do diet products really help you lose weight?

Refine the waistline or reduce sugar: slimming promises are all the rage in supermarkets. The dietary product sells, but is it really? In Haute-Garonne, the leader in the sector, Gerblé, reveals its manufacturing secrets. 50 million low-fat biscuits come out of the factory every year. Cane sugar replaces refined sugar, rapeseed oil replaces butter. A little extra: wheat germ, which provides more protein and fiber than classic cookie recipes.

The recipes are designed in the laboratory under the supervision of Gwénaële Joubrel, nutrition manager. It must succeed in lowering the sugar content. “Compared to the market average, we strive for there to be at least 30% less sugar”, she explains. Are these “dietary” cakes better for your health? Not necessarily, according to nutritionist Laurent Dufay, who put two products to the test. Result: 420 kcal per 100 grams for the diet version, and 435 kcal for the traditional product. “Kif-kif”he summarizes.