A new dietary supplement designed specifically for children has been launched in the US. PediaLean from Klein-Becker is said to help children lose weight, even without a calorie-controlled diet.
Commenting on the launch of the fibre-based supplement, Klein-Becker cited industry statistics which claimed that around 14 per cent of children in the US are overweight or obese, and that that number had doubled for children and tripled for teenagers in the last 20 years.
"The active ingredient in PediaLean is Pediatropin, an all- natural, micronised fibre concentrate derived from a plant tuber called P. rivieri," said Klein-Becker director of scientific affairs Dr Dan Mowrey. "This tuber has been used as a food source for thousands of years, but only recently have scientists discovered the method for micro-processing the plant into an effective tool for children's weight-control."
Mowrey said that a clinical trial studying the safety and effectiveness of PediaLean had shown that children who used PediaLean along with eating a healthy - but not calorie-controlled - diet and exercising moderately lost 20 per cent of their excess body weight. By comparison, children in the same study who did not take PediaLean but followed the same diet and exercise programme failed to lose any significant weight, he claimed.
"This is a safe, natural weight-loss compound developed specifically for children," said Dr Nathalie Chevreau, Klein-Becker's director of women's health. "This is an outstanding fibre. One of the main reasons for obesity in children is overeating food packed with high calories. If they can just eat half a bag of French fries or potato chips, that's half the battle."
Klein-Becker has also put together a weight loss programme based on PediaLean, including a website for parents to log on to and receive personalised advice about diet and exercise for their children.