The focus of the Stand Up & Eat web site is on helping people attain calorie balance. The prevention of overweight and obesity are the result of long-term calorie balance. But if you have followed the Stand Up & Eat Blog for any length of time, you know that attaining calorie balance takes effort. You have to eat healthfully and stay physically active which is often hard to do with today’s hectic lifestyles and unsupportive eating and exercise environments.
Of course, there are plenty of unscrupulous people and shady companies that are happy to sell you a quick fix. Lest you think they are simply a rip-off, be warned that many can also rob you of your health.
Each year, the Healthy Weight Network publishes its “Slim Chance Awards” to make the public aware of some of the most unsafe and ineffective weight loss products on the market. Here’s this year’s “winners” (or would you call them “losers” because they are so bad!?!?).
Most Dangerous and Outrageous – instead of a single product or pill, this award goes to weight loss supplements in general. The Food and Drug Administration found that 69 (though there are probably hundreds more) weight loss supplements had hidden, harmful or toxic substances in them. Most of these products were imported from China. We warned you about this problem in a blog posting this time last year. See "Quick Fixes For Weight Loss Found To Be Dangerous" for more information.
Worst Product – Hydroxycut. Liver failure and other liver problems have been associated with this quick-fix diet supplement. I guess that losing your liver is one (nasty) way to lose weight.
Worst Claim – QVC Shopping Network. After making false claims about some weight loss products, QVC is having to pay millions in fines. I wonder how much they made selling the products? I sure hope the fine substantially exceeds their sales of these products.
Worst Gimmick – Kinoki Foot Pads. Though not likely to be harmful to your health, this stupid product will take a bite out of your wallet. They claim that wearing the pads will remove the contaminants in your body. Not so and the company is about to be hit with a false claim fine.
For more information on these Slim Chance Awards, click here. If you want to know how protect yourself from failing pray to future worthless and potentially harmful weight loss scams, check out the resources on www.quackwatch.org. And of course, to healthfully manage your weight, you need to balance your calorie intake with the calories you burn. Where have you heard that before?
