Slim-Fast Optima Diet Plan Includes More Food Choices Than Ever Before

With over 30 published clinical trials and a 25-year history of helping dieters lose weight and keep it off, Slim-Fast introduces the new Slim-Fast Optima Diet, a balanced and sustainable approach to weight loss that will help dieters achieve success over the long-term. The Optima Diet is formulated to include a precise nutritional balance of lean proteins, complex carbohydrates and a healthy fat profile, so that every calorie works harder to keep dieters satisfied.

The new Optima Diet mixes and matches more of your favorite foods with Slim-Fast meal and snack bars, smoothies and shakes. There are hundreds of food choices that are included as part of the plan. In addition, the new Slim-Fast Optima products contain up to 55 percent less sugar than the regular Slim-Fast product line. The Diet is about progress, not perfection. It is formulated to help dieters achieve their healthy weight, which is determined by their individual needs and goals, not dictated by societal standards.

"My patients tell me that the toughest things about sticking to a diet is feeling hungry, deprived and bored," says registered dietitian Molly Gee, M.Ed, R.D., chair of the Weight Management Dietetic Practice Group of the American Dietetic Association and obesity researcher at Baylor College of Medicine. "Using the principle of harder working calories, Slim-Fast has created a diet and product line that helps keep dieters satisfied so they are more likely to stick to their diets and successfully lose weight."

The Optima Diet includes four essential elements to ensure weight loss success: a personalized, balanced meal plan, a physical activity program, expert support and advice, and motivational tools for tracking progress. The Slim-Fast Optima Diet follows the recommendations of leading health organizations including the American Heart Association, American Dietetic Association, National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

"The Slim-Fast Optima Diet is a safe and sensible way to lose weight," says Terry Olson, General Manager and Vice President of Marketing, for the Slim-Fast brand, a business unit of Unilever. "Based on the latest nutritional research and recommendations, our own internal research and consumer input, we devised a plan that is personalized, flexible, easily fits into their lifestyle and most importantly, is satisfying and effective."

Slim-Fast's Optima Diet translates the latest results from top obesity research as the basis for its practical approach to weight management. The Diet, with its meals, snacks and macronutrient balance, is designed make weight loss effective and sustainable. "It can be difficult to achieve nutritional adequacy as well as a feeling of satisfaction on any diet," adds Gee. "The Slim-Fast products provide balanced nutrition to help ensure that essential nutrients are part of the diet. And as part of a structured plan, the products offer simplified calorie and portion control, and promote flexible food choices."

As a guide to this new approach to weight loss, Slim-Fast has introduced The Little Book of Weight Loss Success. Written by weight loss experts, the book features useful dieting tips and outlines how the Optima Diet can be personalized, along with sample meal plans and recipes. There are also suggestions for dining out, physical activity and support programs. The book also shares testimonial tips from successful Slim-Fast dieters.

The Little Book reinforces the importance of tracking one's success, and comes with a food and activity tracker. Throughout 2005, Slim-Fast plans to distribute 10 million free copies of the book at retail locations, online at http://www.slimfast.com or by calling the toll free number 1-800-SLIMFAST.

Slim-Fast, a business unit of Unilever, is headquartered in West Palm Beach, FL. Slim-Fast offers delicious and balanced nutritional products, meal planning and exercise advice to aid in weight loss and weight maintenance, which can result in improved health. The Slim-Fast product line includes an affordable range of shakes, smoothies, powders, meal bars, snack bars, breakfast bars and muffin bars that are available in retail outlets nationwide. Visit http://www.slimfast.com or call 1-800-SLIMFAST for more information.