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DEL.ICIO.USClaim: Pills the answer to weight loss
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Recently, the FTC reached a settlement with four major pill makers making false claims about weight loss results. The four distributors are TrimSpa, Xenadrine, CortiSlim, and One-A-Day WeightSmart. The settlement came to the total of $25 million dollars. According to the FTC, the money will be used for refunds. There are a few lessons that you can learn from this.
Lesson number one, never believe the claims that any supplement maker has about it’s own product. These “pill-makers” basically made unsubstantiated claims of dramatic weight loss. They made these claims based upon “studies” that they did with participants using their product. The makers of CortiSlim even went as far as to claim that their product prevented osteoporosis and cancer (just to name a couple).
Lesson number two, never trust that any weight loss remedy is the real reason for the weight loss. Xenedrine EFX makes a fine example of this. From what the FTC gathered, the weight loss that was achieved was from diet and exercise modification (go figure).
Lesson number three, don’t fall victim to anything that claims to improve metabolism. In the case of One-A-Day WeightSmart (created and distributed by Bayer), they have a component in it’s product called EGCG. Most of you don’t know what that is or where it comes from (comes from green tea), however, because it is something you’ve never heard of you may think it works. Fact is, it has never been proven to work in unbiased, controlled studies. Something to keep in mind is that nearly all of these products and one’s similar to it, usually contain caffeine or some other stimulate (remember the now banned ephedra). Now, they may also contain synephrine, gugglesterones, yohimbe, and other things you can’t pronounce and have no conclusive evidence to help you burn fat.
Main lesson: Don’t believe anything that promises you to lose weight quick and easy without consequences. Believe it or not, the makers of these products aren’t always telling the truth. People have literally killed themselves taking pills. Many, such as fen phen, were even prescribed. (Another lesson, don’t believe it’s safe because it’s “doctor recommended” or prescribed). As noted above, if you want to lose weight (body fat), you must engage in a proper diet and you must exercise. These pills will ultimately, in the long run, screw up your metabolism, hormone production, and mental function. A wonderful website for you to learn about the effects of diet pills and diets, go to www.ChaseFreedom.com.
Permalink | Comments (5) | Post your comment | Categories: Weight Loss
Comments
By disgusted
January 8, 2007 11:26 AM | Link to this
These companies while being fined and forcing refunds will still be allowed to continue to rip people off. Why were they not forced to stop selling their snake oil? What good is the FTC doing if they just continue to allow them to make the fine $ back off future sales to consumers?
By Lost It!
January 8, 2007 11:58 AM | Link to this
Yay Kelly! Thanks for a great topic. I’m so sad to see all these men and women falling for the lies of these manufacturers.
The best way to lose weight and get in shape? Get off your duff and turn the TV off. Go outside and do something fun. Eat the RIGHT foods. You know what they are and you never, ever have to go hungry dieting. All you have to do is move around and eat lots of healthy, fresh, HOMEMADE foods. And COMPETELY cut out sodas and fast food. Oh, and have a little patience with yourself. You didn’t get fat overnight; you won’t get in shape overnight either.
Luv,
75 pounds down, 25 to go!
By lovelyliz
January 8, 2007 12:46 PM | Link to this
The ONLY way to lose weight in a safe and healthy manner is to exercise and consume fewer calories than you burn.
By jenny
January 9, 2007 08:55 AM | Link to this
What ever happened to Phen- Fen. HAving battled my height 5’1” and weight for years, it is the only thing that actually helped me lose and keep the weight off. I can excercise til the cows come home yet i still get hungry and eat. Thus I cannot lose and keep off the weight. I wish that Phen-fen were available again.
By RPM MT
January 11, 2007 12:47 PM | Link to this
To me, the weight loss pill claims are up there with the ones for aches and pains.
Backache? I take a pill for that. Headache? I’ve got another pill for that. Shoulder ache? I’ve got a special pill for that. Before you know it, you’re climbing Mount Everest to reach the “Valley of the Dolls”.
How about finding out what’s CAUSING all of this recurrent pain? Once the source is determined, it can be dealt with. I’m a Licensed Massage Therapist and that’s the kind of work I do. The school I attended taught us how to assess and correct postural distortions and musculoskeletal dysfunctions; which are often the TRUE CAUSES of musculoskeletal pain. And there’s not a pill out there that is going to do that! They just confuse your brain so it thinks you’re no longer in pain. But it’s still there. Why do you think you have to keep taking them every set number of hours?
One day, I want to sit down and count how many pain reliever commercials come on per hour on network TV; not to mention the bogus claims they make. Now THAT should make for an interesting blog - LOL!