Weight loss scams and how to spot them

Orphia wrote: »

yarwell wrote: »

Zombie !

Nah, there's plenty of life in it left.

And plenty of truth too.

Anything that doesn't involve CICO.

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**Results shown are not typical

Gotta love the fine print . . .

Any thread on MFP with the title "Does ____________ work", which is dormant, and then is necro-ed 3 months after the last post by someone with < 10 total posts.

Feels like this could use a bump for visibility today.

- claims the calories DON'T MATTER if you eat X and/or don't eat Y
- "superfoods"
- focus on partial or prepackaged foods (eg juicing or eating only the company's frozen dinners)
- gaining weight is "part of the body reseting its metabolism" and you should "just keep going"
- demonizes GMOs, cooked foods, or random specific foods for no apparent reason (like beans - who hates beans? what?)
- or simply attaches moral values to specific foods (apart from meat/dairy/eggs or fair trade issues, which are legitimate moral concerns with food)
- adds complicated rules that are extremely difficult to follow (eg "food combining" - don't eat x with y but only eat y with z but you have to eat z only if jupiter is in retrograde)
- ignores/sets strong limits on vegetables. just WHY. How. No.
- requires a lot of supplementation/living on shakes or bars only
- feels "cultish" and critics are attacked/shamed/sued
- is something you wear that passively helps you lose weight
- makes socializing impossible/alienates you/makes you feel AWFUL
- more than a 2lb weight loss/week
- has injections or strange apparatuses that are highly invasive
- advocates for lower than 1200cal/day

And just in time for the holidays...

Any doubt, assume a scam.

Guilty until proven innocent.

bpetrosky wrote: »

Add: Has been featured on the Dr. Oz show.

Don't forget sold by beachbody, or food babe.

http://www.bbb.org/blog/2015/01/the-skinny-on-weight-loss-scams/



If you made a resolution to shed a few pounds this year, don’t be fooled by get-slim-quick pills, powders, or juices. It may be tempting to think of slathering on a cream or drinking “detox” tea to drop a size, but all you’d likely lose is money.


How do you avoid being taken in by ads claiming you can lose weight quickly? We pulled together three weight-loss scams that fooled hundreds of thousands of consumers in 2014, and we put together tips to help prevent you from wasting cash to fulfill your resolution this year.


The FTC continues to crack down on fad weight-loss products. Marketers of Sensa advertised that dieters could “sprinkle, eat, and lose weight,” but the FTC ruled that the claims were unfounded. On December 10, the FTC announced that refund checks from Sensa’s $26 million settlement were being sent to consumers who purchased Sensa products. Those eligible will receive a check amounting to around $54.


“Resolutions to lose weight are easy to make but hard to keep,” said Jessica Rich, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, in a 2014 release. “And the chances of being successful just by sprinkling something on your food, rubbing cream on your thighs, or using a supplement are slim to none. The science just isn’t there.”


In April of last year, the BBB serving Connecticut aided in another diet product investigation. Up to 400,000 users of LeanSpa were eligible to receive a refund from an FTC settlement for false “acai berry” and “colon cleanse” weight loss claims. The company, which charged buyers $79.95 for a “free trial,” is now no longer in business, after being forced to surrender assets valued at between $5.9 and 7 million to pay the settlement.


Makers of homeopathic HCG drops are the latest to settle false weight-loss advertising claims. HCG, a hormone produced during pregnancy, commonly used to treat fertility issues, according to the Mayo Clinic. It’s not FDA-approved for over-the-counter use, and has been found to have no scientific evidence for weight loss. Side effects for diets containing HCG products have been reported to be swelling, fatigue, restlessness, fluid buildup, blood clots, and hormonal issues in men.


Makers of homeopathic HCG drops are the latest to settle false weight-loss advertising claims. HCG, a hormone produced during pregnancy, commonly used to treat fertility issues, according to the Mayo Clinic. It’s not FDA-approved for over-the-counter use, and has been found to have no scientific evidence for weight loss. Side effects for diets containing HCG products have been reported to be swelling, fatigue, restlessness, fluid buildup, blood clots, and hormonal issues in men.


Users of HCG Platinum drops were promised they’d shed between 43 and up to 50 pounds by placing the product under the tongue before eating very low-calorie diets. The drops were labeled “homeopathic,” meaning they contained diluted HCG in levels that were undetectable.


“Fad weight-loss products like HCG drops come and go, but consumers shouldn’t be fooled by their empty promises,” stated Rich on December 11. “The foundation of successful weight loss is to eat a healthy diet and to increase physical activity.”


To help avoid losing money to a weight-loss scam, the FDA advises consumers to look for the red flags that a product won’t do what it claims.


Weight-Loss Scam Warning Signs:

Quick-fix promises, like “lose 10 pounds in one week!”
Language like “scientific breakthrough” or “guaranteed”
Products marketed through mass emails or in a foreign language
“Herbal supplements” claiming similar effects to FDA-approved or prescription drugs




Losing Weight Without the Scams:


Check with your doctor or registered dietician about losing weight healthfully or introducing dietary supplements.

Visit bbb.org to check the company’s BBB Business Review for a record of consumer complaints.

Go with your gut. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Be wary of big claims. If the product promises to help shed an unrealistic amount of weight very quickly, it’s probably a scam.

Avoid the extreme. Look for phrases such as “quick and effective” and “totally safe.”

Be skeptical about testimonials. Don’t trust stories of fast weight loss or incredible results from using diet products.

If you’d like to report an online diet product you believe may be tainted, the FDA urges you to report that information. Be sure to check bbb.org for news of weight-loss product claims, to file a complaint, or to find out more about businesses you can—or can’t—trust.