New Diet Product on the market...

Has anyone heard of or tried the "Sensa" Diet? If you haven't heard of it, look it up. The claim is you can eat the foods you're already eating, you just eat less because of the magic "crystals" you sprinkle on your food before eating. There is clinical data to back it up. The claim is people in the study lost an average of 30.5lbs in 6 months.

Let me know what you think!

The weight they lost is probably from their wallet :p

I LOOKED IT UP AND THIS IS WHAT I FOUND............. 

Well guess what? There’s a new fad diet being advertised, maybe you’ve heard of it. It’s called “The Sprinkle Diet” (also known as Sensa) and the premise is that by sprinkling some granules on your food before you eat that you’ll eat less and lose weight.The sprinkles were developed by Dr. Hirsch who focuses his studies on taste and smell. The sprinkles are supposed to heighten the flavor of the food, making sweets sweeter and salty food saltier, tricking your brain into thinking you’re full.

Update 6/20/08: Another name for The Sprinkle Diet is Sensa and I now have the full ingredient list of The Sprinkle Diet/Sensa:

1. Maltodextrin
2. Tricalcium Phosphate
3. Silica
4. Natural and Artificial Flavors
5. FD&C Yellow 5
6. Carmine
7. Contains Soy and Milk ingredients

This is exactly what I mentioned in reason #5 above, that I wouldn’t be surprised if the ingredients contained natural flavors/MSG: Natural flavors/natural flavoring is another name for MSG and maltodextrin very likely contains MSG.

You probably already know that MSG is a “flavor enhancer” however if you’d like to learn even more about it I suggest checking out both of those sites as well as Truth in Labeling.org (very interesting stuff!). You can also refer to my posts on natural flavor and MSG.

Clinical data?  was it done at a university or major medical center?  Was it a double blind study?  How long was the study and how many participants?  What journals did it appear in?  Above all, who paid for the study?

I'm always skeptical about products that make claims like this.  Anyone can invent "clinical data"  Never, ever believe what you read in an advertisement.  Look for corroboration from reputable sources.

edited to add:  All sources for information lead back to "Dr" Hirsch.  I tried looking up his qualifications and it took me back to his website, which says this

After entering the University of Michigan Medical School at only 16 years old, Dr. Hirsch founded the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, which specializes in the evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of many sensory-related disorders.

This has to be fiction, because premed is four years.  That would make him 12 when he entered college.  Nowhere does it say he earned an MD, or even an undergraduate degree.  I think he's lying through his teeth.

Fantastic! Since the product is so new, I had trouble finding information on it,

Thank you for your responses!

Thanks for your comments and research..........

DEFFINATELY NOT TO EVEN GOING TO CONSIDER THIS "program!!"

Great input, Claire!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Barb  :)

I'm glad I read this! I was just going to shell out the money to try this as I am discouraged with my recent weight gain.

Out of curiousity what were they charging for this?  I feel like I have tried everything, except just watching what I eat and exercise.  Interesting enough I felt like I had had enough and started watching my food intake and exercising.  I'm losing more now than ever....  Go figure... I guess it is true what they say.  Watch what you eat and exercise...