Archive for 'Diet Scams'
Fast And Easy Weight Loss Using Diet Programs And Diet Pills
Posted on 06. Apr, 2009 by admin.
Tracie Johanson asked:
If you’re one of the approximately 67% of Americans that are wired into the internet, there’s a good chance that sometime in the last 24 hours you’ve received at least one spam email promoting the latest and greatest diet pill or weight loss program. These diet products promise fast weight loss results, often without any effort or exercise. The never-ending promise of a weight loss pill that actually works keeps us hoping for eventual success.
At the same time, we’re continually inundated with news of the most recent diet and how this time it’s really going to work for us. The South Beach Diet, the Zone Diet, the Atkins Diet, the Low Carb Diet, the Cabbage Soup Diet, the Mediterranean Diet, the LA Weight Loss Diet, the Weight Watchers Diet, the Diabetic Diet, the Low Cholesterol Diet, the Prescription Pill Diet, the 3 Day Diet, the Low Fat Diet, the High Protein Diet, the Maker Diet, the Liquid Diet, the Grapefruit Diet, the Fad Diet, the Blood Type Diet, the GI Diet, the Vegetarian Diet, the Vegan Diet, the Detox Diet, the Dash Diet, the Candida Diet, the Gluten Free Diet, the Hollywood Diet, the Negative Calorie Diet, the 1200 Calorie Diet, the Raw Food Diet, the Phentermine Diet, the High Fiber Diet, the Macrobiotic Diet, the Science Diet, the Lemonade Diet, the Scarsdale Diet, the Diverticulitis Diet and the Fat Flush Diet are all examples of diet plans that promise to help us achieve quick weight loss.
Crash diets, weight loss pills and get-thin-quick gimmicks are more prevalent than ever, yet two-thirds of our population is still overweight. Even more startling is the fact that approximately one-third of the people in our country are clinically obese.
With all of these ‘solutions’ available to us, why is it that obesity trends have been alarming enough to prompt the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) to label obesity a national epidemic? Why are we still, as a nation, getting fatter? It’s certainly not because we’re not trying.
On the contrary, as a nation we’re trying harder than ever to lose fat through diet and other weight loss products. As reported by CNN on 1-14-05 “Americans were expected to spend more than $40 billion in 2004 on weight control pills, gym memberships, diet plans and related foods, estimates Marketdata Enterprises, which studies the weight loss industry.” Furthermore, statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that 80 percent of overweight individuals and almost 87 percent of obese individuals are trying to lose or maintain their weight.
As reported by mygoals.com, 80 percent of Americans made a New Year’s resolution in 2005. A whopping 26 percent of those resolutions were to improve overall health and fitness, making this the top category for self-improvement. This year was no anomaly, either, according to Amy O’Connor, deputy editor of Prevention magazine: “Fifty-nine million people every year resolve to lose weight.”
So, is there a healthy diet product out there that will actually work? More than likely, the answer is yes. Although there is quite a bit of fraudulent weight loss merchandise on the market today, there is also (somewhere out there) a diet program and weight loss plan that will work for us. The challenge is to find that diet product or diet plan.
-> Repeat Business:
The diet and weight loss industry is a huge money making machine. According to Marketdata Enterprises, the annual revenue for the diet industry was over $30 billion dollars in 1990. A 2005 report by Stanford University documents that the consumer diet industry is now approximately $44 billion and growing. With all this money flowing around, haven’t we as a country spent enough to fix the obesity problem once and for all?
How can the diet industry keep making more and more money, year after year? After all, $44 billion dollars is a lot of cash! The answer to that question is simple: repeat business. “98% of today’s dieters gain the weight back in 5 years. 90% of those individuals end up gaining back more than they lost originally, due to the body’s panic and efforts to stabilize metabolic rates over the long term” (Source: Stanford University; stanford.edu).
How do the diet-promoters get all that repeat business? The diet industry is a very unique enterprise in that, when it fails someone, they rarely blame the product. We are hard-pressed to find another business where, if the product doesn’t work, we blame ourselves. All too often, after giving up on yet another diet program, we find ourselves thinking “Well, I guess I’m just not a good enough dieter.” The tendency is for us to believe that we failed the diet rather than the other way around.
Apply this same logic to the automotive industry, and it soon becomes clear just how faulty this line of reasoning really is. What would happen if we take our car in to the mechanic for repairs and when we returned to pick it up he told us that although we still had to pay the bill, he was unable to fix the problem? Would we willing pay the bill anyway and just say “Oh well, I guess it’s just a bad car?” Of course not! That would be ridiculous! But that’s exactly what we do when it comes to diets.
-> One Size Does Not Fit All:
What we need to realize is that there is probably a weight loss product or weight loss plan out there that will work for us, but it may not be the same one our friends or co-workers used. To find the best weight loss program for us, we absolutely must realize that one size does not fit all. What worked for our sibling or spouse may not work for us, and what works for us may not work for them.
It’s probably safe to say that any diet supplement has helped somebody, but it’s also true that no weight loss drug or plan has helped everybody. Each person has a unique metabolism and very individual nutritional needs, so no single plan will work for everyone.
-> How To Find The Right Weight Loss Diet:
Some fat burner products on the market today do indeed work. Others are a complete rip-off. How do you tell the difference? Where do you go for accurate and reliable weight loss information?
First and foremost, talk with your doctor. Your own personal physician is likely to be honest with you and provide you with the facts. In addition, he or she can help you decide which weight loss supplement may be right for your personal situation.
There are also quite a few reputable organizations that provide accurate information on fat loss. Some of the better resources include: * American Cancer Society - www.cancer.org * Centers For Disease Control - www.cdc.gov * Diet Scam Watch - www.dietscam.org * Calories Per Hour - www.caloriesperhour.com * Harvard Medical School - www.health.harvard.edu * Mayo Clinic - www.mayoclinic.org * Shape Up America - www.shapeup.org * Calorie Control Council - www.caloriecontrol.org * President’s Council On Physical Fitness - www.fitness.gov
When seeking a healthy weight loss plan, it’s important that no food be strictly forbidden. There should not be any (or many) foods that we avoid completely 100% of the time. Why? Because that sets us up for failure! For example, if fudge is one of our favorites and we force ourselves to NOT eat fudge at the holiday party, then for many of us what we’ve done is set ourselves up for a binge fudge-festival.
Avoiding our favorite foods entirely is a too much self-deprivation for most people, and this sets us up for binge-eating. That’s a recipe for disaster!
A much better approach is to enjoy foods in moderation. Watch those serving sizes! Enjoy and savor one piece of fudge! It’s better to enjoy one piece of fudge and then stop than attempt to deprive ourselves entirely, only to end up eating the whole pan.
A good diet and nutrition program will also help us keep in mind the cost of the foods we eat. We’re not talking about dollars and cents here, but the FITNESS cost of the food. When picking up that fudge, keep in mind what it will cost to enjoy it. When picking up a plate at the buffet table, let’s take a moment to pause and think to ourselves: “The cost of this fudge will be an extra _____ minutes of exercise…..is that worth it to me?” Maybe. Maybe not. That’s for each of us to decide on our own.
The point is that we should be conscious of our food decisions. No foods are forbidden entirely, but we do need to watch our portion sizes and carefully consider the cost of each food. Any good weight management program will incorporate these concepts and also will be approved by your doctor.
-> How To Find The Right Weight Loss Supplement:
Perhaps even more so than with weight loss diets, when searching for weight loss supplements it is critical to rely on the advice of your physician. The careful and supervised use of weight loss diet pills, combined with a sensible diet and regular exercise, can lead to quick weight loss and even easy weight loss (or at least easier than you expected).
Beware, however, the supplement scams on the market. It seems that every time we turn around we are blasted and bombarded with the latest, greatest, new and improved treatment for obesity. The gimmicks just keep coming. The sad truth is that few of these products work. Even fewer will result in real, permanent and lasting fat loss. A very few of the weight loss gimmicks on the market today are not only a consumer rip-off, but they are also quite dangerous…..even deadly.
As an example, consider the prescription diet drug Meridia. Does it help you lose weight? For some people, the answer is yes. For others, the answer is no. Can it kill you? The answer to this question seems to be a nervous ‘maybe’. “The consumer group Public Citizen had petitioned the Food and Drug Administration for a ban, citing Meridia users who died of heart problems as young as their 20s and 30s. Even before Meridia was approved for sale, the FDA knew it could increase users’ blood pressure, the group contended.” (Source: cnn.com)
This week the FDA again refused to ban Meridia, even though whistleblower David Graham (an FDA drug safety officer) testified to Congress last fall that his agency was allowing five unsafe medicines to stay on the market, including Meridia.
Another example of a dangerous weight loss drug is ephedra. Ephedra was banned in the United States last year, in part due to numerous deaths attributed to this popular weight loss supplement. On April 14 2005, a federal Judge in Utah reversed the short-lived ban on ephedra. Within minutes, spammers were filling our email boxes with messages to BUY BUY BUY before ephedra was banned again.
Yes, ephedra will help some people lose weight. Yes, ephedra is safe for some people in low doses. But there is that little nagging fact that people have DIED and that their deaths have been attributed to ephedra use…..
Yet another example of a dangerous diet drug is steroids. For whatever reason, some people have decided that anabolic steroids are the best way to lose weight. Despite the well-documented and serious side-effects of steroid use, the lure of easy weight loss has caused many to throw caution to the wind. Perhaps the most concerning trend is steroid use among our teenage population: “Teens also listed steroids, growth hormone, amino acids and other potentially unhealthful products among those they’d tried in the previous year.” (Source: cnn.com)
There do exist, however, some diet supplements that work and are also quite safe. Again, it is never a good idea to begin any supplementation program without first seeking the advice and approval of your doctor.
Three popular and dependable fat loss products designed to help you lose weight fast are ChromeMate, Lipotropic Plus and Super L-Carnitine.
Chromium helps insulin metabolize fat, turn protein into muscle and convert sugar into energy. ChromeMate, a unique form of niacin-bound chromium, is designed to optimize energy output. It accomplishes this by increasing the amount of glucose available for energy production nearly twenty-fold. It also is the “master” nutrient for controlling blood sugar, which in turn curbs sugar cravings. What’s more, a study at Auburn University showed that ChromeMate reduced LDL cholesterol by an average of 14%. In fact, ChromeMate has been awarded a patent for lowering cholesterol.
The Lipotropic Plus Formula is scientifically-engineered to assist in the breakdown, distribution and burning (oxidation) of fatty acids. The active ingredients actually accelerate the fat-burning process by breaking down fat cells into smaller particles (emulsification) to be used for fuel during exercise.
Super L-Carnitine is essential for fat burning. I.B. Fritz and K.T.N. Yue, physiologists from the University of Michigan, discovered that Carnitine actually accelerates fat-burning. Without it, fat is unable to penetrate the walls of the mitochondria of the muscle cells. Carnitine is the shuttle that carries fat into your body’s furnaces (muscles) to be burned for energy. Super L-Carnitine increases the rate of fat utilization for fuel.
-> Weight Loss Exercise:
In this article we’ve been discussing weight loss diets and weight loss supplements. At this point it is essential that we add the third and most important component of overall health and fitness: exercise.
Exercise is one weight loss method that has never been banned, has never led to an investigation, and has never been been listed on a ‘whistleblower’ fraud report.
Exercise is the only path to health and fitness that virtually every doctor in the world agrees upon. Exercise is safe, effective, and brings many more benefits to our lives than diets or drugs ever will alone. Exercise is fun, invigorating, motivating and the single most powerful way to improve our life and well-being!
Yes, it’s quite possible to lose weight without participating in regular exercise. However, diet and exercise combined will help us burn fat faster than we thought possible! Weight loss achieved by regular exercise and diet will be healthy weight loss because of all the benefits we obtain from regular exercise:
1. Strengthens muscles 2. Strengthens bone 3. Strengthens ligaments 4. Strengthens tendons 5. Strengthens immune system 6. Improves muscle tone 7. Improves endurance 8. Improves strength 9. Improves self esteem 10. Improves confidence 11. Improves balance 12. Improves physical appearance 13. Improves physical performance 14. Improves glucose tolerance 15. Improves circulation 16. Improves memory 17. Lower risk of heart disease 18. Lower risk of diabetes 19. Lower risk of cancer 20. Lower blood pressure 21. Lower cholesterol 22. Lower risk of stroke 23. Lower risk of osteoporosis 24. Lower risk of osteoarthritis 25. Lower requirements for medication 26. Lower risk of injury 27. Lower bodyfat 28. Helps with sleep disorders 29. Reduces post-operative complications 30. Reduces frequency of illness 31. Prevent Alzheimer’s disease 32. Prevents muscle loss 33. Increases metabolism 34. Eases symptoms of menopause 35. Healthier pregnancy 36. Fewer problems with childbirth 37. Reduces ovulation problems 38. Prevents heartburn
Reaching your ideal weight via a healthy and active lifestyle has been found to lower health risks and medical problems in 90 percent of overweight patients. In addition to the exercise benefits listed above, fit people are eight times less likely to die from cancer than the unfit, and 53 percent less likely to die from other diseases. Fit people are also eight times less likely to die from heart disease.
Without a doubt, regular exercise is the most important piece of the puzzle and the best way to achieve rapid weight loss. Exercise is the safest way to achieve permanent fat loss, and when combined with a sound diet and nutrition program the body is turned into a virtual fat-burning furnace!
-> Conclusion:
Fast weight loss is possible if we, under the supervision and approval of our doctor, combine a sensible diet with a diet pill or weight loss pill that is safe and effective. When we combine these three fat-burning strategies it is almost guaranteed that we will experience quick weight loss results.
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3 Dieting Scams to Watch Out For!
Posted on 04. Apr, 2009 by admin.
Monique Abrams asked:
Ever find yourself eating the foods you are told to eat but continue to gain weight? There is a reason for this and it’s very sad to believe. Here’s the truth: many of the foods we are told to eat are really not that great for you. Let me explain.
When you go to the grocery store, do you see several edible products that advertise 50% fat free, 20% fewer calories, no calorie food, etc? These little advertisements, more often than not, are NOT telling you the whole truth!
The FDA allows certain laws to pass that allow merchants the rights to bend the truth. Can you believe that? Maybe, you don’t believe me, but let us give this a little thought. So, the FDA allows merchants a little leeway to advertise products with the intentions of telling us we will lose weight or lose fat when we consume their goods, so we buy their product (and they know we will because who doesn’t want to look good), they can jack up the prices, and we will pay more taxes and that money goes to whom? Here’s another point of view: The weight loss and fat loss phase comes rushing through the market and all those junk food companies have no healthy food to sell! What will happen to the market when they all go out of business?
Don’t be a victim of this!
The person who is in real danger is you!
Here are 3 lies that DO NOT lead to weight loss or fat loss but could actually lead to weight gain:
#1 They Say “Now With 50% Less Fat”…..
This one’s another way to manipulate the “fat free” rules.
It began in the 1970’s, when there was tons of fattening graham crackers, cookies, etc. The low fat craze began, and companies were worried about losing money.
So let’s say a graham cracker had a total weight of 100 grams, and 50 of them were from fat. 50% worth of fat doesn’t sound good to a diet conscious customer, so here’s what companies did (and still do)…
They would literally ADD 200 more grams of sugar to the product.
So now it had 200 grams of total weight, and 50 were from fat.
This way, they could claim “Now With 50% Less Fat!”
It’s disgusting, really.
#2 They Say It’s FAT FREE, but it’s Not The Whole Truth!
A lot of products claim to be 99% (or any %) fat free… when in actuality, they’re not at ALL.
If you ever look at a nutritional label for one of these products, you might see that there’s a certain amount of calories… and that a huge number of them are from FAT.
So How Do They Get Away With It?
According to the FDA, a company can claim to be X% fat free based off the VOLUME of a food. So, if there’s 75 grams worth of fat… but the total package is 2500 grams of WEIGHT… they’re allowed to say its 97% fat free, even when it’s NOT!
Let’s say a company has a popular cookie that sells well. Problem is, it’s full of fat. As you know, people to love to buy their “low fat” products… and companies want more cash. So, what they do is simply ADD water to their recipe, pump up the total weight, and claim that it’s “x% fat free”. So let’s say a recipe calls for 2 cups of oil. The company will simply add another 2 cups of water to the mix, and presto - they can advertise that it has half the fat!
You’re literally eating the same exact amount of fat as the full-fat products. Just on a product with a prettier label.
Among others, this technique is used to sell 2% milk as 98% fat free.
Crazy, isn’t it? Remember… that’s just number ONE!
Okay… now we’re on to #3, the one that shocked me the most…
#3 Anything Can Be Calorie FREE
Any time there’s a serving size that has 5 or less calories, the FDA allows a company to say that its “fat free”.
The imitation butter… the diet soda… sugar free candies… sugar free gum… none if it is 0 calorie.
At all.
To be fair, the diet soda and sugar free gum are still pretty low calorie… but other things, like the imitation butter, are FULL of pure fat and calories.
(And FYI… the same rule applies to “sugar free”. Anything can be called ’sugar free’ as long as the serving size is less than .5 grams of sugar per serving.)
The biggest secret to weight loss and fat loss is to become educated about diet food and working out.
Stop wasting money on products that aren’t intended to make you healthier!
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Dieting, Scams and Losing Weight
Posted on 04. Apr, 2009 by admin.
Richard Keir asked:
/>I’ve been reading so much stuff on diets and weight loss that I’ve lost about 15 pounds since I just can’t stand to eat anything anymore. Not protein, not carbs, not chocolate, nothing.
And I’m getting very hungry, but for what? It’s astonishing how many different diets are being pushed. And then there are the pill, herb, and extract scams. A number of the fad diets are downright dangerous. Use of zero-cal sugar substitutes may not only be extremely dangerous, but there’s some evidence that they may cause weight gains.
I just ran into this site set up by the FTC and the Competition Bureau of Canada to give us all a vivid lesson in how some of these scams work and the kind of claims most fraudulent diet sites use. It’s well worth taking a look at: http://wemarket4u.net/fatfoe/ and be sure to click on the order link to see the analysis they provide of the type of claims you need to be careful of.
If you’re lazy or disinclined to take a look at it, lets look at some of the usual scam tip-off claims. First, you can not lose weight by eating all the high calorie food you want. It sounds too good to be true and it is.
The only - ONLY - way to lose weight is by reducing your caloric intake and/or increasing how much you exercise to burn off the calories you take in.
Now that’s annoying, but true. To lose weight you’re probably going to have to both diet and exercise more.
Any plan that claims you can lose 3 pounds or more a week is either outright lying or exceptionally dangerous. Survivable, sustainable and healthy weight takes time - and effort. day
Nothing exists which blocks “fat or calorie absorption” and anything that claims to do it is an outright scam.
No weight loss product or system works for everyone. We’re all different and we need different approaches.
No product can cause permanent weight loss (unless it kills you of course). Maintaining any weight loss requires a sensible diet and regular exercise.
Patches, gels and creams — nothing that you apply to your skin has been proven to cause weight loss.
So why do we continue to fall for this kind of thing? It’s actually pretty obvious. We all want an easy, fast, no pain solution to all of our problems. Scam artists use this to guarantee that what we lose is our money.
The unfortunate truth is that there is no “magic bullet” for anything. Oh, we want to believe. We want desperately to believe that we can achieve whatever our dream is without any pain or hard work. And that desire is the hook that every con is based on.
Weight loss is no different than getting rich overnight (with no work). No way. Don’t be conned, if you want to and need to lose weight there a few simple things you should do. First - see your doctor and develop a reasonable diet that reduces your caloric intake and - with medical approval - start an exercise regimen.
You need to modify your lifestyle and then, to keep the weight off, you need to maintain a healthy diet and a rational exercise plan. We may all wish there were an easier way, but it doesn’t exist.
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The Diet Scams – Exposed
Posted on 02. Apr, 2009 by admin.
Ryan asked:
I’m sure you have received those tempting ads that seem to arrive regularly in the post - seductive brochures showing a terrible before picture and a totally reformed person with a much happier outlook after they lost so much weight with their “revolutionary program”. They push diet pills, patches and potions promising miracles to tempt you to part with you hard earned cash. They show you documented “scientific” proof. They even have the endorsements by medical and scientific “experts” to back up their claims.
You know that you must think logically and think deeper before proceeding but the urge to make your life situation better just makes you want to put the money down and hope for the best. The unfortunate truth is that if you dig deeper, chances are the results aren’t as great as they promised. With just a little research online you will see that you can find nothing posted from any believable source about the product or the experts depicted so glowingly.
The worst part is that when you discover little hints of something not being right such as when you see offer after offer sent by the same company using the same return address. Now the chances of a company hitting on a miracle product once are remote but three such products in one year? No way! It’s a high chance that the products that they are pushing have either no or little diet or weight loss benefit.
The important thing to realize is that whenever you receive something which sounds like it’s the answer to your prayers, stand back a little from the hype and the excitement of finding a miracle solution to your weight problems and think clearly.
Always ask yourself “Is this another diet scam?”
Generally you’ll avoid being ripped-off if you decide NOT to buy those things you think the rest of the world has missed. Believe me the world’s press and TV (and dieters everywhere) would ALL be shouting from the roof tops if those weight loss patches, pills and potions worked. It’s unlikely you’d be the first to know because the manufacturers would be telling the media about it first and not just sending you a letter out of the blue. If it isn’t touted in the news and the media and it’s a “one time special offer” then the writing on the walls are quite obvious.
The classic saying is that if something sounds too good to be true - it probably is. If something requires you to make no changes whatsoever other than to take a diet pill or stick a patch on your thigh then you can bet your last dollar that there will be no visible changes in your body size as a result either. Worst still is that there could actually be harm if you decide to take too much of the product.
I understand that it’s very tempting, when you’ve struggled to lose weight for a long time, to want to believe any promise of a miracle that comes along, most of these marketers know this and will try to sell you the “hope” factor. But please don’t - you’re just letting yourself in for disappointment and heartache that way. And you’re only delaying the start of the real process of losing weight - the day when you finally realise you can only do this by sensible and consistent changes in your eating and exercise habits. That is the bottom line. Anything else is always secondary.
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Ftc Names Dirty Dozen Email Scams
Posted on 02. Apr, 2009 by admin.
SD Lawyer asked:
The solicitations trumpet unbelievable earnings claims $1,000 a day or more without doing any work. Many business opportunity solicitations claim to offer a way to make money in an Internet-related business. Short on details but long on promises, these messages usually offer a telephone number to call for more information. In many cases, you’ll be told to leave your name and telephone number so that a salesperson can call you back with the sales pitch.
The scam: Many of these are illegal pyramid schemes masquerading as legitimate opportunities to earn money.
2. Bulk email
Bulk email solicitations offer to sell you lists of email addresses, by the millions, to which you can send your own bulk solicitations. Some offer software that automates the sending of email messages to thousands or millions of recipients. Others offer the service of sending bulk email solicitations on your behalf. Some of these offers say, or imply, that you can make a lot of money using this marketing method.
The problem: Sending bulk email violates the terms of service of most Internet service providers. If you use one of the automated email programs, your ISP may shut you down. In addition, inserting a false return address into your solicitations, as some of the automated programs allow you to do, may land you in legal hot water with the owner of the address’s domain name. There are also very strict rules, known as the CAN-SPAM Act, regulating bulk email marketing.
3. Chain letters
You’re asked to send a small amount of money ($5 to $20) to each of four or five names on a list, replace one of the names on the list with your own, and then forward the revised message via bulk email. The letter may claim that the scheme is legal, that it’s been reviewed or approved by the government; or it may refer to sections of U.S. law that legitimize the scheme.
The scam: Chain letters are almost always illegal and nearly all of the people who participate lose their money. The fact that a “product” such as a report on how to make money fast may be changing hands in the transaction does not change the legality of these schemes.
4. Work-at-home schemes
Envelope-stuffing solicitations promise steady income for minimal labor-for example, you’ll earn $2 each time you fold a brochure and seal it in an envelope. Craft assembly work schemes often require an investment of hundreds of dollars in equipment or supplies, and many hours of your time producing goods for a company that has promised to buy them.
The scam: You’ll pay a small fee to get started in the envelope-stuffing business. Then, you’ll learn that the email sender never had real employment to offer. Instead, you’ll get instructions on how to send the same envelope-stuffing ad on your own. If you earn any money, it will be from others who fall for the scheme you’re perpetuating.
5. Health and diet scams
Pills that let you lose weight without exercising or changing your diet, herbal formulas that liquefy your fat cells so that they are absorbed by your body, and cures for impotence and hair loss are among the scams flooding email boxes.
The scam: These gimmicks don’t work. The fact is that successful weight loss requires a reduction in calories and an increase in physical activity. Beware of case histories from “cured” consumers claiming amazing results and testimonials from “famous” medical experts you’ve never heard of.
6. Effortless income
The trendiest get-rich-quick schemes offer unlimited profits exchanging money on world currency markets; newsletters describing a variety of easy-money opportunities; the perfect sales letter; and the secret to making $4,000 in one day.
The scam: If these systems worked, wouldn’t everyone be using them? The thought of easy money may be appealing, but success generally requires hard work.
7. Free goods
Some email messages offer valuable goods-for example, computers, other electronic items, and long-distance phone cards-for free. You’re asked to pay a fee to join a club, then told that to earn the offered goods, you have to bring in a certain number of participants. You’re paying for the right to earn income by recruiting other participants, but your payoff is in goods, not money.
The scam: Most of these messages are covering up pyramid schemes, operations that inevitably collapse. The payoff goes to the promoters and little or none to you.
8. Investment opportunities
Investment schemes promise outrageously high rates of return with no risk. Many are Ponzi schemes, in which early investors are paid off with money contributed by later investors. This makes the early investors believe that the system actually works, and encourages them to invest even more.
The scam: Ponzi schemes eventually collapse because there isn’t enough money coming in to continue simulating earnings. Other schemes are a good investment for the promoters, but no for participants.
9. Cable descrambler kits
For a small sum of money, you can buy a kit to assemble a cable descrambler that supposedly allows you to receive cable television transmissions without paying any subscription fee.
The scam: The device that you build probably won’t work. Most of the cable TV systems in the U.S. use technology that these devices can’t crack. What’s more, even if it worked, stealing service from a cable television company is illegal.
10. Guaranteed loans or credit, on easy terms
Some email messages offer home-equity loans that don’t require equity in your home. Usually, these are said to be offered by offshore banks. Sometimes they are combined with pyramid schemes, which offer you an opportunity to make money by attracting new participants to the scheme.
The scams: The home equity loans turn out to be useless lists of lenders who will turn you down. The promised credit cards never come through, and the pyramid schemes always collapse.
11. Credit repair
Credit repair scams offer to erase accurate negative information from your credit file so you can qualify for a credit card, auto loan, home mortgage, or a job.
The scam: The scam artists who promote these services can’t deliver. Only time, a deliberate effort, and a personal debt repayment plan will improve your credit. The companies that advertise credit repair services appeal to consumers with poor credit histories. Not only can’t they provide you with a clean credit record, but they also may be encouraging you to violate federal law. If you follow their advice by lying on a loan or credit application, misrepresenting your Social Security number, or getting an Employer Identification Number under false pretenses, you will be committing fraud.
12. Vacation prize promotions
Electronic certificates congratulating you on “winning” a fabulous vacation for a very attractive price are among the scams arriving in your email. Some say you have been “specially selected” for this opportunity.
The scam: Most unsolicited commercial email goes to thousands or millions of recipients at a time. Often, the cruise ship you’re booked on may look more like a tug boat. The hotel accommodations likely are shabby, and you may be required to pay more for an upgrade. Scheduling the vacation at the time you want it also may require an additional fee.
In Closing
Don’t check your common sense at the door simply because you are surfing the web. If it seems to good to be true, it is. Don’t fall victim to these scams.
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The Diet Solution
Posted on 01. Apr, 2009 by admin.
Larry Buhrandt asked:
The Diet Solution
A Comprehensive Weight Loss Program
How many of you have tried one or two of the Hollywood diet scams over the years? How about diet pills, impossible-to-follow starvation diets, or late-night infomercial gimmicks? I must admit to have fallen for some of those fad diets myself. And all I lost was my hard earned money. Wouldn’t you like to hear about a proven, easy way to live and eat that will eliminate your weight loss and health struggles in just a matter of days?
This brand new eating plan is research-proven. It will destroy your urges for bad foods and binge-eating; plus you will burn belly fat, cellulite, and all of your extra pounds.This simple, refreshing eating plan promises to unchain you from fatigue, your depression, your frustrations, and allow you to live your life to the fullest.
First, there is one revolutionary principle that any person wanting to lose weight must know! You must control your insulin levels to lose weight! Now don’t stop reading because you think this sounds like it will be too difficult to understand and follow. The hardest part has already been done for you over the past 15 years of research and mistakes.
We keep searching for the diet that tells us what we want to hear. The diet plan that tells you that you don’t need to eat healthy, just take our pill”. But when will we face the truth? You can’t eat absolute junk and still lose weight, and be healthy. Come on. Deep down you know that’s the truth.
But how can we eat healthy food and still enjoy it? That’s what no plan has ever told you before. We have the manual with the correct nutritional program you will need to lose weight, and even resolve conditions such as heart disease, high cholesterol and diabetes.
You can say goodbye to calorie counting forever. (Who has the time to calculate that on a daily basis anyway?) You will be told exactly how much to eat and teach you the secret behind “just looking” at your food and knowing how much is the right amount for you.
Learn a specific way to determine your personal metabolism so that you can choose the precise foods that are best for you (no nutrition program can begin without this) And did you know that the #1 health food that is causing everyone to gain weight? We can fill you in on that information as well.
People that try this program can’t believe how easy it is. By just putting in place a few simple principles, following the detailed daily meal plans, the weight just keeps coming off.
We are so confident in the Diet Solution Program that it comes with a money back guarantee if you’re not satisfied. But when so many people have already achieved their health goals and improved their quality of life, I’m sure you will be happy with The Diet Solution as well.
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Important Reasons Why You Should Avoid Fad Diets for Weight Loss
Posted on 01. Apr, 2009 by admin.
Robert Bauer asked:
We live in a diet crazed world. Despite the fact a large number of our population is dieting and focusing on weight loss, the obesity epidemic continues to grow.
The reason the problem is getting worse is because people are falling for diet scams. They switch from one top 10 fad diet to the next while they search for diet plan secrets that cure obesity.
The truth about dieting is something we don’t want to hear. It takes hard work and determination to lose weight and there is no magic fat loss pill.
The Truth about Top 10 Fad Diets
Not all diets are alike. Even the most popular weight loss programs like the South Beach Diet and the Atkins Diet end their similarities at the word diet. In fact, there are few diet plans available to help you achieve fat loss and improve your overall health.
Fad diets are spun off of research tidbits. Often times the top 10 fad diets have not even been tested. Worse yet, some diets have been proven harmful to your health. Most fad diets are simply scams intended to make money off of overweight, unsuspecting individuals. Sadly, many of them succeed.
Ultimately what happens when you follow a fad deit is that you’ll lose a few pounds initially, stall out when you reach a plateau, and start to feel deprived and hungry all the time. Eventually frustration wins out and you return to your old ways of eating what made you overweight in the first place. Because you feel deprived, you are more likely to binge on the foods you crave and gain back the weight you lost along with additional weight.
The bottom line seems to be: fad diets actually make you gain weight over the long haul. Bouncing from one top 10 fad diet to the next worsens the situation as your body adjusts and goes into starvation mode.
Total fasting, or ‘the starvation plan’, as the only weight loss strategy, is not the answer to your problem. Each time you diet in this way, you lose fat, water and muscle and each time you gain, you gain only fat. That’s why it gets harder and harder to shed the unwanted pounds.
The bottom line seems to be: fad diets actually make you gain weight over the long haul. Bouncing from one top 10 fad diet to the next worsens the situation as your body adjusts and goes into starvation mode.
The Reason Overweight People Turn to Top 10 Fad Diets
When people decide that they have had enough of being overweight, it suddenly becomes a top priority to lose weight. They want instant gratification and are drawn in by diet scams that promise fast weight loss.
Most people think that the more money they spend on a product, the better effect it will have on their weight loss program. The problem with these diet fads is that even if their weight loss tips do help you lose a few pounds in the beginning, you will not be able to reach your weight loss goal and maintain it.
Few diets actually focus on the healthy lifestyle changes that it takes to lose fat and keep it off.
The Truth about Common Sense Diets
The truth about common sense dieting is that the only way to lose weight, improve your health and improve your quality of life is to eat healthier foods and exercise.
A common sense diet details what to eat and drink and provides a “simple plan” for success. Knowing what key foods to eat and when, is half the battle for fat loss.
Starvation diets and over-exercising don’t work. They leave you feeling weak and deprived. Eating certain healthy organic and whole foods at the right times during the day, in large enough portions to feel full and satisfied is the key to weight loss and is the focus of healthy weight loss programs.
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What is Wu Yi Tea a Diet Scam Means?
Posted on 31. Mar, 2009 by admin.
Dr. Benedict Ewens asked:
Now days there are a lot of slimming teas that we can find in the market. Most of them really do not know that are the slimming tea really help to reduce the weight. Most of them questioning them self Can tea help you to lose weight fast? This article may help you to find out all the answers for your question. Enjoy reading and try to understand the task. After the buzz of Oolong tea and green tea, you have another choice now: Wu Yi Tea diet.
Recently you may survey a lot of Google commercial on Wu Yi tea diet. The vendors claim that they have a top secret source of Wu Yi tea that can help you to lose weight fast naturally and melt fat rapidly. Studies have shown Wu Yi tea contains a substance called “Polypheno”, which activates enzyme to dismiss fat. Their websites also give you the idea that Wu Yi tea diet is authorized by celebrity like Oprah Winfrey and Rachel Ray. Now the question is, can you lose weight with Wu Yi tea diet?
Let’s us first take a closer look of Wu Yi tea. One common misconception about wu yi tea is that it’s a scam. Because Wu Yi becomes popular in the past few years, some people have made some radical claims about the tea. It is really a type of Oolong tea harvested in Wu Yi. According to Wikipedia, Oolong is a traditional Chinese tea with 10-70% oxidation. As you may know, Wu Yi tea comes from the Fuji a province in China. In addition, Wu Yi tea diet helps to rapidity up metabolism and promotes weight loss. It’s said to be more successful in fat loss as compared to green tea.
In a Wu Yi tea diet, you are advised to take Wu Yi tea twice a day. You should also incorporate sensible diet and regular exercise into your daily life. Many people incorrectly assume that Wu Yi is a scam because they want an instant solution, drink the tea irregularly, drink without diet or exercise, or have fake tea. So to avoid al this try to get more information about the tea in a lot outsourcers.
In my opinion, I find that the website of Wu Yi tea somewhat unconvinced. I try to find out about the price of the Wu Yi tea from vendor’s website. However, it won’t let me see the price until I go through the sign up process. That way make me to think its will really work or not. In addition, their advertising perform is questionable and I really cant understand their plan. They give you the feeling that they have testimonials from Oprah and Rachel Ray. But we really do not know whether or not the testimonials really belong to whom. In fact, there’s no state of “Wu Yi Tea diet” in Oprah’s official website.
The bottom line is, Wu Yi tea diet is not a thrilling solution to your weight issue. The Wu Yi tea diet declares that you can lose up to 30 pounds or more. If you give the tea a try and have realistic expectations, you’ll realize that it’s not a scam but a scientifically proven weight loss dietary supplement. However, as with all other diet plans, do not imagine miracles very fast.
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Six Pack Abs Expert Explains Diet Scams
Posted on 31. Mar, 2009 by admin.
arnel ricafranca asked:
Everyone knows it, you can’t avoid it. Everywhere you look you see weight loss headlines that say things such as “lose 30 lbs in 30 days” or “get fit fast with these diet pills” or lose 20 lbs while eating whatever you want.” There is one word that sums up what these types of headlines these are…..SCAMS. You should not believe an ad that tells you that you can lose weight in a short amount of time. Especially if they tell you that you don’t have to exercise. You will not get results that way. Think about it, if any of these crazy diets worked, why does the obesity in America continue to rise? In this country alone, 65% of the population is overweight.
With all the scam diets out there today, a person will probably see at least three a day. You can see them on TV, in magazines, on the internet and even on the radio. When someone sees one of these ads and is eager to lose weight fast. These ads appeal to them. They wonder if the diet they see will work for them which leads to other questions. Some people will stop at nothing to make themselves loose weight. Everyone is looking for the fastest and easiest way to do so. That is why these ad scams work so well. Of course you are going to want to know more about a diet that tells you that you can loose weight in less than 5 days or a weight loss plan that tells you you can eat whatever you want. That is definitely appealing to someone desperate. So the person will find out more and most likely do the diet or buy whatever they need to start it. It won’t be long before they will realize that the diet is not working for them. But this wont be the end, the person will more than likely just try a different scam off of an infomercial or someplace else. This can go on for years. Also, many of these diets are not even good for your body. If it was true that you could loose 10 pounds in a week then you are putting your heart at risk.
People need to realize that loosing weight isn’t easy. Nor can it be made easy with any special diet. To loose weight successfully you will have to change your routine and lifestyle. You must find an exercising program you can keep up with and most importantly you need to stick to it. You may think that trying to loose weight using an exercise program and strict eating habits will take a long time to achieve your goals. If that’s what you are thinking, stop and think about all the time, effort and money you put into trying to make those diet scams work.
Exercising to loose weight is dramatically effective over time. The diet scams you see everywhere are not effective. The next time you fall victim to being convinced that a certain diet you saw on TV will work, just remember it will not be effective and nine times out of ten you will not get the results exercising will give you.
Arnel Ricafranca is a six pack abs expert, fitness boot camp coach, author, and a motivational speaker. He has authored and co-authored several books including The Ultimate Weight Loss Success Strategies For Busy Men and Women Over 40 available online at www.elitefitnessexperts.com. Mr. Ricafranca has been featured as the fitness expert on numerous media such as Jersey 101.5 FM, and Morris Health and Life Magazine, and numerous websites such as NBC WALB 10 News, NBC KPLC 7 News, and KTRE ABC 9 news. Mr. Ricafranca can be reached via email at fitnessvip@gmail.com
Arnel Ricafranca’s websites
http://www.iwantsixpackabs.com
http://www.womensworkoutguide.com
http://www.mensworkoutguide.com
http://www.workoutseries.com
http://www.introtobodybuilding.com
http://www.howtogetbigger.com
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How to Choose the Best Weight Loss Diet
Posted on 31. Mar, 2009 by admin.
Alex asked:
If you see a diet that claims instant results I bet you won’t find it too trustworthy. There are tons of weight loss diet scams online who should you really trust?
Losing 30 pounds in 30 days is pretty much impossible in most of the cases. These type of diets that promise unbelievable results in such a short time are usually endorsed by an athlete or a celebrity just to offer more trust and make you buy them, however they will not work and your red flags should go up instantly.
Everyone is different and this means that you might be able to lose 20 pounds while someone else will only lose 10 pounds or less by following the exact same diet. We all have different metabolisms and the amount of calories that we burn can vary from one to another no matter what foods we eat.
The two most important things that you need to keep in mind while dieting is to eliminate fried foods, fast foods and to exercise but again not too frequently. If you exercise and lower the calories you take in you might end up burning more muscle than fat which is not your goal. Starving or depriving yourself from certain foods is not the way to successful weight loss.
An effective weight lose diet is the calorie shifting method which is the hottest debate in the weight loss industry right now. The method is based on keeping your metabolism running high while you take in right amounts of calories by eating the foods that you like several times a day and still burn fat.
Conclusion: Starving yourself, eating low fat or low carb foods is not necessarily the way to go when looking to lose weight.
If you see a diet that claims instant results I bet you won’t find it too trustworthy. There are tons of weight loss diet scams online who should you really trust?
Losing 30 pounds in 30 days is pretty much impossible in most of the cases. These type of diets that promise unbelievable results in such a short time are usually endorsed by an athlete or a celebrity just to offer more trust and make you buy them, however they will not work and your red flags should go up instantly.
Everyone is different and this means that you might be able to lose 20 pounds while someone else will only lose 10 pounds or less by following the exact same diet. We all have different metabolisms and the amount of calories that we burn can vary from one to another no matter what foods we eat.
The two most important things that you need to keep in mind while dieting is to eliminate fried foods, fast foods and to exercise but again not too frequently. If you exercise and lower the calories you take in you might end up burning more muscle than fat which is not your goal. Starving or depriving yourself from certain foods is not the way to successful weight loss.
An effective weight lose diet is the calorie shifting method which is the hottest debate in the weight loss industry right now. The method is based on keeping your metabolism running high while you take in right amounts of calories by eating the foods that you like several times a day and still burn fat.
Conclusion: Starving yourself, eating low fat or low carb foods is not necessarily the way to go when looking to lose weight.