By Jason Brick
The weight loss industry is so filled with scams that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) published a guide about recognizing unscrupulous weight loss advertising. The introduction to that guide included the following condemnation:
“The public must adopt a healthy skepticism about advertising that promises miracles and ‘scientific breakthroughs’ and face the reality that there are no fast and easy fixes for overweight and obesity.”
It doesn’t even take a doctor or certified personal trainer to tell the scams from the real deals. You just need to look for these tell-tale signs that a weight loss program isn’t on the level.
Unrealistic weight claim losses
After the beginning days of a diet, when you’ve dropped water weight, authorities in the health field say the maximum rate of healthy, sustainable weight loss is one to two pounds per week.
If a plan claims faster weight loss, one of two things is probably going on. The advertisers may be publishing claims of atypical or imaginary results, or the diet is based on unhealthy practices that won’t give you the long-term weight loss you’re seeking.
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Don’t you wish you could be like Alice in Wonderland and drink a magic potion and you’d be smaller? Many diet aids claim to do just that. But before you go running to the diet aisle here are a few things you should know:
BUYER BEWARE!
1. They are not evaluated or approved by the FDA. This means these products do not go under the same safety and efficacy scrutiny as a prescription you get filled from your friendly neighborhood pharmacist. If you are someone who has diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or any other health conditions or are taking any prescription medications you definitely want to check with a doctor first before you start to take anything.
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It’s no secret that people are often searching for the next diet miracle. From two-day diet pills to 24-hour diets, people are constantly searching for quick fixes to aid their weight loss efforts.
With summer swimsuit season fast-approaching, Dr. Mehmet Oz, a cardiothoracic surgeon and host of the daily medical talk show, The Dr. Oz Show, has presented a new way for people to drop pounds: with African Mango extract.
According to Dr. Oz, African Mango extract comes from a mango fruit that is grown naturally in African rainforests. African Mango, which is said to be one of the only weight management agents found in nature, is also rumored to have properties that help regulate cholesterol.
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Tune in to the Dr. Oz show this Thursday, March 17 to learn about the new trend of combining diet pills. Some claim they have had great success with few negative consequences by taking several different diet drugs at the same time, to achieve a more potent effect. But are there other concerns to consider?
“It is roulette when you’re mixing drugs together,” says Dr. Oz, but he also has guests who may disagree, including two other medical professionals. This show will take a look at both sides of the debate over “combo pilling.”
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Many people turn to diet pills for a quick fix in their weight loss problems. From Hoodia to Green Tea, almost every day a new diet supplement appears, promising speedy, effortless weight loss.
Diet pills are most often stimulants, working to decrease your appetite, curb cravings and boost your metabolism. Sold over the counter, they often have no regulation from the FDA and are often subject to recalls and lawsuits. The two most notable diet pills to have been approved by the FDA, Xenical and Meridia, have been riddled with problems and Meridia has been withdrawn. Most diet pills are taken off the market within five years of FDA approval. Almost all of them are taken off the market for increased heart risks and have even been linked to deaths.
However, there is a new diet pill on the horizon, set to be approved by the FDA as early as next month, and it is a different type all together. A combination of an antidepressant and an anti-addiction medication, Contrave is the newest and most exciting weight loss drug to hit the market in recent years.
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