Seven patently bogus weight-loss claims

  • By Barbara Quinn The Monterey County Herald
  • Monday, June 23, 2014 1:46pm
  • Life

Some things just don’t sound quite right. “Kids make good snacks,” for example. Some may be interpreted wrong, such as “Weight loss study looks for larger test group.”

Other statements can be downright deceptive, especially when it comes to the selling of products marketed for weight loss.

Let’s face it. We are a culture desperate to lose weight. And that makes the sale of products for this end extremely profitable, even if the claims for their effectiveness are bogus. To the rescue comes the Federal Trade Commission, whose job is to protect us from companies that try to sell their products with false or misleading advertising. Information from this agency can help us decide between “Here’s my credit card!” and “You’ve got to be kidding.”

Check out the following list of claims for over-the-counter weight loss products that the FTC says simply cannot be true:

“Lose 10 pounds every week! Guaranteed.” Any ad that promises quick and continuous weight loss — 2 or more pounds a week for a month or more without serious dieting or exercise — is false, says the FTC.

“Lose weight without depriving yourself!” If only. But not true, say experts. It is impossible to eat unlimited amounts of any food and still lose weight.

“Use this product for 6 months and get the weight off for good!” Uh … no. Keeping weight off for good requires keeping on track with diet and exercise goals … for good.

“Just take this pill!” No over-the-counter product can block enough fat or calories to lose a large amount of weight, says registered dietitian nutritionist Eleese Cunningham in a recent article on this topic in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Even legitimate weight loss drugs are only useful when accompanied by a low-calorie diet and exercise.

“Safely lose 30 pounds in 30 days!” Quick weight loss — more than 3 pounds a week over multiple weeks — can be risky without medical supervision. Products that promise lightning-fast weight loss are a scam at best, says the FTC. At worst, they can ruin your health.

“Works for everybody!” Really? Like shoes, no one diet fits everyone. Current research confirms that diets need to be individualized to our unique health needs and metabolism.

“Simply rub on this miracle diet cream and watch the pounds melt away!” You might watch the pounds melt away from your wallet but not from your body, says the FTC. Nothing we wear or apply to our skin can make us lose weight.

Yep, after all the years of research and inquiry, we now know what we knew before. There are few shortcuts to trimming off pounds. Serious weight loss requires serious pushing back from the table and increases in physical activity. That sounds about right.

Barbara Quinn is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. Email her at bquinnchomp.org.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Sarah Jean Muncey-Gordon puts on some BITCHSTIX lip oil at Bandbox Beauty Supply on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Langley, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Bandbox Beauty was made for Whidbey Island locals, by an island local

Founder Sarah Muncey-Gordon said Langley is in a renaissance, and she’s proud to be a part of it.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

Byrds co-founder Roger McGuinn, seen here in 2013, will perform April 20 in Edmonds. (Associated Press)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

R0ck ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Roger McGuinn, frontman of The Byrds, plans a gig in Edmonds in April.

Mother giving in to the manipulation her daughter fake crying for candy
Can children be bribed into good behavior?

Only in the short term. What we want to do is promote good habits over the course of the child’s life.

Speech Bubble Puzzle and Discussion
When conflict flares, keep calm and stand your ground

Most adults don’t like dissension. They avoid it, try to get around it, under it, or over it.

The colorful Nyhavn neighborhood is the place to moor on a sunny day in Copenhagen. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves: Embrace hygge and save cash in Copenhagen

Where else would Hans Christian Andersen, a mermaid statue and lovingly decorated open-face sandwiches be the icons of a major capital?

Last Call is a festured artist at the 2024 DeMiero Jazz Festival: in Edmonds. (Photo provided by DeMiero Jazz Festival)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Jazz ensemble Last Call is one of the featured artists at the DeMiero Jazz Festival on March 7-9 in Edmonds.

Kim Helleren
Local children’s author to read at Edmonds Bookshop

Kim Helleren will read from one of her books for kids at the next monthly Story Time at Edmonds Bookshop on March 29.

Chris Elliott
Lyft surprises traveler with a $150 cleaning charge

Jared Hakimi finds a $150 charge on his credit card after a Lyft ride. Is that allowed? And will the charge stick?

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.