- Paunch
Lines: Weight Loss Claims Are
No Joke For Dieters
Are you
one of the estimated 50 million Americans who will go on a
diet this year? If so, you may be tempted by advertisements
for products promising easy, quick ways to lose weight. You
should know that when it comes to losing weight, gimmicks
usually don’t deliver on their promises.
While
some dieters succeed in taking off weight, perhaps as few
as five percent manage to keep it off in the long run. Most
experts agree that the best way to lose weight is to eat fewer
calories and burn more energy by increasing physical activity.
Experts suggest aiming for a goal loss of about a pound a
week. This usually means cutting about 500 calories a day
from your diet, eating healthy, low-fat foods, finding a regular
exercise activity you enjoy, and sticking to it.
When it
comes to evaluating claims for weight loss products, the Federal
Trade Commission recommends a healthy portion of skepticism.
Before you spend money on products or programs that promise
fast or easy weight loss, weigh the claims and consider these
tips:
- "Lose
30 Pounds in Just 30 Days." As a rule,
the faster you lose weight, the more likely you are to gain
it back. Also, fast weight loss could harm your health.
Unless your doctor advises it, don’t look for programs
that promise quick weight loss.
- "Lose
All the Weight You Can For Just $39.99."
Some weight loss programs have hidden costs. For example,
some don’t advertise the fact that you must buy their
prepackaged meals that cost more than the program fees.
Before you sign up for any weight loss program, ask for
all the costs. Get them in writing.
- "Lose
Weight While You Sleep." Claims for diet
products and programs that promise weight loss without effort
are phony.
- "Lose
Weight And Keep It Off For Good." Be suspicious
about products promising long-term or permanent weight loss.
To lose weight and keep it off, you must change how you
eat and how much you exercise.
- "John
Doe Lost 84 Pounds in Six Weeks." Don’t
be misled by someone else’s weight loss claims.
Even if the claims are true, someone else’s success
may have little relation to your own chances of success.
- "Scientific
Breakthrough...Medical Miracle." There
are no miracle weight loss products. To lose weight, you
have to reduce your intake of calories and increase your
physical activity. Be skeptical about exaggerated claims.
source:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/paunch.htm
An FTC
Report, March 1997
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