The Most Common Lie Told by Useless Weight Loss Supplements
You might think that by now we will all stop getting addicted to supplements that promise to “get rid of belly fat” or “lose those extra pounds by continuing to eat cupcakes,” but you were wrong. Powerful marketing continues to make vulnerable people waste money. Here are the common arguments (ahem, lies) you’ll find on the label.
Weight loss supplements are a general category designed to accelerate weight loss, usually in one of several ways : suppressing appetite, blocking nutrient absorption, or increasing calories burned. These “benefits” come from any number of key active ingredients. You may have heard of some of these: ephedrine , capsaicin , caffeine, and yohimbine ; and brands such as Hydroxycut and Alli.
This article on men’s health belies some of the most common marketing promises on the labels of these supplements:
- Lose Weight Without Diet: As much as we want pills to fulfill our heart’s desires, no one can expect to lose weight by eating the same high-calorie crap and not changing their dietary habits. When it comes to losing weight, controlling your diet is what gives you the best results.
- No exercise required: Similar to the promise above, this statement is based on the fact that someone is unwilling to change their habits. Consistent healthy weight loss without exercise is a pipe dream. At the same time, exercise is not the only solution to your weight loss problems.
- Speed up your metabolism: Some ingredients, like caffeine, increase your metabolism slightly , but the exact effect varies from person to person and depends on your individual tolerance. Even so, the effects will not cancel this donut.
- Feel Full: You feel full by actually consuming real food that takes up space in your stomach, not nutritional supplements. Some supplements can help suppress appetite, but if you don’t want to feel hungry all the time, focus on eating foods that are high in protein (such as steaks or eggs) and foods that contain fiber and fillers (such as baked potatoes or oatmeal).
- Change your body composition. It’s a fancy way of saying you’re losing weight directly from fat, but supplements that are said to help you shed fat – like conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) – are more likely to be harmful to your health in the long run. … … Old non-sexual advice won’t change: if you want to change your body’s appearance, you must combine diet with appropriate muscle-building exercises.
Some supplements can work if you use them together – unexpectedly – with good old diet and exercise, but keep in mind: there are many sometimes dangerous side effects. The beneficial effects, if any, are usually so minor that you’re better off just saving money and just exercising and eating right.