Pharmesson is heralding JuniorTREK as "a patent-pending, all-natural, anti-oxidant formula consisting of cinnamon leaf, ginger, olive oil, clove oil, and prebiotic fiber" that "assists in reducing serious future adult health complications associated with overeating and obesity".
The weight management formula is aimed at youngsters between the ages of 12 and 19.
"JuniorTREK is representative of our commitment to the health of adolescents in that it is designed to assist overweight children in leading healthy and normal lives," said Mr. George Macleod, chief executive officer of Pharmessen.
"Once in a lifetime a product comes along which can truly make a difference," added Macleod.
However, as Judy Blatman from the Council for Responsible Nutrition commented to NutraIngredientsusa after the "Parents be aware: health concerns about dietary supplements for overweight children" hearing in the house committee on energy and commerce earlier this month, there is still a lot of work to be done to understand how supplements work in children. Blatman asked whether children should be given supplements over and beyond multi-vitamins.
"We always remind people that supplements are supplements not substitutes," she said. "People cannot sit on the couch all day and lose weight and for children the most important way of staying healthy is always to do exercise and to eat a balanced diet. A doctor should always be consulted before giving a child weight-loss supplements."
According to the American Obesity Association, it is estimated that 15.5 percent of adolescents aged 12 to 19 and 15.3 percent of children aged 6 to 11 are obese.
Obesity in children and adolescents is a serious issue with many health and social consequences. In addition to increasing the risk of obesity in adulthood, childhood obesity is the leading cause of pediatric hypertension, is associated with type II diabetes mellitus and increases the risk of coronary heart disease.
The market for children's supplements has been growing and industry analysts estimate annual sales of children's supplements reached $510 million as of July 2002, representing one of the top niche markets in the supplement industry.