Advertisements for diabetes snack bars and shakes often mention weight loss and weight management among their benefits. While these products do not directly cause weight loss or suppress appetite, they may be helpful as part of a complete weight-control program that includes a healthy meal plan, physical activity, and behavior change. Here are some of the ways in which they could be helpful:
- Diabetes snack bars and shakes offer you convenient, portion-controlled food options with limited calories. Consuming one of these instead of foods or beverages that are higher in calories or not individually portioned may help you to avoid overeating.
- Overtreating hypoglycemia (low blood glucose) by consuming more carbohydrate than necessary to raise blood glucose can lead to weight gain over time. If you tend to overtreat hypoglycemia, you may benefit from using a snack bar or other product designed to prevent hypoglycemia from occurring in the first place.
- Having a calorie-controlled diabetes snack bar to munch on when you’re hungry may help you avoid high-fat, high-calorie snacks from vending machines or fast-food restaurants.
Originally Published January 14, 2010
