[Dee9164]

I couldn't believe it tonight I was at a GNC health store. They have a new diet out that you sniff pens. A different pen for every day of the week.

Any feedback here??

[Suzanne 3FC]

I just did an extensive search on the net and the only references I could find to these products were on the sites that sold them. There were no mentions in any of the major health sites. I also did a search using elibrary, for newspaper and magazine references, but again there were none. The only print articles about them (as referred by the companies) were in the form of paid advertisements.

My opinion is that if products such as these really worked, they would be on the front page of all the newspapers, and pushed by our personal physicians.

The pens are supposed to suppress your appetite, by tricking your body somehow into thinking that after smelling certain good foods, you are no longer hungry.

Am I the only one that gets ravenous when smelling good food?

[trixiepup]

i remember reading something about how smells can stimulte or decrease hunger (some magazine a few years back...no idea which one). maybe it's something like that? even if it does work, it probably isn't worth the money. i can't imagine sniffing a pen would do much for your metabolism or health.

[mals1]

I believe lemon has been shown to decrease hunger.

[MrsJim]

Then wouldn't it be cheaper to buy a lemon?

Last time I checked they were 33 cents at Safeway

Personally though, I think the smell thing is WAY overrated. One or two studies doesn't make a theory a fact necessarily...

Pen diet? Sounds like a bunch of hooey to me.

[Domina]

That's one of the funniest things I've heard. What will they think of next?

[mals1]

That is too funny.

[LeighHop]

I remember a whole smelling pen craze a few years ago. They were everywhere. It's funny how diets come back into style, just like clothing. I saw something at the checkstand the other day that was talking about a new "miracle grapefruit" diet. Funny stuff.

[KiKi1]

So the scent on Monday works better on Mondays as opposed to Tuesdays? That really is funny.

A couple years ago someone was on Oprah stating that the smell of green apples would curb your apetite - within days there was green apple everything, everywhere and backordered for weeks!

I tried it - but when I am ravenous - unless I am going to devour it - it isn't going to satisfy my hunger pains.

[trixiepup]

i read in vegetarian times about scent and diet. vanilla scent helped curb sugar cravings over the control group. they tested another scent, but i don't remember what it was.

when i get home, i can post the issue info.

[SuGeorgia]

A couple of years ago or more, some researchers had seen that people ate less after smelling strong mint (probably it blows out the smell sense and so taste for a bit) There were a couple of starter products out then I think. Am I nuts, but were some sold through the Diet Centers??? Anyway, blurred memories here. I think that what some folks do and use those breath tapes to stop a snack attack is probably just as helpful. Now, one real help may be that you can alert yourself a bit with mint, so if you just feel low mid day all you might need is a bit of mint! Su