There is wide acknowledgment of a serious problem of overweight in several developed countries. Although this can be remedied by some diets, the habits of overeaters to fill their stomachs makes dieting difficult. There are many delicious foods that contain unwanted calories and very little else. It might be possible to devise foods out of plastics which are safe to eat and have enjoyable flavors and textures but have no food value at all and merely exercise the digestive musculature but remain completely unabsorbed as they pass through. They would confer a sense of satisfaction in filling the stomach but would not be incorporated into body structure. They might also be doped with vitamins to maintain a good level of those substances. It would make dieting easier but also might be somewat dangerous if they are so appetizing that consumers would starve to death.
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in other words, you suggest an edible substance that is all fiber, water and flavoring. the sugar-free jello that is now on the market seems to be an example of that. do you have any suggestions on what "foods" could be made calory-free?
There are probably a few edible items available now but there is no general variety of many different types of food that might be substituted for, say, potato chips and other munch foods which are eaten by people with weight problems. These artificial imitation foods could be freely consumed and leave behind no extra weight.
Potato chips made with "Olestra" were marketed for a while around here. As I understand it olestra is an oil substitute that is supposed to pass through the digestive system without being absorbed. I don't know if they are still around. Seems people didn't really like the associated side effects.
Olestra was obviously a problem. It is evidently not easy to devise a non-food that is tasty and innocent of bad effects on the body but it would be useful if it could be attained.
The problem with olestra is that is causes diarrhea. The reason is that because it is indigestible, it passes thru the digestive tract unabsorbed, all the way to the other end. This is a general problem with fat substitutes that are indigestible. I think foods, such as potato chips, containing olestra are still on the market. They are still on the market because some people can eat them in moderation without getting diarrhea or similar GI problems.
It might be possible to micro-encapsulate a flavorful but non-nutritive substance, such as artificially-sweetened, flavored water, within a micro-capsule of something indigestible, like cellulose. Call this "artificial fruit bars." Mix the encapsulated flavor with something to glue the capsules together, like gelatin, so that it can be formed or molded into interesting shapes. Crunchiness could be adjusted by selecting the appropriate wall thickness of the (1/16" diameter or so) capsules.
Other flavors could be tried, like chicken broth, vegetable juice, etc. I don't know if I'm ready for a chicken-flavored "snack bar," though.