"Tis the season of the New Years resolution to lose weight, get in shape etc. so, what better time to be forewarned and forearmed to meet the challenge of the barrage of "quick, effortless" weight loss ads that you will be faced with every where you turn..The amount of weight-loss advertising has skyrocketed during the past 10 years and Americans spend in excess of 33 Billion dollars a year on weight loss products and diets. One of the reasons for the rapid increase in weight-loss advertising is the rising  failure  rate of "the last hot diet" and the proportionate rise on the scale that many Americans have seen because of them.  Many adept marketers are feeding on the rising desperation level of the many Americans trying to lose weight and there has been an  explosion in the number of dietary supplements on the market. Everywhere you turn, it seems, somebody is trying to sell you a “miracle” pill, powder, diet or gadget to help you lose weight. On a daily basis, be it during daily interaction with our clients (who know better) or standing in line at the bank I  here  of  "what do you think of.(insert your favorite miracle pill/powder/patch or gadget here).."  Now I will let the FTC tell you what most fitness professionals have known (and hopefully preached) all along. 

In a recent study, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigated 300 advertisements for 218 different weight-loss products. The results were more than a little disturbing.

"Weight loss advertising is completely out of control," according to Richard Cleland, assistant director for the FTC's Division of Advertising Practices. "Over 55 percent of the advertisements we examined are deceptive and over 40 percent contain false claims."

  The following were the eight most common deceptive weight-loss claims identified by the FTC:

1.  Works For All Users: Be wary of weight-loss products that promise to produce the same results for all users. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for slimming down. You aren’t buying a pair of socks or a ball cap here -- you’re trying to lose weight. Here’s an example of one of these promises from an actual advertisement: “No willpower required. Works for everyone, no matter how many times you have tried and failed before.”

2.  Will Cause Permanent Weight Loss: A staggering 41 percent of the advertisements examined by the FTC promised to produce permanent or long-term weight loss. Again, here’s a quote from one of the advertisements: “Get it off and keep it off… you won’t gain the weight back afterwards.” The truth of the matter is that the only way to achieve permanent weight loss is to maintain a healthy diet and exercise on a regular basis.

3.  Eat All You Want: Be wary of any diet products or plans that claim you can lose weight no matter what you chow down on or what kind of portions you dish out. Here’s another sample from an actual advertisement examined by the FTC: “Consumers who use [the advertised product] can lose substantial weight while still enjoying unlimited amounts of high-calorie foods.” This one’s even better: “Eat as much as you want -- the more you eat, the more you lose…” As the calories and pounds add up, you’ll have no problem in finding the error in this claim. 

4.  Specific Body Part Claims: Another common deception in advertisements is a claim that you can pick and choose where you want your weight loss to occur. Weight loss doesn’t work that way. Here’s a quote from one such advertisement: “Consumers who use [the advertised products] can lose weight only from those parts of the body where they want to lose weight.” There is no such thing as spot reduction.

5.  Fat Blocker Claims: So-called fat blockers are products that allegedly cause substantial weight-loss by the blockage or absorption of fat or calories. As a sample ad for one of these products reads: “Lose up to two pounds daily. [Named ingredient] can ingest up to 900 times its own weight in fat. That’s why it’s a fantastic fat blocker.”

6.  Transdermals: Transdermals are products that claim to promote weight loss if you wear them or rub them into your skin.

 7.  Without Diet Or Exercise: Don’t trust advertisements that claim substantial weight loss can be achieved without diet or exercise. Unbelievably, 42 percent of the ads examined by the FTC claimed diet or exercise was not necessary for weight loss. Despite what anyone may tell you, there is no evidence that substantial weight loss can be achieved without diet or exercise.

8.Rapid Weight Loss (More Than 3 Pounds Per Week): Of the ads examined by the FTC, 57 percent promised rapid weight loss results. Some of the ads even made claims such as the following: “lose 10 pounds in 8 days,” “knock off unwanted weight and fat deposits at warp speeds,” “safely lose at least 16 pounds in the first two weeks,” and most preposterous of all “you can lose 18 pounds in one week.” When dieting, the most important ingredient is to learn how to eat right and adopt a healthy lifestyle. Losing more than three pounds a way week is not healthy and you’re more likely to put back on the weight.

Custom Bodies offers no claims of effortless weight loss, but we do guarantee results, steady and safe, from our patented "Just Say No To Dieting Program" which incorporates the 6 components guaranteed to get bring results from your fitness program. It's not about depriving yourself of all of the foods that taste good but about portions and servings, and, of course exercise

Click here for your free report "Dieting Myths That Are Sabotaging Your Weight Loss Efforts"

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