Diet products are one of the most hyperactive industries on the face of the earth. New diet pills are growing like mushrooms in your backyard. It’s so easy to be tricked by companies peddling weight-loss products and plans. So make sure you digest some facts about the fabulous claims, testimonials, guarantees, machines and wonder supplements that sound so appealing.

The weight-loss business is booming. From pills, potions and programs to gadgets, diet food and drinks, we're gobbling them up, seeking an easy solution to our weight problems.

Millions of Americans succumb to quick-fix claims such as "Eat all you want and still lose weight" or "Melt away fat while you sleep." It’s hard to believe that in this day and age, many people can still be hoodwinked by bogus diet products.

"False and misleading claims in weight-loss ads are widespread," declares Richard Cleland, a lawyer with the FTC and lead author of the report.

An FTC review of more than 300 ads from radio, television, magazines and newspapers that ran during 2001-2002 found that a whopping 55% made claims promising more than the product or service could likely deliver.

"Consumers really need to read these ads with a big dollop of skepticism," says Cleland.

There is no magic bullet. Some dieters place their hopes on pills and capsules that promise to "burn," "block" or "flush" fat from the body. But science has yet to come up with a low-risk magic bullet for weight loss. Some pills may control appetite but can have serious side effects. Amphetamines, for instance, are highly addictive and can have an adverse impact on the heart and central nervous system. Other diet products contain too much caffeine, like ephedra, which was on the FTC hit list recently.

There is no “quick fix” diet products, no matter how those infomercials lead you to believe.

Be realistic. You can't solve years of overeating overnight. You have to cut your calories and you have to keep doing it. How do you get to play the piano? You practice! It's the same for permanent weight loss. You practice and practice healthy eating until you get it right.

How do you learn to swim? Physical Education instructors would say, just jump in the water. Don’t do this with diet products out there! Your wallet will be the worst loser!

An advertisement for a diet product claims that it is an all-natural product with great health benefits and dramatic weight loss results. There were many testimonials from people who had used it and said it helped them change their lives. How would you be able to tell if the diet product is bogus or not?

The diet business in the US is a multi-billion-dollar industry based on our epidemic of obesity and our fears about never measuring up to a certain (usually impossible) ideal. Unscrupulous marketers will always find a way to push questionable products by preying on the hopes and fears of people who are unhappy with they way they look or feel.

There really is no "magic pill" for weight loss, natural or otherwise, and the old standbys – sensible diet and exercise – will usually contribute much more to good health and weight stabilization.

You should definitely do your homework on the ingredients of any of the "diet" products you plan to eat or drink. If the supplier can't or won't tell you what's in it, you shouldn't buy it or consume it. Some products contain ingredients that have not been proven effective and might even be harmful. You should also ask for scientific evidence of effectiveness, such as results published in a scientific journal. Leptoprin, a diet pill, cites a medical journal which when scrutinized, does not contain any discussion on the diet product—in fact, the discussion centers on milk in the diet—which Leptoprin absolutely does not contain.

Here’s another one. MeltRx Ultra, another slimming diet product, cites a testing method which looks dubious.

Many weight-loss pills and supplements come with plans for diet or exercise that are supposed to help the product do what is promised. In reality, customers who follow these plans are probably losing weight because they are decreasing their calorie intake and/or increasing their activity levels. The "secret blend" likely has nothing to do with it.

Take for example Cortislim. Cortislim may indeed be able to reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol through the effects of the Magnolia bark contained in its formulation. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the scenario can lead to weight loss. Most people just don’t gain weight simply because they are stressed (although some people do tend to eat when stressed out, some people do quite the opposite).

Admittedly, choosing the diet products that really work these days is a true challenge for consumers. The best advice we could give you is always ask the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or look into complaints logged in its website.

Diet Products

South Beach Diet
Lose fat not muscle on the Zone Diet Advantage!
The Slim Fast Plan - eDiets.com

Information on this site is provided for informational purposes and is not meant to substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or dietitian. Information and statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

EZDietsolutions.com © All rights reserved