Story By Empowered Medical Media
There is a heavily advertised product on the market--you might have seen it while watching popular shows like the daily show--which claims to allow you to burn fat with no effort--no exercise, no diet. The Federal Trade Commission will tell you there is no magic in a bottle.
Nothing will burn fat with no effort. There is nothing that will allow you to eat anything you want and still lose weight. But that’s exactly what one might believe after watching a Lipozene commercial. It claims “Lipozene is clinically proven to help reduce your body fat and weight.” Lipozene is made from konjac--a plant root often grown in Asia.
“Because it is a good source of fiber with literally no calories some people use it as a diet food, fiber is going to help people fill up, feel full without gaining more calories from it,” says Dr. Robert Yanagisawa, an endocrinologist and obesity researcher at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine. The ad sells this way: “in a recent university double blind study, not only did participants lose weight, but 78 percent of the weight lost was pure body fat. That’s right, nearly all the weight lost was body fat.”
But how much weight was lost, over how much time? We called the obesity research institute, the maker of Lipozene. They wouldn’t show us the research. And they declined an on air interview. “ Is it going to do what it promises to do, force you to lose weight, especially in fat only, I doubt that,” states Dr. Yanagisawa. We asked Dr. Yanagisawa if he had heard of the obesity research institute.
“I have not heard about this research institute.” But the federal trade commission has. In June of 2005, it settled with the FTC over its dietary supplement Fiberthin. The FTC’s complaint charged that the defendants made “misleading weight-loss claims”, including that the product would cause rapid, substantial weight loss --more than 2 pounds per week-- without the need to diet or exercise; that weight loss would occur no matter what the consumer ate; and that weight loss would occur in all users.
One of the key ingredients in Fiberthin—is glucomannan—a fiber--which makes up 40% of the roots of… the konjac plant! Now, lipozene doesn’t make specific claims as to how much you’ll lose, saying “weight loss varies depending on each individual.” So…what are you buying into? Maybe these familiar sounding claims: “ Lipozene guarantees you will lose weight and body fat, or your money back!”
And this one, in the commercial: “What’s even more amazing is that people were not asked to change their daily lives! It’s so easy, just take Lipozene. That’s it!” Does that cross over the federal trade commission line? The FTC says it is aware of Lipozene, and says it can pursue compliance issues, but can’t say and won’t say if they are. “We always have to ask if it sounds too good to be true you have to think twice about it and then show us the data,” Dr. Yanagisawa says.
Now, Lipozene’s label says it’s “safe”. But if you read the really fine print on the label, it also says: warning: taking this product without adequate fluid may cause it to swell and block your throat or esophagus and may cause choking. Do not take this product if you have difficulty in swallowing.”
© 2009 Empowered Medical Media.
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