Unilever to Develop New Milkshake

The new weight loss drink that tastes like a milkshake significantly reduces appetite and could soon join Unilever's $400 million Slim-Fast weight-loss brand, the company's researchers said.

The researchers, who presented their
findings at the 2008 European Congress on Obesity, said the company
has patented the technology.
Obesity is a big problem and big
business. About 400 million people are classified as obese, putting
them at higher risk of diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart
diseases, according to the World Health Organisation.
This has in
part spurred companies like Unilever, Kraft Foods, General Mills,
Sara Lee and others to turn to healthier products with a whole range
of so-called health and wellness foods.
In the Unilever study, the
researchers tested their milkshake on 24 volunteers who were given
either the new drink or a serving of regular Slim-Fast at breakfast.

People who had the milkshake reported that they were
significantly fuller when asked at different intervals over a
four-hour time period. The researchers found that a half-sized
serving of the milkshake also supressed hunger.