Does it Work?Unsure if the latest product or service lives up to it's claims? From popular products to the latest scams, discuss it here before you buy!
Hi all,
This is the first time I am posting so I hope I am doing it right. I was surfing the net and on Consumer Health digest they were reviewing trimspa. The reviews were just okay, and Consumer Health reccommend ********* as a good dietary pill.I am thinking about getting it but I am wondering if anyone has had an success with the product. Thanks
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Consumer Health reccommend ********* as a good dietary pill.
The recommendation from the consumers (public) that they asked to rate the products, as compared to other similar products. These are not based on medical reviews, clinical tests, or anything with substance. The review that they posted recommending it says
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In January, the nutrition consultant at my gym told me about *********. He told me it is the best weight loss product on the market. It was real inexpensive for a nutraceutical quality product. I love it!!!! I have lost 12lbs. so far.
Do you think that going to a gym might have contributed to her weight loss?
These types of reviews or testimonials really aren't helpful. None of them make any mention at all of what diet and exercise plan they are following. To lose weight you must burn more than you take in. Period. If you take these pills, you still have to reduce your food intake and preferably include more exercise as well. The "consumers" that said they didn't lose any weight on the pills were probably just taking the pills without attempting to diet, and assumed the pills would just cause the weight to magically come off. Those that did lose weight were probably following a diet or exercise plan, as evidenced by the quote above.
I think consumer reviews are perfect for toasters or cd players. But for anything health related, they are virtually useless for showing the effectiveness of a product. For that, we need detailed studies from independent clinics or universities that can document everything from caloric intake and expenditure, to blood tests and body fat percentage and more.
Instead, we go to a website such as the Liposlim site and what do we get? Warning sign after warning sign. For example. look at the ********* page at http://www.liposlimsystems.com/prod.itml/icOid/57 Take a good look at the before and after photos. The before photos are the classic slouch, forced protruding stomach, sad expression (most diet products before shots follow the same method, as it is very deceiving) and they even have used a filter to dull the images. The after photos have vibrant color, the models are standing up straight with tummies tucked in, and they are smiling. They probably spent a few weeks at a gym and a tanning bed. (one of their models, Justin, obviously spent a LOT of time at the gym to achieve his after photo - no pill in the world can create that.)
Look at their website's impossible claims that I'm sure the FTC will take a closer look at..
Melt the Fat Eat Happy! Why even try to resist all those foods we love to eat...lasagna, loaded baked potatoes, delicious blueberry pie a la mode…
Actually, you can eat these foods with any diet and still lose weight, if you practice portion control and common sense, and limit overall calories without avoiding the healthier foods at the same time, AND exercise so you burn more than you take in. However, they attempt to make us believe that we can eat those foods in abundance and it won't matter a bit, as long as we take their little pill. Hogwash.
They also tell a blatant lie, stating that the product is stimulant free. However, they publish the ingredient panel at the bottom of the page which does indeed show a variety of stimulants, and it even says not to take it after 5pm to avoid sleep deprivation. I notice they include Coral Calcium which is a famous scam-type product and has been practically named as such by the FTC. If you have an allergy to shellfish, this product could create serious reactions, yet there are no warnings on the site. I also don't see any warnings for heart patients or those with high blood pressure, when it clearly contains products that I can't take.
It contains citrus aurantium which is also known as Citrus Aurantium, also known as synephrine, an herbal stimulant similar to ephedra. Health officials are concerned because of synephrine's structural similarity to ephedra. It hasn't been tested or proven to cause weight loss in humans. We did find one study of the effects of citrus aurantium on weight loss in rats. Repeated dosages of this supplement did in fact result in weight loss. It also resulted in death. "Our data indicate that, in the rat, antiobesity effects of C. aurantium are accompanied by toxic effects probably due to cardiovascular toxicity."
I could go on and on. In a nutshell, all of these products are the same. They are not regulated by the FDA so they can make a lot of claims to their effectiveness without any proof whatsoever. Also, when they DO provide testimonials or cite research studies, this information is often fabricated. As an example, read this Q&A from Shape:
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Q. I feel like I've tried every dietary supplement known to man,
including Hydroxycut, chromium picolinate, and chitosan, but nothing works, despite all the promises. Is there any dietary supplement that actually has been proven to help with safe weight loss?
A. "The answer is no" says David Levitsky, Ph.D., professor of nutrition and psychology at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. In the doses recommended, no supplement has been found to be effective for losing weight, Levitsky adds. "When a dose becomes effective in terms of increasing metabolic rate, it becomes dangerous. You can run into heart, blood pressure and other medical problems." Even the risky supplements that actually may promote weight loss, such as ephedra, don't
help take off more than a couple of pounds - and even then, they work only in the short term.
Levitsky surveyed 150 web sites advertising weight-loss supplements and then reviewed all the published research on the active ingredients found in the supplements. Not a single ingredient lived up to the weight-loss claims advertised. In all cases, either the research cited could not be located in any journal or database, or the studies did not actually prove weight loss.
"Everyone's looking for a magic bullet," Levitsky says, "but there is just no substitute for calorie control."
With the ban of Ephedra, we are being bombarded with so called "stimulant free" diet products, which are useless. Even ephedra wasn't what it was touted as, aside from the dangers, that is. I'll have to search through my bookmarks to find it, but I read that several studies showed that ephedra was only effective for a 5% increase in fat loss. If you needed to lose 100 lbs, only 5 lbs could be attributed to the ephedra, while 95 lbs were lost due to diet and exercise. I don't see how that is much of an incentive to take a product that has the potential to be so dangerous. The same can be said for all other diet pills. People are easily swayed by the word "natural" when this can sometimes be more dangerous than anything from a pharmacy, because it is not regulated, you can't verify potency, and you don't know what the long term side effects are. The manufacturers are quick to fill their ads with claims that do not have to be proven.
If you have a problem with your appetite, see your physician for suggestions or a prescription, and go back regulary for monitoring to make sure your health is not adversely affected.
In the end, you have to consider your food intake and how you burn excess calories, through a balanced and safe diet and exercise plan. This is the only proven safe way to lose weight, and keep it off.
As you can see, I get a little wound up when I see advertisements such as those But we've received thousands of email from visitors that have shared their experiences, good and bad, and we've seen too many people burned. Their wallets get thinner, their health suffers, and in the end they say they wish they had just done it the diet and exercise way.
I just checked that Consumer Health Digest site, and despite its claims of being 'nonprofit' it IS an advertising-based site, which means that it is biased IMO - notice on the bottom of the page they have a link where you can buy the products being reviewed - that means they get $$$$ for that.
A lot of these websites are piggybacking off the reputation of Consumer Reports which is TRULY nonbiased and does not accept advertising in either its website or magazine (which has been published for 60 years or so now). This "Consumer Health Digest" bottom line is just another sales site IMO. Caveat emptor.
Not to mention the fact that all these new diet pills are all pretty much the same anyway...
Here's a portion of an article from Testosterone Magazine that pretty much sums THAT up.
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We've all been hooked in my sensational before and after pictures in supplement ads...the question that was posed was whether or not these pictures are phony and doctored. Certainly, with today's computer graphics technology, doctoring photos would be a snap for someone with just basic PC skills, but it's not really necessary. There are enough sneaky tricks to employ without even having to resort to messing with the picture.
First of all, notice the things that almost all of the before pictures have in common. Nobody has a tan. The men all have their body hair. Everyone is slouching and looking glum. They might even have a big baggy pair of shorts on that makes their waist look even wider. Yes, life really sucks sweaty a-- in the 'before' picture.
Now for the magical 'after' photo. White, pasty skin that looked like soft dough is now bronze and tight. The hair has been waxed or shaved off. Muscles are flexed or tensed, and look at that Colgate smile! Now they might even have a tight pair of Lycra shorts or posing trunks on to show off their slimmed down waist and hips. What has actually happened to their bodies in this time span? In many cases...all they did was lose fat. They may give credit to some super product, but the truth is that anyone can lose a huge amount of bodyfat just by dieting right and doing cardio.
If they actually added a lot of muscle too, one of three things is happening. Either they're a beginner, they were rebuilding previously existing muscle mass after a layoff, or they were jacked up on some good anabolics. Sorry to say, but nobondy outside of these three categories puts on '20 pounds of solid muscle in 10 weeks' or any other such ridiculous figure.
The best before and afters to entice the bodybuilding market use bodybuilders. This is because any bodybuilder looks 1,000% better when they diet down to contest condition from their off-season weight....Then you could even get into lighting issues, which are more significant than most people realize. The before picture might be taken with a flash or under 'flat' lighting conditions. If the person had any cuts or muscle separations, you wouldn't see them. The after picture is often taken by a professional photographer who knows how to sculpt light with key, fill, and back lighting to make all the details in a physique pop out. Every little vein and straition can now be seen.
So are these before and after pictures "real"? They are indeed, but as I have tried to show you, the perception of reality can be dramatically altered to fit various goals.
I do have a personal website - if you click on my name on the left and go to my profile, the link is in there although I haven't had the time to update it for a couple years now...one of these days...life gets in the way!
I am so impressed by your story (just looked at your link). I know I am way off the original subject of this message, but did you have a lot of saggy skin after losing all of that weight? I currently weigh 266 (max was 271) and I am a little afraid to succeed because I don't want baggy skin or the surgery to deal with it.
We have received SO many questions about loose skin that Meg (the moderator of our Maintainers' Forum) has written a "Loose Skin FAQ" sticky thread that you can find here...
I think you would find it quite interesting. One thing I would like to say is PLEASE do not let the possibility of loose skin keep you from losing weight. Even if you DO end up with loose skin, and you can't or won't have surgery, still I would NEVER go back to 265 pounds...
and don't hesitate to file a complaint with the bank!!!! i had a problem with a return from some wackos who insisted that they NEVER gave refunds. i got the credit card company involved, and TRUST ME... they paid up!!!!
and don't hesitate to file a complaint with the bank!!!! i had a problem with a return from some wackos who insisted that they NEVER gave refunds. i got the credit card company involved, and TRUST ME... they paid up!!!!
Yup - it's all part of the securities built into the payment card system. Doesn't matter if it's a credit or debit transaction...if you have the Visa logo on your card, you still have the right to file a chargeback.
From the Visa website:
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Cardholders have long relied on Visa to guarantee their satisfaction whenever they make a purchase. When a vendor fails to provide satisfactory product or services, cardholders know that they have recourse for getting their money back. They also know that if their cards are ever stolen or their card numbers compromised in any way, they only have to notify their Issuers to have any fraudulent charges removed from their statement. The right of the cardholder to dispute charges is part of what makes Visa a globally trusted brand.
And while you're at it, make sure to file a complaint with the BBB:
i read what all of you are saying but the bottom line wasthat the product wokrked for me. I have tried Xendarine and Zantrex and they didnt do much. ********* looked new and unique so i gave it a shot. they have a 30 trial period so what i got to lose. I only needed to lose 10 pounds. I lost 8 pounds in 3 weeks and didnt really change things around. I mean i work out 3-4 per week and eat pretty good. I felt this did something that other products didnt. Made me less hungry i felt and gave me good energy for my workouts. You ladies seem to bash all the webpages but the bottom line is does the product work? All other products say the same thing and have same before and afters anyway so its all a moot point. BUt you are right in one regard, 90% of people lose weight with diet and exercise. People shouldnt hopefully realize this but i guess others dont. All i can say is ********* helped me reach my goals so I say give it a try.
You ladies seem to bash all the webpages but the bottom line is does the product work?
Well according to the FTC, Harvard Medical School, University of California, countless other universities and medical organizations, thousands of people that emailed us last year in response to a report we did on weight loss products, and a nice chunk of 3FC forum members,... no, they don't. They contain questionable ingredients, are potentially dangerous, useless, expensive, and distort consumers perception of healthy weight loss. All you need is diet and exercise. Period. As you yourself have shown, working out at the gym and eating properly can have a positive effect on the body. That's all we need. And it WORKS. Why risk your health? The majority of our visitors are around 100 lbs overweight and need to be concerned about their overall health, in a way that only proper nutrition and exercise can address. These companies make weight loss seem as easy as popping a pill, when it is not that at all. They use clever names such as "lipo slim" to associate the results of their product with liposuction, as an example. This is shady, cheap marketing, but then what else can you say about a product that intentionally preys on vulnerable people, which is true for the vast majority of similar companies. There's a lot of money to be made in this business, and dieters are a prime target for scammers and shady practices.
We can never say this enough.. if these products REALLY worked, we'd read about it in the newspapers, see it on CNN, our health insurance companies would be pushing us to take them, and our doctors would be waiting with baited breath to tell us. If these products really worked, obesity wouldn't exist.
*********... does anyone know anything about this product
But we've received thousands of email from visitors that have shared their experiences, good and bad, and we've seen too many people burned. Their wallets get thinner, their health suffers, and in the end they say they wish they had just done it the diet and exercise way.
although I haven't had the time to update it for a couple years now...one of these days...life gets in the way!
