Weight Loss Program-Tips on Choosing a Legitimate Weight Loss Program

2008-12-20T23:50:00.000-08:00

No doubt you've seen the ads on your favorite websites - headlines such as, "Mom [in your city] loses 65 pounds!" And of course, there are dozens of sites that claim you can lose weight without diet or exercise. While sometimes it seems obvious that many of these sites and their products are scams designed to prey on the poor self-esteem and self-image of their overweight target audience, the "lose weight now" scams must be working, otherwise we wouldn't see so many of them on the internet.

To be fair, there are also legitimate, healthy programs being marketed online that are definitely not weight loss scams. But how can one tell the difference between a scam and a legitimate program? Here are some tips to help you sort out fact from the fiction.

Scam #1: "Lose Weight Without Any Exercise!"

The first sign that the program you are investigating is a scam is the claim that you can lose all the weight you need to lose without exercise. While it is true that a switch to a healthier diet will go a long way towards helping you lose weight (and initially when you make a diet switch you probably will notice a difference) weight loss programs are most effective and sustainable when combined with at least moderate exercise.

Scam #2: "Lose Weight While Eating Anything You Want!"

Any weight loss program that claims you can eat as much as you want and anything that you want is probably a weight loss scam. Again, if you are to lose weight in a manner you can actually sustain, you have to change your lifestyle. Just popping a pill is not going to work.

Scam #3: "Get Started Losing Weight with this Risk-Free Free Trial!"

Avoid weight loss programs that offer a free trial like the plague. These are almost always scams using the old-fashioned bait-and-switch. First they get you to sign up for your free trial, then they are asking for a credit card for the time period after the trial ends. Often times, when you've made your mistake and try to call the company to get your money back, you realize you can't seem to get anyone on the phone to take your call. Then it hits you: you've been scammed.

Fact: There are some good programs out there.

If you are serious about wanting to make a real lifestyle change and do something good for your body, there are weight loss programs out there that are legitimate. And unfortunately, because clever marketing works to sell a good product or a lousy product, sometimes websites selling legitimate weight loss programs might even look and feel the same as the weight loss scam websites. So remember these few things to look for:

Real change is slow change: anyone promising a miracle that will come overnight or in a week is probably not being honest.

Real change is lifestyle change: anyone who says you can lose all the weight you need to and keep it off without changing your eating patterns or your exercise habits is probably not being honest.

Real change doesn't start with a free trial: free trials are one of the main hallmarks of current weight loss scams - don't be fooled.