Three Weight Loss Diet Scams

by Matthew Denos
(Saint Louis, MO, USA)

With so many companies promoting their weight loss products or methods, how do you know which ones are worth your time, money, and effort? Before you begin a weight loss program, check to see that it has a firm basis in science—unlike these:

1. CortiSlim

CortiSlim is one of the most popular of the “cortisol blockers,” which are supposed to promote weight loss by blocking the stress hormone known as cortisol. Research has shown that stress, and the stress hormone cortisol, may be related to weight gain, but there is no solid scientific evidence to show that cortisol blockers like CortiSlim will help you lose weight.

The makers of the CortiSlim and CortiStress diet supplements claimed their products were an effective way to lose weight until 2007, when they were charged by the Federal Trade Commission with making false and unsubstantiated claims. The companies were forced to provide refunds to their customers.

Today CortiSlim is owned by a new company, and they no longer make unproven claims about their product's ability to help you shed pounds. Instead they promote The CortiSlim Lifestyle, which emphasizes diet, exercise, and stress management as a way to live a healthy life and lose weight.

These things are all important components of a healthy lifestyle and can certainly help you lose weight, but there's no scientific evidence that the CortiSlim supplement is helpful in de-stressing or losing pounds.

2. The hCG Diet

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, or hCG, is a hormone produced by pregnant women and found in their urine. During pregnancy, hCG may play a role in mobilizing fat stores in order to provide energy for the developing fetus and provide a slight increase in metabolism. Based on this information, people have hypothesized that hCG may aid weight loss in non-pregnant people.

In the 1950s, Dr. Albert T. Simeons created a weight loss plan that involved a 500-calorie per day diet and weekly injections of hCG. The hCG diet remains popular more than half a century later, despite no evidence that the injections aid in weight loss.

In fact, numerous studies have found that hCG offers no advantage over just dieting. Moreover, the 500-calorie per day diet developed by Dr. Simeons may be dangerous. Health and nutrition experts recommend you eat at least 1200 calories every day unless you're dieting under the supervision of a doctor.

The hCG diet was first evaluated by Dr Greenway, back in 1977, and later by other investigators. There was no difference, in terms of weight loss, between the study’s participants who received the hCG injections and those who got the pacebo, leading the investigators to conclude:

“…the use of hCG in the treatment of obesity should come to an end”.

If you're trying to lose weight, hCG is unlikely to help. Before you hand over your money, consider the labeling that the FDA has required for more than 3 decades:

“HCG has not been demonstrated to be effective adjunctive therapy in the treatment of obesity. There is no substantial evidence that it increases weight loss beyond that resulting from caloric restriction, that it causes a more attractive or 'normal' distribution of fat, or that it decreases the hunger and discomfort associated with calorie-restricted diets.”

3. The Grapefruit/Cabbage/Lemonade Diet

What do all these diets have in common? A few things: they promise as much as a 15 pound weight loss in one week, they drastically limit the foods you can eat, and they don't work for long-term weight loss.

The Grapefruit Diet supposedly works because grapefruit contains a special compound that promotes fat burning. Well, here is the moment of truth: studies have found that grapefruit, while often a healthy food choice, contains no such magical ingredient.

The Cabbage Diet promises to keep you feeling full even on very few calories, which may be true, if you can stand to eat only cabbage and a few other foods for an entire week.

And the Lemonade Diet, made famous by Beyonce, and also known as the Master Cleanse, is essentially a liquid diet that is supposed to detoxify your body and help you shed 10-20 pounds in just 10 days.

If you can stick with these diets for an entire week, you will lose weight—it just won't be the weight you want to lose. The majority of the pounds lost will be from fluid—not fat—and will return as soon as you stop the diet. More importantly, these diets do not contain enough calories or nutrients to support healthy body functions.

A Glimpse On Clinically Proven Weight Loss Programs

Few studies have been rigorously tested for their efficacy. Weight Watchers, Atkins and Slim Fast are some well established weight loss programs whose efficacy has been thoroughly evaluated by scientific studiesstudies.

Medifast and Nutrisystem, also known for their sought after Medifast coupons and Nutrisystem discount code, are two medically designed diet programs, that have gained a lot of credibility, as well. Clinical studies on these weight management plans have been conducted by independent entities and have been published in peer-reviewed journals.

About The Author

Matthew Denos, PhD, is a biologist and writer with hands-on laboratory research experience in obesity related diseases. Matthew enjoys researching and writing reviews of best rated weight loss diets.