Weight loss scams and how to spot them
Replies
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I only have a few to add I think:
- "scientists say" or "scientists have proven". No specific yknow.. name or field of science just. Scientists. Because scientists are clearly a hive mind.
- On that subject if they're only saying vague sciency sounding things instead of actual specific stuff/have no backing for what is said.
- Pictures in the ad focus an unreasonable amount on butts and/or boobs.8 -
Anything that wants $$ while promising unbelievable weight loss or fitness results.4
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Good additions, @lorrpb & @ShaleSelkies !ShaleSelkies wrote: »- Pictures in the ad focus an unreasonable amount on butts and/or boobs.
Hahahaha, awesome!5 -
Except that MFP isn't a marketed weight loss product.
"Free online calorie counter and diet plan. Lose weight by tracking your caloric intake quickly and easily." from web site. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/welcome/learn_more etc.
Again: it's a tool used for tracking calories, offered for free. From your cited study:
"Compared with patients in the control group, those in the intervention group increased use of a personal calorie goal (mean between-group difference, 2.0 d/wk [CI, 1.1 to 2.9 d/wk]; P < 0.001), although other self-reported behaviors did not differ between groups. Most users reported high satisfaction with MyFitnessPal, but logins decreased sharply after the first month."
Other behaviors did not change; use declined sharply after the first month; nothing was apparently monitored but self-reported "use of a personal calorie goal". That's not a very impressive study. I definitely agree with its conclusions: if you hand a random person an app and then just let them use it or not as they see fit, you're not likely to get a high success rate. But how is that in any way helpful data?
Give me a study that considers what the people are actually eating with a diet plan, with a group using MFP regularly to log calories and a control who does not track (or tracks with a traditinal paper method), and I will give the study due consideration. But a study that simply says, "Give 'em an app and they don't do much with it" doesn't impress.
Ariamythe,
Good job! Science will always trump marketing hype. Peer-reviewed, published placebo controlled clinical trials are the standard. Bravo!!
Dr. Chamberlane0 -
ShaleSelkies wrote: »- Pictures in the ad focus an unreasonable amount on butts and/or boobs.
But that's the best part of the ads. Why would I look otherwise?
And I'd add pretty much anything you read in normal media. Pretty much any story is a mis-interpretation of the actual study.
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If they're selling me something other than a food scale, it's a scam.5
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Anything that involves a magic machine/device that's advertised as working every single muscle in the body and has manic looking shredded models using them. There's no way they got their physiques using that dumb *kitten*.
eg,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RA45cq0i2AA
Seriously laughed out loud at that clip
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When you see the tiny worded disclaimer "when used in conjunction with diet and exercise". It's a scam.8
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Also before and after pictures where tattoos move or disappear , height changes, years disappear, the before model is visibly pregnant...
"Weight loss has literally made me a whole new person!"
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...and bumping this back up.1
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heres another weight loss scam Item I came across while looking at kroger coupons to load to my card- its called celsius and its a drink.. oh wait its a "negative calorie drink" which claims to boost metabolism, help you burn more calories,burn fat,gives you improved results in cardio fitness, endurance and body composition. and here are their claims (I will leave the link so you can read them for yourself) http://celsius.com/faq-2/ oh and the studies they link to? the pages cannot be found lol2
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ShaleSelkies wrote: »I only have a few to add I think:
- "scientists say" or "scientists have proven". No specific yknow.. name or field of science just. Scientists. Because scientists are clearly a hive mind.
- On that subject if they're only saying vague sciency sounding things instead of actual specific stuff/have no backing for what is said.
- Pictures in the ad focus an unreasonable amount on butts and/or boobs.
I'm very into science.....
I have a biology background, and I admit I've forgotten stuff. But anything that quotes a whole bunch of hormones out of context, blames genetics so you're doomed! (unless you buy this thing).
ETA:The 'Natural' one also annoys me too, arsenic is natural, and will make you lose weight in a sorta-terminal way
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When you see "key in ingredient proven in clinical trials", it DOESN'T mean the WHOLE PRODUCT went under clinical trial. The "key" ingredient did and once you find out what that "key" ingredient is, it's likely in every other supplement as well.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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MyFitnessPal ? http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25402403 "After 6 months, weight change was minimal, with no difference between groups".
"CONCLUSION:
Smartphone apps for weight loss may be useful for persons who are ready to self-monitor calories, but introducing a smartphone app is unlikely to produce substantial weight change for most patients."
oops.
Yeah, gee, it's almost like there's another factor...an effort of some sort...that is needed to achieve weight loss...like a motivation....determination...maybe some discipline....But weight loss without effort....just doesn't seem possible. How does one accomplish this "work" you speak of?
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"...but if you are losing weight too fast with _______, reduce frequency to every other day....if your last name starts with A-L, call today; otherwise call tomorrow. Remember, if you have more than 30 pounds to lose, you may qualify to use our breakthrough product. If the line is busy, call again."3
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No name "celebrities" promoting the product.0
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When you see "key in ingredient proven in clinical trials", it DOESN'T mean the WHOLE PRODUCT went under clinical trial. The "key" ingredient did and once you find out what that "key" ingredient is, it's likely in every other supplement as well.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
And it's likely not at the trial dosage.1 -
'Tis the season.6 -
0
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Tacklewasher wrote: »
Nope. I hardly bump anymore since people started getting upset that a lot of these stickied posts are just pages of bumps. Thought this might be useful since we're seeing early resolutioners on the board already. I'll probably hide the first couple of weeks of January and hope others take on the augean task.6 -
diannethegeek wrote: »Tacklewasher wrote: »
Nope. I hardly bump anymore since people started getting upset that a lot of these stickied posts are just pages of bumps. Thought this might be useful since we're seeing early resolutioners on the board already. I'll probably hide the first couple of weeks of January and hope others take on the augean task.
Won't be me, that's for sure. 0 -
Lose weight with this one .....
.....WEIRD TRICK
.....WEIRD HERB
.....WEIRD FOOD
.....WEIRD DRINK
What doctors don't want you to know.....
Click here to find out which 5 foods you should NEVER eat......
Turns white fat into brown fat.....
You can still eat all the foods you enjoy every day and NEVER go hungry!.....
...and any stupid pen&ink presentation video, especially the ones that go on about bloody LEPTIN!
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Lose weight with this one .....
.....WEIRD TRICK
.....WEIRD HERB
.....WEIRD FOOD
.....WEIRD DRINK
What doctors don't want you to know.....
Click here to find out which 5 foods you should NEVER eat......
Turns white fat into brown fat.....
You can still eat all the foods you enjoy every day and NEVER go hungry!.....
...and any stupid pen&ink presentation video, especially the ones that go on about bloody LEPTIN!
Just confused about brown fat and leptin... I mean both are actual "things".
Whether they're things as described by any monkey with a keyboard who wants your money... that's a different thing!1 -
Assume it's a scam.1
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Gender specific products, anything claiming to solve every problem...
"This product has been proven to solve EVERY weight loss challenge affecting EVERY man/ woman".
So a pill can fix a challenging work, school, or childcare schedule too? Maybe I do need that.
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When it says "SECRET" in the headline.1
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diannethegeek wrote: »Tacklewasher wrote: »
Nope. I hardly bump anymore since people started getting upset that a lot of these stickied posts are just pages of bumps. Thought this might be useful since we're seeing early resolutioners on the board already. I'll probably hide the first couple of weeks of January and hope others take on the augean task.
Rec for use of "augean". Especially as applied to this particular task.3 -
Lok, I always call those "Get skinny/healthy/immortal quick" schemes.2
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"PM me for more info"7
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