Fall is here and so is binge season. Netflix just added a ton of new shows, Pumpkin Spice Lattes are back and before we know it, Nov. 1 will roll around and Halloween candy will be on sale.
There will be ample opportunities to chow down and indulge in some seasonal treats. But come January, many of us will make the predictable New Year’s resolution to get serious about losing weight. Trying to lose weight starting in January can be such a drag — any potential progress you might be making is covered up by a sweater. Plus, motivating yourself to brave the cold to get to the gym takes a ton of willpower.
If I’m being honest, there have been times when I’ve really wanted to try taking diet pills in the hopes I would see super fast weight loss results without having to work out. I think I was most tempted a couple years ago when my Instagram feed was coated with the Kardashians pushing a diet supplement called QuickTrim. I never actually purchased any, but a lot of people did, and they ended up getting ripped off.
There’s a general consensus in the medical community that these products don’t work — but this doesn’t stop supplement companies from using misleading marketing tactics.
Probably the scariest part of weight loss products is that they are not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA’s website addresses this, saying “under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act … dietary supplement firms do not need FDA approval prior to marketing their products. It is the company’s responsibility to make sure its products are safe and that any claims made about such products are true.” That’s pretty alarming. There is a lot of room for people to profit off of others weight loss aspirations. And profit they do. As of 2016, weight loss products made up a $40 billion industry
Dr. Oz is one of the players and beneficiaries of the “get slim quick” industry. He literally made his entire daytime television career off of peddling what he has called “miracle pills.” Oz has been known to stretch the truth when talking about these products on his show. He was even asked to testify in front of the Senate, saying “there’s not a pill that’s going to help you long-term lose weight without diet and exercise.”
Real health and wellness takes time, consistency and persistence. It’s not complicated. All doctors, even Dr. Oz, can agree on this. Being healthy can really be boiled down to a nutritious diet, regular exercise and a dash of willpower. Anything that suggests otherwise is a sham.
But honestly, it’s so enticing to want to try the same weight loss products that the Kardashians allegedly use. At times when you’re not feeling your hottest, those gimmicks actually seem like viable options. But unfortunately, most weight loss products market themselves specifically to profit off of the insecurities of the consumer.
Rethinking the way I view fitness and weight loss has really helped me understand how to treat my body. Understanding fitness as a continuous wellness journey rather than a means to lose weight has made me less susceptible to these manipulative products.
The number one way to stay away from these products is to love yourself and always think about doing what’s best for your body in the long run rather than what’s best in the short term. My advice would be to engage in wellness activities that you genuinely enjoy doing — don’t make fitness and healthy living seem like a chore. Once you’re enjoying yourself and your fitness routine, it will no longer seem like an arduous task, and you’ll no longer be the consumer that diet pills are marketing themselves to.
