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Weight loss products and fitness center memberships are popular this time of year. Many people are eager to shed their holiday pounds or kick off New Year’s resolutions.
But consumer experts are warning about hidden dangers and sneaky marketing tactics. Carl Bates with the Better Business Bureau said weight loss scams have accelerated since one of the biggest resolutions of the New Year is to lose weight.
These scams have evolved into body wraps, topical creams, dietary supplements, pills, powders, injections and even earrings.
“Sometimes it is simply too good to be true,” Bates said. “The only way the FDA says you can lose weight in the long term or for your health is a combination of these things: healthy eating and exercise.”
One of the biggest red flags is the company’s marketing, which may promise rapid weight loss with no exercise or lifestyle changes. Many falsely claim their products have been featured on “Shark Tank” or similar shows.
“Some of these pills, some of these injections could be manufactured offshore in a foreign country and don’t have the same quality standards that we do in the U.S.,” said Bates.” Do you feel comfortable using that on your body?”
Another scam is when consumers mistakenly believe they are making a one-time purchase or signing up for a free trial, but the transaction instead turns into a subscription trap.
“We’re finding a lot of complaints. We see that I ordered an initial batch of this stuff, and what I ended up with was being charged as a subscription every month for the next three months,” said Bates.
Canceling these subscriptions can be tricky, even if the product does not deliver results.
To protect yourself from weight loss scams, Bates said he recommends doing thorough research, reading the fine print, being wary of all free trials, checking the ingredients list with the FDA, and not trusting paid endorsements.
“Kelly Clarkson is the perfect example,” said Bates.” We’ve all seen her in the past year. She lost a ton of weight and looks great. How did she do it? Are you sure the product she is being paid to endorse is how she did it? I guarantee there are other things like exercise and changing her diet.”
Bates also advises consumers to be diligent when signing up for fitness programs, as the contracts often have various stipulations that could affect their experience.
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