Portionpals weight loss receives EMA award

NEW YORK The European Manufacturers Association recently named portionpals, an innovative weight loss tool, its 2008 diet product of the year, John Hamberg, portionpals vice president of marketing, reported Tuesday.

In the U.S., Hamberg said, unit sales of portionpals—a set of five translucent cutting-board disks that visually provide consumers with USDA recommended servings for meat, poultry, fish, sides and desserts—have already exceeded 500,000 in the first six months it’s been on the market.

The five-disk set retails for less than $20.

“Although not a diet, the plan is to aid the consumer by giving them a simple guideline that is easily integrated into their overall lifestyle,” stated portionpals founder Paris D’Jon. “Our success has definitely been giving people the opportunity to eat the foods they love and therefore preventing the effect of yo-yo dieting.”