| Maximum Weight Loss! Burn Fat And Tone Up In Less Than 30 Days! www.FatToFit.com |
| Online Personal Training Get Expert Help And Encouragement From Friends! www.FasterLeanerStronger.com |
| 6 Weeks To A Six Pack Cut The Fat, Shrink Your Waistline www.SixPackAbdominals.com |
Looking for a quick and easy way to lose weight? You're not alone. An estimated
50 million Americans will go on diets this year. And while some will succeed
in taking the weight off, very few--perhaps 5 percent--will manage to keep
all of it off in the long run.
One reason for the low success rate is that many people look for quick and
easy solutions to their weight loss problems. They find it hard to believe
in this age of scientific innovations and medical miracles that an effortless
weight loss product doesn't exist.
So they succumb to quick-fix claims like "Eat All You Want and Still Lose
Weight!" or "Melt Fat Away While You Sleep!" And they invest their hopes (and
their money) in all manner of weight loss products and programs that hold
the promise of a slimmer, happier future.
The weight loss product business is a booming industry. Americans spend an
estimated $30 billion a year on all types of weight loss products and programs,
including diet foods and drinks. Trying to sort out all of the competing claims--often
misleading, unproven, or just plain false--can be confusing and costly.
This brochure is designed to give you the facts behind the claims, to help
you avoid the outright scams, and to encourage you to consider thoroughly
the costs and consequences of the dieting decisions you make.
The Facts About Weight Loss
Being obese can have serious health consequences. These include an increased
risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, gallstones,
and some forms of cancer. Losing weight can help reduce these risks. Here
are some general points to keep in mind:
Any claims that you can achieve weight loss effortlessly are false. The only
proven method of weight loss is either to reduce the number of calories you
eat or to increase the number of calories you burn off through exercise. Most
experts recommend a combination of both.
Low-calorie weight loss diets are not without risk and should be pursued only under
medical supervision. Unsupervised very low-calorie diets can deprive you of
important nutrients and are potentially dangerous.
Fad diets rarely have any permanent effect. Sudden and radical changes in
your eating patterns are difficult to sustain over time. In addition, so-called
"crash" diets often send dieters into a cycle of quick weight loss, followed
by a "rebound" weight gain once normal eating resumes, and even more difficulty
reducing when the next diet is attempted.
To lose weight safely and keep it off requires long-term changes in daily
eating and exercise habits. Many experts recommend a goal of losing about
a pound a week. A modest reduction of 500 calories per day will achieve this
goal, since a total reduction of 3,500 calories is required to lose a pound
of fat. An important way to lower your calorie intake is to learn and practice
healthy eating habits. Dont Skip Meals
In Search of the "Magic Bullet" Weight Loss Product
Some dieters peg their hopes on weight loss products like pills and capsules
that promise to "burn," "block," "flush," or otherwise eliminate fat from
the system. But science has yet to come up with a low-risk "magic bullet"
weight loss product. Some pills may help control the appetite, but they 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
pills are utterly worthless.
The Federal Trade Commission and a number of state Attorney General have successfully
brought cases against marketers of products claiming to absorb or burn fat.
The Food and Drug Administration has banned 111 ingredients once found in
over-the-counter weight loss products. None of these substances, which include
alcohol, caffeine, dextrose, and guar gum, have proved effective in weight
loss or appetite suppression.
Beware of the following products that are touted as weight loss product wonders:
Diet patches, which are worn on the skin, have not been proven to be safe
or effective. The FDA has seized millions of these poor weight loss products
from manufacturers and promoters.
"Fat blockers" purport to physically absorb fat and mechanically interfere
with the fat a person eats.
"Starch blockers" promise to block or impede starch digestion. Not only is
the claim unproven, but users have complained of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea,
and stomach pains.
"Magnet" diet pills allegedly "flush fat out of the body." The FTC has brought
legal action against several marketers of these pills.
Glucomannan is advertised as the "Weight Loss Secret That's Been in the Orient
for Over 500 Years." There is little evidence supporting this plant root's
effectiveness as a weight loss product.
Some bulk producers or fillers, such as fiber-based products, may absorb liquid
and swell in the stomach, thereby reducing hunger. Some fillers, such as guar
gum, can even prove harmful, causing obstructions in the intestines, stomach,
or esophagus. The FDA has taken legal action against several promoters containing
guar gum.
Spirulina, a species of blue-green algae, has not been proven effective as
a weight loss product.
Phony Weight Loss Products
Phony weight loss products range from those that are simply ineffective to
those that are truly dangerous to your health. At minimum, they are a waste
of your hard-earned money. Some of the fraudulent gadgets that have been marketed
to hopeful dieters over the years include:
Electrical muscle stimulators have legitimate use in physical therapy treatment.
But the FDA has taken a number of them off the market because they were promoted
for weight loss and body toning. When used incorrectly, muscle stimulators
can be dangerous, causing electrical shocks and burns.
"Appetite suppressing eyeglasses" are common eyeglasses with colored lenses
that claim to project an image to the retina which dampens the desire to eat.
There is no evidence these weight loss products work.
"Magic weight-loss earrings" and devices custom-fitted to the purchaser's
ear that purport to stimulate acupuncture points controlling hunger have not
been proven effective weight loss products.
Weight Loss Programs
Approximately 8 million Americans a year enroll in some kind of structured
weight loss program involving liquid diets, special diet regimens, or medical
or other supervision. In 1991, about 8,500 commercial diet centers were in
operation across the country, many of them owned by a half-dozen or so well-known
national companies.
Before you join such a weight loss program, you should know that according
to published studies relatively few participants succeed in keeping off weight
long-term. Recently, the FTC brought action against several companies challenging
weight-loss and weight-maintenance claims. Unfortunately, some other companies
continue to make overblown claims.
The FTC stopped one company from claiming its weight loss program caused rapid
weight loss through the use of tablets that would "burn fat" and a protein
drink mix that would adjust metabolism. The FTC also took action against three
major programs using doctor-supervised, very low-calorie liquid diets, and
they agreed to stop making claims unless they could back them up with hard
data.
Before you sign up with a weight loss program, you might ask these
questions:
What are the health risks?
What data can you show me that proves your weight loss program actually works?
Do customers keep off the weight after they leave the diet program? ?
What are the costs for membership, weekly fees, food, supplements, maintenance,
and counseling? What's the payment schedule? Are any costs covered under health
insurance? Do you give refunds if I drop out?
Do you have a maintenance program? Is it part of the package or does it cost
extra?
What kind of professional supervision is provided? What are the credentials
of these professionals?
What are the program's requirements? Are there special menus or foods, counseling
visits, or exercise plans?
Clues to Weight Loss Fraud
It is important for consumers to be wary of claims that sound too good to
be true. When it comes to weight loss schemes, consumers should be particularly
skeptical of claims containing words and phrases like:
easy
effortless
guaranteed
miraculous
magical
breakthrough
new discovery
mysterious
exotic
secret
exclusive
ancient
Sensible Weight Maintenance Tips
Losing weight may not be effortless, but it doesn't have to be complicated.
To achieve long-term results, it's best to avoid quick-fix schemes and complex
regimens. Focus instead on making modest changes to your life's daily routine.
A balanced, healthy diet and sensible, regular exercise are the keys to maintaining
your ideal weight. Although nutrition science is constantly evolving, here
are some generally-accepted guidelines for weight loss:
Consult with your doctor, a dietician, or other qualified health professional
to determine your ideal weight.
Eat smaller portions and choose from a variety of foods.
Load up on foods naturally high in fiber: Fruits, vegetables, legumes, and
whole grains.
Limit portions of foods high in fat: dairy products like cheese, butter, and
whole milk; red meat; cakes and pastries.
Exercise at least three times a week.
This Article is a public announcement by:
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/wgtloss.html