The desire to lose weight is a common aspiration, with national surveys consistently reporting that about half of Americans want to achieve this goal. However, weight loss can be an elusive journey, leading many to seek fast, simple, and easy solutions often marketed in dietary supplements. The prevalence of false or exaggerated claims in advertisements for weight loss products, coupled with the risks associated with unproven dietary supplements and exercise plans, necessitates heightened scrutiny from regulators. This article delves into the deceptive practices employed in weight loss advertising, highlights the potential dangers of these products, and provides guidance on how to recognize and avoid falling victim to these scams.
The Allure of Quick Fixes and False Promises
Dishonest advertisers often resort to making false promises to entice consumers to buy their weight loss products. These promises frequently include claims such as:
- Lose weight without dieting or exercising.
- You don’t have to watch what you eat to lose weight.
- If you use this product, you’ll lose weight permanently.
- To lose weight, all you have to do is take this pill.
- You can lose 30 pounds in 30 days.
- This product works for everyone.
- Lose weight with this patch or cream.
However, the reality is that any promise of miraculous weight loss without a sensible diet and regular exercise is simply untrue. No product will allow you to eat unlimited amounts of food and still lose weight. Permanent weight loss requires permanent lifestyle changes, so consumers should be wary of any product that promises once-and-for-all results.
The Dangers of Untested Supplements
Weight loss drugs such as Ozempic are showing up in searches that are sponsored. Search engines are often the first place people go when they have health questions so pharmaceutical companies have figured out how to game that system with pay-per-click ads, which are essentially their way of buying their way to the top of search results. Normally, drug companies have to follow strict rules when it comes to advertising their products in magazines or television commercials, disclosing risks or side effects of the drug, and they can't advertise a drug to treat a condition it hasn't been FDA-approved to treat. Online sponsored search results, which usually appear on top of other results, aren't regulated the way TV ads are.
Many dietary supplements for weight loss and muscle growth lack scientific evidence to support product claims and may contain harmful ingredients. Despite this, many people still use these products. In fact, The FDA has discovered hundreds of dietary supplements that contain potentially harmful drugs or other chemicals not listed on the product label.
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Even FDA-approved fat-absorption blockers or appetite suppressants won’t result in weight loss on their own. These products need to be taken with a low-calorie, low-fat diet and regular exercise. Products promising lightning-fast weight loss are always a scam and can even ruin your health. Additionally, even if a product could help some people lose weight in some situations, there’s no one-size-fits-all product guaranteed to work for everyone, as everyone’s habits and health concerns are unique. Nothing you can wear or apply to your skin will cause you to lose weight.
Recognizing Fake Stories Online
Scammers often create fake “news” reports about ingredients found in diet pills, claiming they are effective for weight loss. However, these are not new discoveries. They may even add public photos of reporters to make the reports appear real. Scammers also write glowing online reviews themselves or pay others to do it, or they simply copy and paste positive comments from other fake sites. They use images showing dramatic weight loss, but these images are often stock or altered photographs, not photos of people who actually used the product they want you to buy.
Other Fitness and Weight Loss Products to Watch Out For
Electronic muscle stimulators might temporarily strengthen, tone, or firm a muscle, but they haven’t been shown to help you lose weight or get those six-pack abs. If you decide to join a gym, make sure you know what you’re agreeing to. Read the contract, confirm that it includes everything the salesperson promised, and find out if there’s a “cooling-off” or trial period, and check out the cancellation policy. Also, look for reviews online from other clients. Home exercise equipment can be a great way to shape up, but only if you use it regularly. Some exercise equipment ads promise you can shape up and lose weight quickly and without much effort. The truth is that to get the benefits of exercise, you have to do the work. If you decide to buy exercise equipment for your home, first check out online reviews and find out the real cost of the equipment, including taxes, shipping, and any subscription or other fees required to make the equipment work.
The "Free" Trial Trap
"Free" trial offers are often not free at all. Many people who have signed up for “free” trials for weight loss products have wound up paying a lot of money and have been billed for recurring shipments they didn’t want.
The FTC's Fight Against Deceptive Advertising
The FTC works to protect consumers from deceptive advertising and has taken action against influencers who promote weight loss products without clearly disclosing that they’ve been paid to do so. The FTC requires influencers to disclose clearly and upfront if they’ve been paid.
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Key Indicators of False Advertising
Consumers should be wary of certain claims and language used in weight loss advertising, including:
- Promises of speedy slimming: Realistically, someone can lose 10 pounds a month for women and 15 pounds a month for men.
- Assurances that no change of habit is needed: A supplement may claim that users can lose weight while eating as much as they want.
- Effusive language: Terms may include “miracle,” “revolutionary,” or “scientific breakthrough.”
- Endorsements: Be cautious of supplements that claim to be approved by the FDA.
- Free trial offers: Carefully scrutinize offers and watch for pre-checked boxes that authorize the company to charge you for regular orders or additional products. Don’t sign up for subscriptions unless there’s an option to cancel.
The Impact of Celebrity Endorsements
Celebrity athlete endorsers are increasingly featured in advertisements promoting weight loss products targeting men. Studies suggest that the presence of a celebrity athlete endorser makes weight loss advertisements more believable to consumers, even when ads contain obviously false claims. The athlete endorser is often perceived as more credible than a non-celebrity, being rated as more expert. Given the health risks associated with certain weight loss behaviors and supplements, the impact of celebrity endorsers on consumer choices is significant.
A Study of Marketing Claims on Weight Loss Supplements
A study examining the marketing claims appearing on dietary supplements for weight loss and muscle building found that, on average, products displayed 6.5 claims. Claims about reducing weight, BMI, or body fat were the most common, followed by protein claims. Nearly half of the products made claims that scientific research supported product use. Products with the FDA disclaimer or a warning for vulnerable populations had a higher average number of claims compared to products without the disclaimer or warning. This suggests that greater FDA regulation of these marketing claims is needed.
The Role of the FDA and DSHEA
Dietary supplements are regulated through the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994. The FDA can regulate a dietary supplement as a drug if it makes disease claims about treating, preventing, or curing a specific disease. However, most dietary supplements make claims about a product’s structural or functional effects on the human body without a disease-related claim. When such structure/function claims appear, DSHEA requires products to also display the following prominently placed and bolded disclaimer: “These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.” Manufacturers are not required to test the safety of their products before going to market and are allowed to make truthful and not misleading structure/function claims based on their own internal evidence. The FDA only has the authority to stop the sale of dietary supplements after they are marketed if either the labeling includes unauthorized claims or enough consumers report adverse effects.
How to Protect Yourself from False Advertising
- Be skeptical of claims that promise quick or effortless weight loss.
- Consult your doctor before taking any weight loss supplements.
- Read product labels carefully and be aware of any potential risks.
- Be wary of "free" trial offers and subscriptions.
- Report suspected cases of false advertising to the FTC.
- Carefully scrutinize offers. Watch for pre-checked boxes that authorize the company to charge you for regular orders or additional products.
- Don’t sign up for subscriptions unless there’s an option to cancel.
- Use caution when buying online.
Where to Learn More and Report False Advertising
Consumers can learn more about weight loss scams and report false advertising to the following resources:
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- The Federal Trade Commission (FTC): reportfraud.ftc.gov or 877-382-4357
- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA): Report concerns to the agency's Bad Ad Program.
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