Don’t Fall For These Weight Loss gimmicks!

Have you heard about the new weight loss patch? You wear it behind your ear, and it
speeds up your metabolism and helps you control your appetite. It sounds pretty
reasonable, doesn't it? After all, if someone had told you five years ago that you could
quit smoking by sticking a circle of fabric on your skin would you have believed them?
Unfortunately, this one isn't true. According to Dr. Michael Myers, who maintains the
popular web site weight.com, it's just another of the hoaxes that clever promoters are
using to bilk you out of your money. Weight loss is a gold mine, and unscrupulous
operators will use any gimmick to convince you that their product is the magic cure that
will melt away your pounds without any effort on your part.
Here are a few of the current weight loss gimmicks and the truth about them.
The Diet Patch
Transdermal delivery of medication is a reality, and there are certain medications that are
absorbed readily through the skin. However, the most common active ingredient used in
diet patches on the market is 'fucus vesiculosus', a seaweed that is a major source of
iodine. Iodine was once a recommended treatment for obesity, because it helps promote
healthy thyroid function. It was abandoned because of side effects and the untoward
effects when treatment with iodine ceases. In other words, it's an outdated medication
being revived for delivery in a new way.
Wash your fat away with slimming soap!
The claim is that this is an ancient Chinese soap that contains a unique blend of
ingredients derived from seaweed which will 'emulsify' the fat. Further, it comes in several
different versions, including one that is specifically meant to give you 'beautiful thighs'. In
all truth, the ingredients sound like they'd do a lovely job of softening and toning your
skin, but there's not an ounce of research quoted anywhere that can be checked for the
results. Until I see the proof, I'll just figure that any weight loss resulted from vigorous
scrubbing - not the ingredients!
Magnetic Weight Loss... earrings
Yes, earrings. According to the press, it's another ancient Chinese Secret that has to do
with balancing the magnetism in the body. By wearing a magnet near the ear, you can
suppress hunger, increase metabolism, speed up the healing process and reduce pain.
Again, though there's mention of 'studies', none are cited, and I couldn't find any in any
medical journals. It won't kill you, at least, and the earrings are pretty, but I wouldn't put
much stock in their weight loss properties.
All of these new weight loss discoveries should be filed in the “Yeah right” file, right next
to sauna wraps, copper bracelets, and electro-slimming belts. If it sounds too good to be
true, remember, it probably is. The only gimmick to weight loss is to eat less and move
more!