Weight loss scams and how to spot them

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  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
    Anything that wants $$ while promising unbelievable weight loss or fitness results.
  • DrGWChamberlane
    DrGWChamberlane Posts: 7 Member
    ariamythe wrote: »
    yarwell wrote: »
    ariamythe wrote: »
    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. Chamberlane
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    elka67 wrote: »
    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 :D
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    crosbylee wrote: »
    When you see the tiny worded disclaimer "when used in conjunction with diet and exercise". It's a scam.

    Hahaha, oh yeah, that's spot on.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    ...and bumping this back up.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    edited January 2017
    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 lol
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,488 Member
    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
    9285851.png
  • SparklyBubblyBabe
    SparklyBubblyBabe Posts: 96 Member
    yarwell wrote: »

    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?

  • Silentpadna
    Silentpadna Posts: 1,306 Member
    "...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."
  • SashaQ1381
    SashaQ1381 Posts: 35 Member
    No name "celebrities" promoting the product.
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    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
    9285851.png

    And it's likely not at the trial dosage.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    diannethegeek wrote: »

    'Tis the season.

    Practicing for Jan 1?

    :)

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