Health News
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom
I?ve seen a big increase in ?miracle? weight loss products to fight the battle of the bulge. We are bombarded with ads for quick weight loss in print, online, and on TV.
You?ve seen the ads with thin, muscled, and tanned men and women ? with teeth as large and bright as Chiclets gum ? standing near piles of high-calorie foods. There?s always a caption like ?Eat whatever you want and lose weight if you add ________!? Just fill in the blank with whatever product is being sold. Or maybe the ad is for a fitness contraption that provides a ?total body workout? in just 15 minutes a day that promises to ?boost your metabolism and weight loss.?
By law, there?s always a disclaimer included, usually in tiny letters at the bottom of the ad. ?Individual results can vary? or ?Results here not typical.?
And just when many of us have wised up to these kinds of product promotions and are no longer fooled, a new ad form has emerged that makes it much harder to figure out the truth. Advertisers now claim that ?research shows? or ?studies confirm? the product?s effectiveness.
Nowadays, it?s possible to find scientific evidence for nearly any claim. But many of these studies do not follow scientific principles, and the hard science that is found is not usually what is advertised.
The bottom line? It?s the adage ?If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.?
If you need advice for dietary supplements or fitness products, ask your doctor or another health professional, not Dr. Google.
Have you seen any crazy ads for weight loss or fitness products? Share them with us!
- Good News For ?yo-yo? Dieters
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom If you?ve lost and gained the same 20 (or 30, 40, 50+ pounds) for years and believe that you?ve ?wrecked? your metabolism and can?t maintain successful long term weight loss, there?s very good news for you!A recent article in...
- Weight Loss: One Size Does Not Fit All
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom If losing weight is your New Year's resolution, read on! This month, I'm going to share some of my favorite strategies to help you build your own weight loss tool box. I call it a BEAM box ? and it's based on the four...
- Body Image And Weight Loss
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom I can?t think of one person I know ? man or woman ? who is not critical in some way of their own body. The concept of a positive body image is foreign to many people ? especially those trying to lose weight. An interesting study...
- Hypnosis And Weight Loss
by Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom Hypnosis has been documented to help with smoking cessation, and it?s also been advertised to help with weight loss. Can you really think yourself thin? The mind-body connection is well documented in supporting a successful weight...
- The Skinny On Belly Fat
by Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom I have to chuckle when I see the new ?spin? on abdominal fat (apple shaped people!) as in ?Banish Your Belly Fat Now!? or ?Foods That Fight Belly Fat!? As if belly fat were some kind of separate part of the body that responds...
Health News
The Skinny on Weight Loss ?Miracles?
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom
I?ve seen a big increase in ?miracle? weight loss products to fight the battle of the bulge. We are bombarded with ads for quick weight loss in print, online, and on TV.
You?ve seen the ads with thin, muscled, and tanned men and women ? with teeth as large and bright as Chiclets gum ? standing near piles of high-calorie foods. There?s always a caption like ?Eat whatever you want and lose weight if you add ________!? Just fill in the blank with whatever product is being sold. Or maybe the ad is for a fitness contraption that provides a ?total body workout? in just 15 minutes a day that promises to ?boost your metabolism and weight loss.?
And just when many of us have wised up to these kinds of product promotions and are no longer fooled, a new ad form has emerged that makes it much harder to figure out the truth. Advertisers now claim that ?research shows? or ?studies confirm? the product?s effectiveness.
Nowadays, it?s possible to find scientific evidence for nearly any claim. But many of these studies do not follow scientific principles, and the hard science that is found is not usually what is advertised.
The bottom line? It?s the adage ?If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.?
If you need advice for dietary supplements or fitness products, ask your doctor or another health professional, not Dr. Google.
Have you seen any crazy ads for weight loss or fitness products? Share them with us!
- Good News For ?yo-yo? Dieters
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom If you?ve lost and gained the same 20 (or 30, 40, 50+ pounds) for years and believe that you?ve ?wrecked? your metabolism and can?t maintain successful long term weight loss, there?s very good news for you!A recent article in...
- Weight Loss: One Size Does Not Fit All
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom If losing weight is your New Year's resolution, read on! This month, I'm going to share some of my favorite strategies to help you build your own weight loss tool box. I call it a BEAM box ? and it's based on the four...
- Body Image And Weight Loss
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom I can?t think of one person I know ? man or woman ? who is not critical in some way of their own body. The concept of a positive body image is foreign to many people ? especially those trying to lose weight. An interesting study...
- Hypnosis And Weight Loss
by Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom Hypnosis has been documented to help with smoking cessation, and it?s also been advertised to help with weight loss. Can you really think yourself thin? The mind-body connection is well documented in supporting a successful weight...
- The Skinny On Belly Fat
by Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom I have to chuckle when I see the new ?spin? on abdominal fat (apple shaped people!) as in ?Banish Your Belly Fat Now!? or ?Foods That Fight Belly Fat!? As if belly fat were some kind of separate part of the body that responds...