“How to Spot a Weight Loss Scam” by Julie Lucky

According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, 65% of Americans are overweight. Because of that fact, there are many people trying to make money by offering scams that promise quick fixes and rapid weight loss. I hate to break the news to you, but there are no magic pills or quick fixes to help you lose weight permanently. There are many diets promoted everywhere you turn. I am sure you have heard of the low-carb diet with high protein and fat or the cabbage soup diet. There are so many scams out there that it is hard to keep it all straight. How can you tell which weight loss plan is legitimate and which isn’t? There are many warning signs you should watch out for when looking for weight loss solutions. Some warning signs would be:• One that claims that a pill is going to melt body fat without exercise or controlling caloric intake.

• One that doesn’t include exercise as part of the plan.

• A patch that claims to help people drop weight.

• A regimen that suggests that the key to weight loss lies not in controlling caloric intake, but in solely tinkering with the body’s level of a hormone or chemical.

• A program that promotes eating certain foods to lose weight. There is no such thing as a food helping you lose weight. Food choice plays a role in you losing weight because choosing healthy foods are lower in calories than fattening foods. It still all comes down to the amount of calories you take in per day.

• A program that promotes exercise without watching food intake.

• Any program that promotes rapid weight loss.

• One that claims that all you have to do to lose weight is go to the spa and get something called a bodywrap.

The key to losing weight is taking in less calories than you burn in a day. The only way to have lasting results is to participate in a program that includes weight training, cardiovascular activity, balanced nutrition, and proper supplementation.

Please share your stories about “diet scams” you have encountered over the years. What is the latest fad diet you have heard about recently?