Are the new starch blockers made from an extract made from white kidney beans slimming magic ? I don’t think so. They are meant to be taken before meals and allow you to eat carbohydrates and work by blocking the digestion of them in the stomach and  intestine by neutralising “alpha amylase” the starch digesting enzyme for a period of time. Presumably this is what they do – and no magic amounts of weight loss are claimed (around 1-2 pounds a week is suggested). It does sound marginally better than the rather weird carbohydrate-lacking Atkins diet (which does, in fact, work whilst you follow it). The bad news for some,  is I suppose, that is doesn’t stop the digestion of sugars and alcohol – the weakness of many people. To me it does sound easier just to cut down on carbs anyway !