Our group was formed via class. Some of us already knew one another, while others of us met by our general location in class. Nonetheless, we selected one another as group members since we all had similar ambitions to be dedicated group members and to work hard to complete this project.

   Anderson, Kristen c592646
   Benesh, Jaclyn c668212
   Prenger, Erica c668511   
   Rambur, Judy c611991
   Starbuck, Melanie c665091
   Swartz, Jessica c668019

We met at least once a week for two hour intervals, totaling about ten hours together as a group. In addition to the time spent together we also did individual research as our schedules allowed. As the dead line approached we met more frequently-- at least two or three times a week.

THE SKINNY ON SIMPLESSE

As swimsuit season approaches, the weight-consciousness of consumers leads them to try many low-fat and reduced calorie products. According to the American Heart Association, the average person ideally should consume only 30% of their daily caloric intake from fat, but the average fat intake is closer to 40%. In an effort to decrease their fat intake, the public has shown a strong interest in fat substitutes. Studies have shown that fat substitues may play a role in maintaining normal triglyceride levels. Consumers are looking for products that have all the taste of the original version, minus the fat. Fat substitutes have been introduced to the market to reduce a food's fat and calories while maintaining the texture of the food. There are various types of fat substitutes. All of the fat substitutes available on the market have advantages and disadvantages. For example, some fat substitutes lack fullness, which adds to flavor, while others cause severe digestive problems or allergic reactions.

Simplesse is a fat substitute that has been recently introduced to the public. Simplesse is a fat-free substitute made from simple protein components of egg whites and other fillers which add to the fullness and flavor of Simplesse. One disadvantage of Simplesse is that it cannot be used in cooking, because heat denatures the protein. It has a variety of other food uses, such as ice cream and cheese. Like all products that are introduced to the market, the consumers will determine the longevity and future uses of Simplesse.

The group project was beneficial to us because it introduced us to other members in the class as well as providing us with other people to study with. The fact that there were six brains working and tweleve sets of fingers researching on the computer made this process more expedient than if it had only been completed by one individual. One of the disadvantages that we faced was that everyone tended to have confliciting schedules and finding a time when everyone could meet became difficult. We combated this problem by having those who could not attend do research outside of group meetings, searching for those perfect link sites. Another disadvantage was that we tended to easily become distracted and wanted to discuss topics other than chemisty. The biggest problem we faced was that our project was erased the day we hoped to finish it up for summation so we were forced to recompose it to make the Friday deadline. We agree that a group project is a good idea but we feel that smaller groups would be more productive because it is easier to get together with a smaller number of people and there are less distractions.