The product sounds too good to be true. It probably is! If you read or hear about a product that blows your mind, and you think it’s the answer to your prayers, then walk away. Actually, run away. There is no silver bullet.
The message says you’ll never have to watch what you eat. Come on, you know that can’t possibly be true. “Calories in versus calories out” is still a very simple equation that holds merit. Eat a cheeseburger with fries alongside your coffee bean extract, and you’re eating still a cheeseburger with fries.
The product claims that exercise is not necessary. Exercise is always necessary, at least if you want to be healthy. Any product that lets you think being a couch potato is OK is not OK. So find fitness that you enjoy and get working out, you will be glad you started!
Weight loss will be permanent. Sure, if you work hard at it, I guess the weight loss could be permanent. But you’re really the only one who can make that promise to yourself.
Promises rapid weight loss, like 10 pounds in one week. I would think by now everyone knows that for weight loss to be sustainable, it has to go at at a rate of one or two pounds per week at most. Patience is a virtue. Also, losing weight quickly can lead to a host of side effects, such as dehydration, gallstones, malnutrition, irritability and fatigue – to name just a few.
It claims you’ll burn fat while sleeping. And I suppose you believe in the tooth fairy, too.
The product suggests a huge calorie restriction. OK, wouldn’t it be the decrease in calories that makes you lose weight and not the actual product? For example, the popular weight-loss product HCG promotes a 500 to 800 calorie diet along with it. I suppose anyone will lose weight if they want to starve themselves.
The product claims to be scientifically proven to work. Show me the science! Chances are there are no published, peer-reviewed, clinical trials that can substantiate the product’s claims. A small study that lasts for a month with 10 participants does not make for conclusive evidence.
It’s available only on the Internet. You’ve probably heard “don’t believe everything you read on the Internet.” That goes for weight-loss products, too. A fancy website with “testimonials” doesn’t make it a safe product.
The product is celebrity-endorsed. Maybe the celebrities didn’t get to look like they do because of the product, but rather they made a lot of money from the endorsement to hire a personal trainer and chef.
The product has no side-effects. For example, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the sale of ephedra weight loss pills in 2004 due to concern about serious side effects, including death. The FDA claimed that ephedra raises blood pressure, stresses the circulatory system and “poses an unreasonable risk” to the health of people who take ephedra weight loss products. Sale of Ephendra has been made illegal. According to the Mayo Clinic, two prescription weight loss pills have been approved by the FDA for long-term weight loss: Meridia and Xenical. Both have uncomfortable side effects, including bloating, constipation and abdominal pain. Other prescription weight loss pills, like Adipex-P, are approved only for short-term use (usually 12 weeks or less) and have not been studied for their long-term effectiveness. Alli is an FDA-approved, over-the-counter weight loss pill, and is the reduced-strength version of Xenical.
Promises Spot Reduction (melt belly fat) There is no spot removal when it comes to weight loss, so promises of a pill helping you to lose belly fat are far from reality. You can lose belly fat when you reduce body weight. However, genetics do play a large role in this so if your parents have a tendency to harbor belly fat, there is a good chance you will as well. Do not be discouraged because through a healthy, low fat diet and a solid exercise plan, you can still achieve lean abs.
Achieving and sustaining a healthy body weight takes effort, but is possible. Now if only the media would put their time and energy into promoting what really works, maybe consumers would resolve to do the same.