water, and add 30 minutes per day of physical exercise
to their lifestyle. The dieter does not have to give up
coffee, tea, or other low-calorie caffeinated beverages.
The daily meal plans for the four specific weight levels
(for adults) are as follows:
Up to 140 pounds: 1 Slim-Fast Meal On-the-Go; 1 Slim-
Fast Meal Combination; 1 Sensible Meal; 3 fruits or
vegetables
141–170 pounds: 1 Slim-Fast Meal On-the-Go; 1 Slim-
Fast Meal Combination; 1 Sensible Meal; 4 fruits or
vegetables; 1 snack
171–200 pounds: 1 Slim-Fast Meal On-the-Go; 1 Slim-
Fast Meal Combination; 1 Sensible Meal; 4 fruits or
vegetables; 3 snacks
Over 200 pounds: 1 Slim-Fast Meal On-the-Go; 1 Slim-
Fast Meal Combination; 1 Sensible Meal; 5 fruits or
vegetables; 4 snacks
Dieters can arrange these meals, snacks, and meal
combinations in any daily pattern that works for
them. The plan defines its various components as
follows:
Meal-On-the-Go: A Slim-Fast meal replacement
liquid shake or solid bar (180–220 calories)
Meal combination: A Slim-Fast meal replacement
shake or bar combined with a serving of ‘‘a favorite
healthy food’’ (180–220 calories plus 200 calories;
healthy food suggestions include a cup of lentil
soup; half a roast beef sandwich; cottage cheese
plus a glass of tomato juice)
Sensible meal: A nutritious meal of about 500 calories,
accompanied by a large glass of water or other calorie-
free beverage. The booklet contains a diagram of a
plate divided into half with the top half divided in half
again. The dieter is instructed to think of the bottom
half of the plate as filled with vegetables and the two
top segments as filled with lean protein and starch
(preferably whole grains) respectively. Instead of
counting calories or weighing and measuring, the per-
son is advised to visualize portions as follows: 1 cup =
the size of a softball; 1/2 cup = size of a light bulb or
baseball; 3 ounces (meat or fish) = size of a deck of
cards or the palm of the hand; 2 tablespoons = size of
a ping-pong ball. Thus the sensible meal is about 1/4
protein food, 1/2 vegetables, and 1/4 whole grains.
Fruits and vegetables: 1 serving = 1 medium-size
whole fruit or 1/2 cup sliced; 1 cup raw vegetables
or 1/2 cup cooked.
Snacks: Slim-Fast snack bars (120 calories).
The Optima diet plan allows a daily calorie count
of 1250–1400 calories for a 140-pound dieter and up to
1850 or 1900 for a dieter over 200 pounds.Function
The Slim-Fast Optima diet plan and the various
Slim-Fast products are intended for weight reduction
(at a moderate rate approved by most health profes-
sionals) or weight maintenance. Some people also use
them as convenient and easily portable meal or snack
substitutes when hiking or traveling.Benefits
The Slim-Fast diet plan has several advantages:
It is intended to produce a safe, moderate weight loss
of 1–2 pounds per week, which allows many people
to use it without constant medical oversight or inter-
vention. Some published studies indicate that this
relative independence of medical monitoring is an
attractive feature to many people.
The Slim-Fast products can be readily purchased in
most supermarkets; the dieter does not need to order
them through a physician or other distributor. In addi-
tion, some of the products areavailable in single-servingKEY TERMS
Gluten—An elastic protein found in wheat and
some other grains that gives cohesiveness to bread
dough. Some people are allergic to gluten and
cannot digest products containing wheat.
Lactose—A sugar found in milk and milk products
that produces lactic acid during the process of fer-
mentation. Some people cannot digest lactose and
must avoid products containing milk.
Liquid meal replacements (LMRs)—A general term
for prepackaged liquid shakes or milk-like drinks
intended to substitute for one or more meals a day
as part of a weight-loss regimen or source of nutri-
tion for people who cannot eat solid foods.
Metrecal—The first product marketed as an LMR
for weight reduction, introduced in 1960 by Mead
Johnson.
Satiety—The quality or state of feeling comfortably
full. It is sometimes used as a criterion for evaluat-
ing people’s satisfaction with diets or diet products.
Smoothie—A blended beverage resembling a milk-
shake in texture but often made with nondairy
ingredients. Slim-Fast and other diet product com-
panies market prepackaged smoothies as well as
shakes.Slim-Fast