Water for weightwatchers

It sounds Heaven-sent for those who have tried every diet going and still failed to lose weight.

A 'cosmetic water', which the producers claim can help those who drink it shed the pounds, is in the shops.

Nestle, which makes Contrex, says its high calcium content speeds up the metabolism, thus burning calories.

But the claim left health experts unimpressed yesterday.

Insisting the idea of losing weight by drinking mineral water was too good to be true, they dismissed the Contrex promotional campaign as a cynical attempt to muscle in on Britain's £1billiona-year bottled water market.

Dr Ian Campbell, chairman of the National Obesity Forum and a practising GP, said: 'I know of no evidence whatsoever to say that calcium aids weight loss. There's no easy way to lose weight and anything that promises a miracle is certain not to deliver it.'

Nestle says Contrex contains high levels of calcium which 'helps the body remain strong' and magnesium which 'helps to fight fatigue'.

A spokesman added: 'It is selling like hot cakes. Contrex has been sold in France for years. Women there call it the slimming water.

'One litre contains as much calcium as two glasses of milk and as much magnesium as a bar of plain chocolate, but without any of the calories, so you get the minerals you need without putting on weight. For women in the UK the arrival of a natural mineral water that will help them to slim will seem like a dream.'

Amanda Wynne, of the British Dietetic Association, said, however: 'There is no magical solution to weight gain in calcium - it's your calorie intake that matters.

'I would be concerned that people shouldn't be misled into thinking all they need to do is drink this water.

'The bottled water industry has ballooned over the past few years and we are likely to see more waters claiming an extra function. We need to be very careful.'

Contrex is currently available only in Waitrose stores for 49p a litre but could reach other shops across the country later in the year.