Sellers of over-the-counter pills and potions for weight loss often use slick marketing to fool us. Here are seven common tricks to watch out for.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Hey, it’s Robert Davis, the Healthy Skeptic.
Dietary supplements for weight loss are big business. Every year we spend billions of dollars on over-the-counter pills and potions that promise to melt away pounds. But typically, they have little or no effect, and in some cases, cause harm. A big reason for their appeal is the way they’re marketed. Here are seven tricks that sellers use to reel us in.
One: Inflated claims. You sometimes see over-the-top promises like shed 30 pounds in 30 days … or lose inches without changing your eating habits. They sound too good to be true, and in fact they are.
Two: Before and after photos. The results may look impressive but aren’t typical of most users’ experiences. Or they may be airbrushed or completely phony. The same goes for written testimonials from users.
Three: Influencer endorsements. Sellers often pay celebrities and other influencers with perfect bodies to promote supplements on social media, giving the false impression that you can look like them if you use the product. If only it were that simple.
Four: Expert endorsements. A thumbs up from a doctor or scientist can make a product seem legit. But these experts are paid by manufacturers, so they’re not exactly objective. And some have questionable credentials.
Five: Boasts of “clinically proven.” This so-called proof often consists of unpublished studies by the manufacturer that are small, poorly designed, or done in animals. The research may not even involve that particular supplement. So not much to hang your hat on.
Six: Scientific language. Sellers also try to boost scientific credibility by using technical terms such as “thermogenic” or “ketosis” to explain how a supplement supposedly works. Typically, it’s just a lot of hot air.
Seven: The label “natural.” This is intended to reassure us that the product is safe. But just because a supplement is quote “natural”… whatever that means … is no guarantee it’s harmless. Hemlock, after all, is natural, and so are poisonous mushrooms.
In fact, weight-loss and other supplements are only loosely regulated, and makers don’t have to prove their products are safe or effective. So, if you want to try one, proceed with caution. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist, and ignore the marketing hype.
For more on weight loss, check out my book Supersized Lies, which reveals why standard advice often fails and what actually works to keep weight off.