| Do methods weight loss salons use work? How about | | | | 1. Consumers who use the advertised product can |
| the weight loss pills that 'burn up to 2000 kilocalories | | | | lose substantial weight without reducing caloric intake |
| per day'? Well, in most cases, people don't even eat | | | | and/or increasing their physical activity. |
| up to 2000 kilocalories when they're trying to lose | | | | 2. Consumers who use the advertised product can |
| weight. | | | | lose substantial weight while still enjoying unlimited |
| Quote from Singapore Health Promotion Board's | | | | amounts of high calorie foods. |
| Nutrition FAQ: | | | | 3. The advertised product will cause permanent weight |
| The use of weight loss products may lead to relatively | | | | loss. |
| fast weight loss initially. Many weight loss products | | | | 4. The advertised product will cause substantial weight |
| contain bioactive substances that suppress appetite, | | | | loss through the blockage of absorption of fat or |
| stimulate metabolism or induce water loss from the | | | | calories. |
| body. It is not safe to use these products without | | | | 5. Consumers who use the advertised product can |
| medical supervision. Moreover, weight loss products | | | | safely lose more than three pounds per week for a |
| are usually expensive and do not help change the | | | | period of more than four weeks. |
| overweight individual's eating and exercise behaviors | | | | 6. Users can lose substantial weight though the use of |
| that are the root causes of weight gain. This makes | | | | the advertised product that is worn on the body or |
| maintenance of weight loss difficult. | | | | rubbed into the skin. |
| | | | | 7. The advertised product will cause substantial weight |
| Enough said. | | | | loss for all users |
| With regards to numerous weight loss salons using | | | | 8. Consumers who use the advertised product can |
| body wraps, infrared or electro stimulation devices etc | | | | lose weight only from those parts of the body where |
| - must you really be educated to realise that all these | | | | they wish to lose weight |
| don't work? Please don't fall victim to their intensive | | | | |
| marketing tactics. If they really work, why do they | | | | |
| spend so much money on advertisements mostly | | | | Find them familiar? Read them in ads on the papers or |
| showing astonishing 'before' and 'after' pictures and | | | | on television lately? Please do take time to read the full |
| slim figures of celebrities but little or no scientific | | | | report: |
| information about their weight loss devices? | | | | Losing weight ain't easy. Nobody said it is. Only hard |
| Wait. Didn’t recent TV programs show normal | | | | work and smart dieting will help you achieve your |
| Singaporeans losing weight after visiting beauty | | | | goals. Another important key is to change your eating |
| salons? How do you explain that? Well, these weight | | | | behaviors and adapt to healthy eating so that the |
| loss salons know their stuffs don’t work, so now | | | | weight will be put off for good. Please do show your |
| they’re getting smart enough to recruit some | | | | friends and family the reports and help to prevent any |
| personal trainers and nutritionists to ‘preach’ | | | | more fellow Singaporeans from falling into the traps of |
| healthy living. So on top of their dubious weight loss | | | | these useless companies! |
| gimmicks (where the real bucks are rolling in), they | | | | |
| have their clients exercise and diet. Without a doubt, | | | | References |
| exercise and diet worked, and weight loss resulted. At | | | | Muris, T. J., Thompson, M. W., Swindle, O, Leary, T. B., |
| we offer the same services (without the body wrap | | | | and Harbour, P. J. (2003). DECEPTION |
| nonsense of course!) at a fraction of the cost. | | | | IN WEIGHT LOSS ADVERTISING WORKSHOP: |
| Seriously, only lazy people wanting a quick fix would | | | | Seizing Opportunities and Building Partnerships to Stop |
| visit these weight loss salons. But the thing is that they | | | | Weight-Loss Fraud. Rockville MD: Bureau of Consumer |
| don't even provide a quick fix! You'll only get ripped of. | | | | Protection of the Federal Trade Commission..Available |
| Here's an excerpt from a very informative report | | | | from World Wide Web: - Page 59-73 |
| compiled by the Federal Trade Commission of the | | | | Health Promotion Board. (n.d). Nutrition FAQ. Singapore: |
| United States Of America - Deception In Weight Loss | | | | HPB Online. Available from World Wide Web: |
| Advertising Workshop: | | | | Singapore Health Promotion Board's Nutrition FAQ - |
| Seizing Opportunities and Building Partnerships to Stop | | | | Q.12 |
| Weight Loss Fraud. A panel of experts discusses and | | | | *The statements in the above article are mere |
| analyses claims made by manufacturers, citing | | | | opinions of its author and are by no means directed to |
| scientific references to show how these claims are | | | | any beauty salons, weight loss salons or whatsoever, |
| false and misleading the public. The claims include: | | | | in Singapore. |