Special
Interview
Dave
Joffe, Editor in Chief
Have
you ever wondered why there seems to be very few studies on OTC
and herbal weight loss products. In a private interview Gail
Montgomery, President & CEO of Nutrition 21, Inc. shared
her insights as to why this is so.
These comments
will be further explained at the Weight Management Food &
Dietary Supplements Conference in Phoenix, AZ later this month. http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/features/fbx.shtml
Here
are excerpts from that interview:
Dave
:
Gail, your topic The Risks and Rewards of Investing in Clinical
Research to Support Weight Loss Claims is one that a lot of
our readers have an interest in. Every day we as medical
professionals are bombarded by questions from our patients about
the newest weight loss miracle. It is often hard to believe these
claims. Why has there been so much hype and why is there not a
simple way to evaluate these claims.
Gail:
The Media & Regulatory Climate contributes to that. There has
long been a lack of standards of efficacy for weight loss
supplements and the language we have to use for regulatory
purposes is often at odds with what the consumer wants to know. In
addition any time we have the least little problem we meet with
much a more adversarial media orientation than Prescription Drugs.
Dave
:
Why is it so hard to come up with a simple weight loss product,
that is acceptable to every one?
Gail:
Right now there is such an unstable environment for us to
work in. We have tremendous unmet consumer needs, which creates a
large market. However as you know weight loss is complex, with
variable biochemical interactions and unclear product targets. In
addition there has been a ten-fold increase in formulation options
and a shifting philosophy of macro-nutrient needs.
Dave:
Why
do you think this unstable environment has developed?
Gail:
I think this is due to what I would call Communication
Gaps. When our industry first started we used early research
to sell the promise of weight loss. This caused a premature
nutrition industry to over-promote the benefits. Then there were
companies in our field that used down and dirty research to taint
the playing field to sell product. A lot of this occurred because
of a lack of “efficacy standards” for weight loss products.
Dave
: How
does your company look to select new ingredients and combinations
for weight loss?
Gail:
We have Product
Consideration guidelines that we follow while researching any
product. These include:
- Evaluating
weight loss metabolism and other product and environmental
factors
- Identifying
ingredient potential w/ basic research
- Evaluating
competition
- Understanding
the mechanism of action of the potential product
We will begin
to shape the product concept only as clinical evidence mounts.
Dave
:
How do you see the weight management arena of
the future?
Gail:
As we help develop
this new paradigm in research, Nutrition 21 looks forward to
working in a defined playing field, with allied and powerful
product champions, who realize the advantage of collaborative and
integrated product development, distinct branded product concepts,
and unique go-to-market strategies
Dave
:
I
know I will hear more when we are in Arizona, however what would
you call success in the weight loss field.
Gail:
I would
define success as having nutrition supplements that can compete
directly with pharmaceutical treatment options and food products
that play a measurable functional role. The products must also
meet realistic and unified definitions of efficacy and safety.
Gail
Montgomery was
named President and Chief Executive Officer of Nutrition21 in
September 2000, having served as VP and General Manager of
Nutrition21's ingredient business since 1999. Ms. Montgomery has a
strong foundation built around the dietary supplement, sports
nutrition, diet and weight loss industries. Over the last decade,
Ms. Montgomery has held senior executive positions in the health
and nutrition products industry. Ms. Montgomery has served as
President and CEO of Diet Workshop, one of the country's first
diet franchise networks, and as President of Fresh n' Fit, a
health food company, providing gourmet nutritionally balanced
meals targeted to weight management. Ms. Montgomery has a BA in
English and Communications from Rutgers University.
Our
editor Dave Joffe will be at the Weight Management Food &
Dietary Supplements Conference in Phoenix, AZ later this month. He
will have a complete update upon his return. If you want to learn
more about this conference click here http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/features/fbx.shtml
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