If you Google “What’s the most popular New Year’s resolution,” the answer is very often “lose weight.” That makes people hoping to lose weight susceptible to phony health claims, false celebrity endorsements and hidden subscription traps.
Weight loss products include body wraps, topical creams, dietary supplements, pills, powders, and skin patches. You’ll even see ads for earrings that promise to help you “melt” or “flush” away unwanted body fat. Ads may be accompanied by before and after pictures, five-star reviews, and claims they’ve been featured on popular TV shows like Shark Tank. Many of the products don’t work and some contain ingredients that could harm you.
People have been influenced to buy weight loss products by ads featuring celebrities. A woman who lost $700 filed a report with the BBB Scam Tracker service saying “I purchased gummies that were supposed to help with weight loss. Kelly Clarkson, celebrity, endorsed the product and I trusted her; however, they used her AI likeness to scam people.”
And even when consumers hoping to lose weight learn they’ve been sold a pig in a poke by a fake celebrity, they often find they’ve become the victim of a “subscription trap” that makes it hard to cancel recurring shipments of the product. Consumers thinking they were simply taking advantage of a free trial found that the fine print said they were agreeing to future orders and that canceling was almost impossible. The lady who filed the Scam Tracker report closed by saying “I contacted the company to cancel my account and any transactions. They keep charging my account.”
The FTC and BBB offers these tips to avoid being disappointed by an offer to help you lose weight:
- Always be wary of advertisements and customer endorsements promising “miracle” results or immediate weight loss. For example, if an ad says their product will make you lose weight “permanently,” you’re looking at a false promise.
- Don’t be quick to trust endorsements. Always research the company before doing business with them, no matter who supposedly endorses their product.
- Avoid products that claim to help you lose weight without diet or exercise or say you don’t have to change your eating habits. Doctors, dieticians, and other experts agree that losing weight takes work and should be gradual. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, losing 1-2 pounds per week is a healthy goal and is more successful in achieving long-term weight loss. Pass up any product that promises miraculous, sudden results without any effort.
- Check a product’s ingredients with the FDA. Some products have been recalled for containing ingredients with potentially dangerous effects. Be wary if there’s no list of ingredients.
- Be wary of free trial offers. Before signing up, understand all the terms and conditions. Be cautious of any contract that charges your credit card until you cancel.
- Be wary of individuals pushing products in online forums and chat rooms they claim will help you quickly reach goals.
- Research the company with BBB.org before purchasing. Read reviews about the company to see if there are any complaints alleging it’s a scam.
Be realistic about your fitness goals. Losing weight is hard work. Find a program you can stick with and hopefully enjoy. If you need help, ask your doctor for suggestions.
Randy Hutchinson President & CEO Better Business Bureau of the Mid-South.
