At each visit, participants rated subjective sensations of appetite before and after consuming the test drink or placebo and completed the Control of Eating Questionnaire (CofEQ)(Reference Dalton, Finlayson, Hill and Blundell7) and the Power of Food Scale (POF)(Reference Cappelleri, Bushmakin and Gerber8). During the week 0 visit, standard nutritional advice based on the Eat Well Guide was provided to all participants. Differences in week 0 and week 4 POF Scale scores for both groups were assessed using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Differences between group week 4 CofEQ scores were assessed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), including baseline scores from week 0 as covariates.
For the CofEQ, ratings in response to ‘How hungry have you felt?’ at week 4 were significantly lower in the treatment group compared to the placebo group (P = 0·034). No significant differences were observed between the groups at week 4 for CofEQ items assessing frequency or strength of food cravings (P > 0·05 for all items). For the POF Scale, scores decreased significantly after the 4-week intervention period in both the placebo group (P = 0·035) and the treatment group (P = 0·007).
In conclusion, subjective feelings of hunger measured by the CofEQ were significantly reduced in women who consumed SlimBiome compared to placebo. Although cravings appeared to subside more in women consuming SlimBiome, no significant difference was seen compared to placebo. This may be due to both groups becoming less responsive to the food environment, a characteristic shown to predict strength of and ability to resist cravings(Reference Forman, Hoffman and McGrath3).
