Pills, Potions & Puffery for “Weight Loss”
Written by Corinne Dobbas, MS, RD // November 17, 2009 // Exercise, Health, Nutrition // 22 Comments
Today—I read two articles on two new—hmm … how shall I say this, oh yes–BOGUS “weight loss” and “health” products. One piece featured the
new EZEE Slimming Patch, which, according to Bell Lifestlye Product Inc., is the “only natural and honest approach to lose weight permanently.”
Why of course! How could I forget … I and all other healthifying professionals need to do is recommend this “latex-free adhesive bandage with … 25mg of bladderwrack kelp extract, garcinia cambogia and menthol,” and hey—people will start shedding pounds like no other because this patch is a “metabolic accelerator that helps burn stored fat.” But, of course the “weight loss” associated with this patch has nothing to do with the fact that consumers are instructed to eat healthfully and 1/3 less than they normally do and exercise. After all, ladies and gents, if you “want to be a winner” and lose weight, you’ll buy a 30-day supply of 15 patches at the lovely price of $28.49–available at Amazon.com.
By the by, I did the research and sorry folks, but brown kelp seaweed (the bladderwrack),
garcinia cambogia— a small Indian fruit from which the “active” ingredient hydroxycitric acid (HCA) is derived—and menthol from the mint plant–DO NOT cause weight loss, especially by adhering a patch to your body. But—oh, I don’t know—perhaps it’s the exercise, healthy diet, and eating less that the company instructs people to do that causes some weight to go? And, by the way—have you ever heard of the placebo effect? Need I say more?
Another Product …
Now, the second new deal on the up-and-up that struck me as “oh no you didn’t” is GNC’s be-HOT. Yes ladies, that’s what it’s really called. Didn’t you know all you need to do for that extra oomph, better workout, and calorie burning booster, is simply take these pills? Yup, and you can get a 30-day supply for a mere $50. Now, you ask–what comes in these lil’ pill packs? According to GNC, here’s the low-down:
- be-DEFINED™–toning & sculpting formula: an amino acid derivative, electrolytes, and antioxidants … “to help as you strive to sculpt a leaner you.”
- be-ENERGIZED™–calorie burning formula: “GNC’s own clinically-proven thermogenic blend to help boost your metabolism” with 4 antioxidants: grape seed extract, green tea extract, glutathione, and alpha-Lipoic acid.
- be-ENHANCED™–diet supporting CLA: “features a blend of essential fatty acids and clinically-studied Tonalin® CLA, to help support metabolism and enhance your diet, with other essential fatty acids to provide a healthy source of energy …”
Now—I am not going to go into each minute detail of why these ingredients won’t cause the weight to magically dissipate–just know they’re scientifically bogus in terms of weight loss.
Heck–if pills and patches worked, don’t you think this would have made Oprah followed by all talk shows, late night talk stand up, news segments, Discovery, the Health Channel—like REALLY HUGE HEADLINES all over? Everyone would be a Skinny Minnie then. But, NO, 60% of people are overweight or obese and this number is only increasing. Sorry, folks better luck next time.
The truth-telling science nerd in me must tell you that antioxidants in be-HOT may help prevent disease and CLA has been shown to help lower cholesterol—but let’s all remember that whole grains, fruits, vegetables, fiber, basically all plants, exercise, and sleep—have shown to do the same darn thing! And, guess what–they don’t cost you an extra $50 for a 30 day supply.
So Many Diet Products, So Few Healthy Lifestyles
As Gary Foster, director of the Center for Obesity Research and Education at Temple University in Philadelphia, stated in Woolston’s Do Diet Patches Stick?
Red flags should go up whenever a product promises to speed weight loss by boosting metabolism or reducing appetite. No compound known to science can increase metabolism enough to really budge the scale, he says, and every known appetite suppressant has significant side effects.
Today, there are so many products that claim if you take them, you’ll become leaner, sexier or drop weight. And, to assure this, I went down my local drugstore’s “Diet” aisle. Now, what would I expect to see in a “Diet” aisle? Brown rice, whole wheat pasta, broccoli, zucchini, squash, apples, oranges, beans, low-fat dairy, lean meats, olive oil, canola oil, kale, spinach, salmon, grass-fed meats, grapes, oatmeal, and so forth, but NO. Instead I see: SlimQuick, Dual
Action Cleansers, Fat Burn Cleansers, Hydroxycut, SLIM Shots, and Jillian Michal’s Fat Burner and Detox and Cleanse System (oh, my heart sinks!). And, let me just say–all of these products are around $20-40 a pack.
Again, if these things worked—no one would be overweight or at least the percentage of overweight would shrink from the current 60% … instead of continuing to increase. These supplements are simply money makers. According to a New York Times piece, Mintel, a market research firm, projects sales of vitamins and minerals to grow more than 6% this year — to $11.2 billion, from $10.6 billion in 2008 . That’s a lot of money from pills and potions! I hate to say it, but there is no quick fix to lose weight and actually keep it off. If I could box a healthy lifestyle and sell it, that would be the long term fix.
Bottom Line: Don’t Waste Your Hard-Earned Cash on Pills & Potions—they’re only Puffery!
Use that “extra” money to buy:
- A gym membership
- More workout DVDs
- A set of dumbbells
- More fruit
- More vegetables
- More whole grains
- More lean meat
- More low-fat dairy
And, Don’t Forget
- Sleep more
- Destress more
- Move more
Happy Healthifying!
What are your thoughts on the “diet” aisle???
I say goodbye to fad diets, bogus "fat-burning" pills, and processed, non-food food. And, I smile hello to a healthifying lifestyle full of fruits, veggies, and whole grains, sweaty workouts, the occasional "chocolate fix," sleep, family and friend time, and quality "me time" with a focus on health. I look forward to your comments and thoughts as the posts healthify on by!
22 Comments on " Pills, Potions & Puffery for “Weight Loss” "
excellent post Corrinne!
it blows my mind what people will blow 50 dollars on, but balk when i say that shop at whole foods!!
the psychology of dieting fascinates me. once you get sucked into that yo-yo liftstyle, it makes perfect sense to drop $$ on the latest get-thin-quick product, and when it fails, get caught back up into that vicious cycle. The “diet ailse” always depresses me-and not just because i know how awful those “zero calorie” chocolate sauces taste. it just feeds negative self image. I much prefer the Healthy at any size approach!!
but very well written post my dear!
I couldn’t agree more! Thanks for the comment!
Talk soon! xxoo
Corinne
Great job getting to the bottom of these claims Corinne! There’s a great NYT article about GNC’s new push to corner the women’s supplement market with these sexy proprietary blends. You can read it here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/10/business/media/10adco.html?_r=1&emc=eta1
Caroline
Thanks Caroline! Yes–it always irks me when I see SO many outrageous claims! And, yes, I read that article–it’s a good one. I linked to it in the post–need to make my hover color more visible:) That article gave me inspiration for this post along with my trip to the drug store and seeing/reading about the patches. Then I looked further into the product info and out came my post! Crazy what’s on the market.
Talk soon!
xxCorinne
Great post! It bugs me that companies get away with the marketing and selling of these products. I’ve lost a big chunk of respect for Jillian Michaels for selling that detox system. I see ads for it in every magazine I read
I love your list. I wish that was what was marketed towards women.
Agreed! Thanks for the comment!
Oh boy, the diet aisle, my worst nightmare! Great post, people need to hear this stuff. Those products are so unsafe, it’s awful.
So TRUE! Thanks for stopping by!
Agreed! If you just eat healthy and hit the gym, you’ll lose weight and feel both mentally and physically better. Stupid weight loss supplements will only cause strange side effects, no satisfaction, and will usually not even work!
I just love your sarcasm! So funny, it is amazing all the bogus products that are out there and really sad that they aren’t more regulated. We’re looking at sports supplements in my class and the research is inconclusive. So much better to do it healthfully because pills and potions simply don’t work and can cause harm.
thanks so much for stopping by my blog, haha I was quite surprised when I saw that GIANT bag of pistachios myself! What do you want to do with your RD? I’m still searching for that perfect career for myself and it’s always fun to hear what others want to do
Agreed! Thanks for stopping by my blog! When I’m done I would ABSOLUTELY love to work in corporate wellness–doing seminars, counseling, groups, etc on weight/wellness. Or, open my own practice. I will do this one day–not sure when, but I will. Just need to get all the components in place–trainer, RDs, healthy chef, etc. I also would LOVE to write on the side! My ultimate goal is to be an ADA spokeswoman … one day, one day!
And, by the way–I still can’t get over the pistachios!!!!
Happy blogging and talk, okay write, soon!
Corinne
Totally agree. People always want some miracle cure, but the miracle cure is just treating your body right!
I hear ya! Thanks for the comment! Hope all’s well:)
Well-written post! More people need to read and be informed about this stuff. I hate when people look for a quick fix with diet “schemes” – or even worse – detox diets – that doesn’t create a healthy physical body OR mentality. I think if we all just stopped and “breath”-ed(?haha) – and take care of our selves by informing ourselves of proper information – this makes all the difference. And everyone eats differently as well!! Just because one person is Raw or Vegan, that doesn’t mean eating meat or pasta is bad for you!! One of my pet peeves is when people say “…well, I’ve heard…” ughhh– where are you hearing this from ? – and they usually tell me their co-worker or friend or random TV hulkster…okay, I’ll get off my soapbox now haha – cheers!!
I totally agree with you! I mean, they sell as these products and people think that this will be that quick fix. I work with patients and weight loss and I get so many questions regarding these types of pills as well as other crazy supposed “weight loss” diets.
As someone else had mentioned, I was pretty shocked when Jillian Michaels had started down this path. I really respected her for not being one to buy into the “quick fix”.
Agreed! I LOVE Jillian, as I commented on your blog:) Her videos are awesome! But, why, why did she have to go down the diet pill route! Thanks for stopping by! Corinne
I totatlly agree with you. I work with patients and weight loss and so often they are asking me about these products and all kinds of crazy weight loss diets. I guess it seems easier to do the quick fix.
I agree with the comment made regarding Jillian Michaels. It was surprising to see her of all people give into the propaganda.
It’s no wonder people are so confused about weight loss and overall health. There are so many products and so many false claims. People want to believe that something will work, so they don’t do the research you just did. They just fork over $50 for the next new craze. That whole aisle in the pharmacy is frustrating because every product is “guaranteed to slim you down!”
WONDERFUL post! I was so put-off by a woman in Walgreens the other day. I was waiting for my prescription to be filled and was checking out the nutrition/weight-loss section. I like to be “up” on what’s out there so I know how to best serve my patients. Anyways, this woman walks by and she’s like, “That stuff is great…totally works. It keeps weight off me so well.”
Of course I was 1) offended that she would assume I wanted to lose weight! Half kidding!…but 2) that people actually “swear by” that crap!
I have a TON of patients right now taking acai berry supplements. Drives me nuts. I’m like, “The American Dietetic Association has made a statement based on scientific research that there is no exceptional antioxidant property or weight-loss assistance found in this product. You’re best off consuming a variety of FRESH fruits and vegetables for vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants.” It’s soooo not what they want to hear.
Great post, so glad I found your blog and glad that you found mine, too!
Happy Friday!
Thanks for the comment Nicole! And, what a good story. Don’t worry–I would’ve been taken aback too! And, I agree … no one wants to hear that they don’t work. It would be lovely if there was a quick fix! But, there just isn’t!
Thanks for stopping by!
Happy Friday to you and blog soon
Best, Corinne
Great post Corinne! I cannot believe some people are suckered into spending that much money on these ridiculous “weight loss” products.
Thanks for the comment Kasey! Yes–isn’t it crazy how many do get “suckered?” Thanks for stopping by! Happy Friday