Welcome to Weight Loss Diet - Information on LA Weight Loss Center Fees

THE AMERICAN PUBLIC is rapidly getting fatter, and scam artists are out in force to take advantage of people who want to lose weight. According to a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) report released in September 2002, nearly 40 percent of the weight-loss ads the agency examined made at least one claim that was almost certainly false. These bogus claims were almost all in ads for dietary supplements or hypnosis.

The Science Of Weight Loss

The basics of weight loss are simple. Your body requires a certain number of calories each day to fuel your brain, maintain your body temperature in the normal range, run other body systems, and power your daily activities. When the number of calories you take in equals the number of calories you burn, you stay at the same weight.

Losing one pound requires burning 3,500 more calories than you eat. There are three ways to accomplish this:

* Cut 3,500 calories from your diet.

* Burn 3,500 extra calories through increased activity.

* Eat less and exercise more for a combined total deficit of 3,500 calories.

Any weight-loss product or program that is based on cutting calories or being more active has at least some basis in scientific reality. Any ad pitch that says you can lose weight without changing your habits is rooted in magic, not science. So is any ad that promises permanent results from temporary changes or that claims a product can change your metabolism so that you burn many more calories.

How To Steer Clear Of Scams

There are a few steps you can take before purchasing a product or joining a program that will help weed out scares:

* Ask your doctor, dietitian, or diabetes educator about the product or program.

* Call your local Better Business Bureau to see whether complaints have been filed against the company.

* Get as much information about the company as you can before purchasing its product. If the company or its sales rep is reluctant to give you its address and phone number, it's a danger sign.

* Other red flags are words like "miracle," "secret," "exclusive," "ancient remedy," "scientific breakthrough," and "hurry--this offer won't last."

* Ask about costs in addition to program and signup fees. For example, will you need to buy prepackaged meals? Do you need to pay each time you attend a meeting?

* Don't assume that because an ad appears in a reputable magazine that its claims are true. Although in 1997 FTC asked magazines to review weight-loss ads and not accept obviously deceptive ads, FTC believes the letter had little effect.

* Ask what the active ingredients are. Ephedrine is not safe to use. FTC's list of products for which there is little or no evidence of effectiveness include Fucus vesiculosus, chromium, L-carnitine, chitosan, psyllium, 7-keto-DHEA, hydroxycitric acid, seaweed, konjac root, Garcinia cambogia, and glucomannan.

* Keep in mind that old rule of thumb: If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Scam Tip-Offs

In its study of weight-loss product advertising, FTC found that certain kinds of messages were common in deceptive ads:

* Testimonials ("I lost 30 pounds in 30 days?")

* "Before" and "after" pictures

* Claims of absurdly rapid weight loss, such as a pound or more a day

* Claims of results without needing to cut calories or exercise ("Lose weight while you sleep!" "Fat melts away!" "No willpower required?")

* Claims of long-term or permanent weight loss

* Claims that the product is "clinically proven" or that it was developed by respected scientists without reference to any supporting citations in scientific journals.

* Descriptions of the product as "natural," "all natural," "safe," or "no side effects"

* Money-back guarantees

* Claims that weight will come off from only certain areas of the body

* Warnings to cut back on the product if you lose too much weight

If You've Been Scammed

If you've fallen victim to fraud or misrepresentation, you're not completely helpless.

* Complain to the company itself. You may be able to get a refund.

* Report the business to the Better Business Bureau. You can call your local Better Business Bureau office or file a complaint online. It can sometimes work out a solution. Go online to www.bbb.org to find your local Better Business Bureau office or to file a complaint.

* If your town has a consumer protection agency, report the fraud to it. Find it in the telephone book blue pages.

* Report the business to the Attorney General's office of your state. You can find a link to your Attorney General's Web site at www.fraud.org/ info/links.htm#agsoffices. Or look in the blue pages of your telephone book.

* Does one of your local TV stations have a consumer reporter who helps consumers with complaints get satisfaction from businesses'? Contact the TV station and find out how to request help.

* If you were defrauded by telephone or on the Internet, report the company to the National Fraud Information Center. Its Web site is www.fraud.org.

* File a complaint with FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. The form is at https://rn.ftc.gov/pls/dod/ wsolcq$.startup?Z_ORG_ CODE=PU01. Or call 1-877-382-4357. The FTC will not resolve your specific problem. However, alerting FTC about scares can help them take action that will protect others.

The more information you have on the company, the better. Before you make your complaint, have available, if possible, the following: the company's name; full address; phone number; Web site address and/or e-mail address (if you purchased over the Internet); your sales rep's name; what you bought; when you bought it; what you paid; and why you are making a complaint.

Shauna S. Roberts, PhD, is a science writer living in New Orleans, La.