It’s the time of year when people look at their bank accounts — and their scales — and resolve to do a bit better next year.
There's more than a coincidental connection between eating healthy and saving money. Researchers have found that, at least in some cases, the same part of the brain that promotes good choices also promotes good eating habits, i.e., "trade a cookie today for a healthier tomorrow."
So it should come as little surprise that come-ons you'll see for get-rich-quick schemes seem almost identical to pitches for weight loss programs. "Everyone will lose weight" sounds a lot like "You can't lose with this investment;" "Lose 30 pounds in 30 days" sounds an awful lot like "15% returns or more."
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False diet claims got a lot of national attention last year when Dr. Mehmet Oz was hauled before Congress as it investigated "The Oz effect." Products that Oz hawks on his show, many with dramatic and unproven claims, sell like hotcakes online. Oz was criticized for helping these products, but he was not accused of breaking any laws.
At the hearing, the FTC's Mary Engle said that the agency had brought "82 law enforcement actions in the past 10 years challenging false or unsubstantiated claims about the efficacy of a wide variety of weight loss products and services."
By some measures, two-thirds of Americans are overweight. That's a really big potential market. During the holiday season with all the feasts, parties and cookies, that market only gets bigger. January is the time for making self-improvement resolutions. If you are thinking about living a healthier life, that's great. But first, resolve that you won't fall for a diet scam.
The Federal Trade Commission sums up the medical literature on weight loss nicely on its website devoted to avoiding bogus diet plans. There's only one healthy way to lose weight — eat less, exercise more, stick to it for a long time and don't expect dramatic results.
"For most people, a reasonable goal is to lose about a pound a week," the FTC says. "Getting to a healthy weight takes work. Take a pass on any product that promises miraculous results without the effort. The only thing you’ll lose is money."
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Here is the FTC's list of most common weight loss claims, per its website:
Image: Ingram Publishing