Diet and Weight Loss Products: How to Spot a Scam

Diet and Weight Loss Products: How to Spot a Scam

If you are thinking about losing weight, there is a good chance that you will do so with the help of a number of weight loss products, like diet pills, meal replacements or exercise equipment. If you are interested in buying these types of diet or weight loss products, you should always be on the lookout for scams, as they do exist.

The weight-loss business is a growing industry. Americans spend an estimated $30 billion a year on all types of diet and weight loss programs and products, including diet foods, pills, meal replacements and drinks. Trying to sort out the many claims of efficacy-- often misleading, unproven, or just plain false--can be confusing and costly.

When it comes to weight loss products, such as exercise equipment and diet pills, many people wonder how they can tell if they are being scammed. Unfortunately, you often cannot tell by reading an advertisement in a magazine or online or by watching a television infomercial or even by looking at the weight loss product in question. One of the best ways to determine if the weight loss product you are interested in purchasing is really worth your money is to do some research first.

One of the easiest ways to go about determining if the product or products you want to buy are worth the cost is by visiting the online websites of retailers that allow their customers or the general public to rate or review their products. Many consumers are good enough to alert others to a product that is a waste of money or even alert others to a product that is well worth the cost. If you can find weight loss product reviews, you are advised to read them.

When reading diet and weight loss product reviews, such as product reviews for diet pills or exercise equipment, it is important to remember that no product is perfect. Even some of the best products, like the ones that come highly rated and recommended, will often have a few bad reviews. You should be cautious of any weight loss product that has more bad reviews than it does good reviews. For sure this is a sign that the weight loss product in question may not be worth your money.

Find product reviews or just specific weight loss products being discussed by performing a standard Internet search on your favorite search engine like Google or Yahoo. Your search phrase should be the name of the weight loss product in question. Your Internet search may lead you to online message boards where weight loss and other health issues are being discussed, health related Web sites, forums and the like. These types of Web sites, forums and message boards are a great way to also learn about weight loss products that you may not have otherwise came across.

Another way that you can determine if you are being “scammed,”, is to examine the Web site of the product distributor or manufacturer. When you buy a diet pill or another weight loss supplement, you should be provided with as much information about the product as possible. Be cautious of any product whose Web site offers claims to help you lose weight, but doesn’t explain how it is done, or those that insist you can lose weight without exercise or changing your diet in any way. The same can be said for exercise equipment.

Another great way that you can determine if the weight loss products are worth the money is by speaking with your doctor. Many times you don’t even have to schedule a visit; a telephone call will often get you the answers that you are looking for. Most doctors will let you know if a weight loss pill or supplement that you are interested in buying is worth the money. Even if they can’t tell you about the specific product in question, there is a good chance that they can at least review the active ingredients with you. Your physician may also be able to provide you with advice about exercise equipment, too.

Basically, if you have the money to spend on weight loss products, you may be interested in going ahead and buying the product or products in question anyway. That is fine, but you also need to remember that many weight loss products, especially the ones featured on television infomercials are relatively expensive, and many may be dangerous to your health. So do your research first, even if you have the money to burn.

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