By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom
I’ve seen a big increase in “miracle” weight loss products to fight the battle of the bulge. We are bombarded with ads for quick weight loss in print, online, and on TV.
You’ve seen the ads with thin, muscled, and tanned men and women – with teeth as large and bright as Chiclets gum – standing near piles of high-calorie foods. There’s always a caption like “Eat whatever you want and lose weight if you add ________!” Just fill in the blank with whatever product is being sold. Or maybe the ad is for a fitness contraption that provides a “total body workout” in just 15 minutes a day that promises to “boost your metabolism and weight loss.”
And just when many of us have wised up to these kinds of product promotions and are no longer fooled, a new ad form has emerged that makes it much harder to figure out the truth. Advertisers now claim that “research shows” or “studies confirm” the product’s effectiveness.
Nowadays, it’s possible to find scientific evidence for nearly any claim. But many of these studies do not follow scientific principles, and the hard science that is found is not usually what is advertised.
The bottom line? It’s the adage “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”
If you need advice for dietary supplements or fitness products, ask your doctor or another health professional, not Dr. Google.
Have you seen any crazy ads for weight loss or fitness products? Share them with us!
What is that ridiculous weight loss "sprinkle," Sensa? You sprinkle it on your food and it's supposed to help you lose weight. Come on!
ReplyDeleteWhat are your thoughts on Alli? That seems ridiculous too. Had some friends on it and it made them sick, but they stayed on it.
Yup - that's their "theory"! You sprinkle it on, and it enhances the taste of your food, so you eat less. Of course, you need to adhere to a reduced calorie diet and increase your physical activity. This product has been around for years - and apparently people keep trying it, since it's still around.
DeleteAlli is an over-the-counter version (lower dose) of the prescription drug, Xenical. This drug blocks the absorbtion of about one-third of the fat that you eat at each meal - it blocks the enzyme that breaks down the fat, so it is eliminated (in a bowel movement) undigested. It's effective - and helps deter people from a high fat diet. The "side effect" - getting sick from gas, cramps, diarrhea, is from too much fat in the diet. If you adhere to a reduced fat diet - less than 30% of fat per day, people don't get sick. This is actually the first (and only) weight loss dietary supplement that has FDA approval. It is meant to support, not replace, a lifestyle effort.
It really acts as a "negative reinforcer" - you stay on track on a low fat diet, to avoid the side effect of stomach and digestive discomfort.