While people are still struggling to keep their New Year’s resolutions to lose weight, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is trying to make sure supplement companies don’t take unfair advantage of them. The FTC has announced action against four firms that it says are using deceptive claims to market their weight-loss supplements.
In one case, makers of a powder to be sprinkled on food will have to refund customers millions of dollars and refrain from further marketing unless it has two clinical trials showing that the powder works. A different company was also told that it would need to produce two adequate, well-controlled clinical trials supporting its weight-loss drops.
A third company was selling a skin cream to trim fat; the FTC nixed that claim as well. The final company got into trouble promoting its product through fake news websites. The take-home message for consumers: look for real science. Also, be skeptical: claims that sound too good to be true usually are.
We have spoken with several experts who have tested their weight loss approaches in clinical trials. One of the most popular is the 2-Day Diet. You can listen to a description here. If what you need is to harness your willpower, you may want to listen to our show with Kelly McGonigal, PhD.
