“Miracle Weight Loss” Claims are Nothing More than a Scam

It seems like everywhere you turn, you’re confronted with the ridiculous assertions of the newest “miracle weight loss” scam:

Lose 30 pounds in 30 days!
Melt away fat without exercising!
I lost 10 kilos without even trying!

The rip-off schemes range from somewhat believable to downright silly. There’s the body wrap scam that claims you can swath yourself in bandages and sweat off excess fat (read: temporary water weight.) There’s the humorous abdominal belt scam: you sit, it vibrates, and somehow you lose all your belly fat? If only it were that easy. And of course there’s the classic hoodia hoax. If you ever make it to the Kalahari desert you might be able to try to this supposed appetite suppressant, but most of the pills you’ll find online aren’t real. The bottom line remains: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

The Law of Supply and Demand Creates the Diet Scam
It’s not difficult to understand the proliferation of weight loss fraud. The vast majority of the adult population is obese or overweight, and the epidemic is only getting worse. Though most of us know that losing weight is generally straightforward – consume a moderate amount of fresh, whole foods ands stay active – actually doing this is far from simple for most people.

Still desperate to shed the pounds, people search out quick and easy solutions. According to the simple law of supply and demand, the market is riper than ever for each latest, greatest diet scam.

The Long, Dangerous History of Diet Fraud
Diet rip-off schemes are not new. In fact, the quest for the “miracle” diet started nearly a century ago and has been mostly led by the pharmaceutical industry. In the 1930s, doctors prescribed dinitrophenol, an industrial chemical that accelerated metabolism but also caused fatal fevers, fast forming cataracts, and deadly toxicity. In the ‘50s and ‘60s, highly addictive amphetamines – otherwise known as “speed” – were widely prescribed to boost metabolism and suppress appetite.

Currently, the only drug officially approved for long-term weight loss is orlistat, which is sold over the counter as Alli. Alli is hardly a scam – by blocking the absorption of fat, it is conducive to moderate weight loss – but most people find its embarrassing side effects unbearable. The indigestion can be so bad, in fact, that the drug’s manufacturer recommends that first-time users wear dark pants and keep a change of clothes handy. In the endless search for the magic diet pill, the latest development is the drug Qnexa. A government panel recently recommended that the FDA approve the drug despite serious concerns about cardiovascular risks and birth defects.

There’s No Miraculous Quick Fix
Though the diet scam industry will likely always have customers, there’s hope in education, awareness, and support. There’s no magic diet that will instantly cure the obesity epidemic. Rather, we should focus our efforts on finding real solutions. We need to slow down as a society and prepare home-cooked meals. Urge our government to subsidize fresh fruits and vegetables so that they’re affordable for all. Bring reasonably priced grocery stores to underprivileged areas and food deserts. Rather than rewarding rip-offs, we should focus our efforts on creating long-lasting changes that will make it possible for all people to get and stay healthy.