Science associates overweight with a number of diseases, including hypertension, cancers, diabetes, and gout. What's more, by virtue of society lumping "overweight" and "less attractive" together, overweight individuals often suffer from social exclusion and prejudices.
Given the aforementioned disadvantages of being overweight, about 1/3 of the world desires to lose weight. This desire has made the weight-loss industry a multimillion dollar industry. What's worse, it has given birth to numerous scams. This in mind, how can you spot a weight-loss scam?
TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE
Most weight-loss scams are too good to be true. These scams promise the following: help you lose weight no matter how much you eat, allow you lose a lot of weight per week, success with minimum efforts, keep the weight off even after you have discontinued use of their product, and help you lose weight by either wearing or robbing their products on your skin -- "Big Mamy" of weight-loss scams.
Weight loss entails sweat, blood, and tears. So, any weight-loss program that promises heaven on earth is probably a scam. Put simply, you won't burn fat away, but you will burn a hole in your wallet.
EXAGGERATED LANGUAGE
Ads for most fake weight-loss products use impressive words or catchphrases, such as the following: first of its kind, breakthrough treatment, secret formula, groundbreaking or revolutionary solution to losing weight, significant results, etc.
This exaggerated language appeals to emotion; it doesn't appeal to logic. The thing is, an emotional response is a gateway into your pocket.
SPOT FAT REDUCTION
Spot fat reduction is a myth. When you lose fat, you don't determine which parts of your body you lose it from. You can't target fat loss from your abs or anywhere else for that matter. Any product that claims to target particular body parts, such as that stubborn midsection, is probably a scam -- "na dem."
The thing is, if you want to lose fat from a specific part of your body, you'll need to lose fat everywhere -- no weight-loss product will change this truth.
CONCLUSION:
Most weight-loss products don't provide the benefits that dieters hope that they will provide. These products do not only empty your pockets, but they also keep you from using the real solution to your weight problem while sending you on a wild goose chase.
That said, not every weight-loss product is a scam. Some of these products make weight loss easier. More on this in subsequent discussions.
***Dr Ndifor Judethaddeus is a medical doctor and a resident in Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine