Everywhere you look; television, magazines, and even in department store aisles you see advertisements for quick and easy weight loss. The media is swamped with weight loss ads claiming guaranteed results with little or no change in diet or exercise.
These ads are deceitful, full of unsubstantiated claims, and potentially dangerous to your health. I believe these bogus ads and images they portray are leading consumers, who are desperate for an easy solution, to poor eating habits, lack of exercise, and health problems.Over the counter weight loss products prey upon the idea that in order to be socially accepted, attractive, and/or successful they must be thin. They back this up by using before and after images and stories of supposedly real people. These people’s testimonies say that they have gone from having an immensely overweight, unattractive body to a svelte, sexy, perfect body by simply using this one product.
This is really an untrue claim because no one can change that fast without lots of exercise and a proper diet.The results that are shown are not realistic, it’s easy to computer enhance photos or even hire models to play the part. Reliable statistics are not currently provided by any commercial diet plan. This is because the negative results must outweigh the positive. The Federal Trade Commission wants the media to lighten up on the advertising of weight loss programs and has instituted the Red Flag campaign. I completely agree with this campaign, as I believe the media needs education on the unverifiable claims made by these diet products.
These claims state that you can obtain substantial weight loss no matter what you eat, lose a pound a day with no exercise, or even drop pounds by applying creams or ointments to your skin. These false statements appeal to many people who have limited time, perhaps have low self esteem, or are just plain gullible. I actually considered trying a few of these programs myself because I fell into believing these claims, then after research, realized none of it was true. I simply could not find one person who had any of the results shown for any of the programs.While dieting and being thin seems to be normal in today’s society, I don’t think people realize the harmful effects these pills can have on their bodies.
Due to the images being shown and the portrayal of the “ideal” woman, eating disorders in teenage girls has grown in the last five years. Some of the ingredients used can have dangerous side effects, such as stroke, heart attack, high blood pressure, and increased heart rate. These programs have also been known to cause disruption of the metabolism, which can result in less weight loss and energy.Therefore, the whole idea of losing weight without lifestyle changes and regular health check-ups is self defeating. The advertisements should have to list the side effects as the pharmaceutical drug companies do. While the diet industry does tell that the results shown are not typical and diet and exercise will increase weight loss, they do not emphasize it.
They also state that in some cases, there has been no direct link between some ingredients and their side effects.For example, it has not been proven that PPA, a common ingredient in over the counter diet pills, causes hemorrhagic stroke. They also tell you to consult a doctor before starting any diet regimen, but only in the fine print. The only argument the diet pill companies can honestly win is that they have the right to advertise their product. Although most people’s health would benefit from losing weight, they are mostly motivated by the unrealistic images shown by advertisers.
The deceptive ads and claims made by these products lead people to believe there is a magical cure for obesity. They think they can become their ideal person in what seems like overnight. People get so wrapped up in the hype of these commercials that they don’t stop to think about their health or long term effects these pills or programs can have on them. It is my opinion that if the media would screen and refuse to air ads that can’t produce data to prove their claims, America’s obsession with easy weight loss could be curtailed.
