Comsumers Beware: Weight Loss Programs May NOT Be For YOU!

Now that I have your attention, let me explain what I am ranting about. The past few weeks, my classmates and I have been working on a project titled "Buyers Beware." Our task was to come up with an idea of a product, business, or promotion that we felt was not legitimate, research it, and determine whether consumers are being taken advantage of. I was grouped with three other girls: Tiffany, Tammy, and Melissa. After about an hour of throwing around ideas, we began circling around weight loss programs. One idea led to another, and gradually we solidified a concept. Our purpose was as follows:

A comparison of the selling tactics at both Herbal Magic and LA Weight Loss centres to determine whether or not each business is operating legitimately. Also, a determination of whether or not each company is up front with pricing, product, and program information. The overall goal is to prove to consumers that using a weight loss program such as Herbal Magic or LA Weight Loss is not the healthiest way to lose weight, and that each company is intentionally deceptive in order to make money.

We decided as a group that our primary research would be to visit both Herbal Magic and LA Weight Loss as customers, so we could understand what advice each company provides. The fact that all 4 of us girls are healthy added an interesting twist. Would they still tell us that we could lose weight?

The short answer is yes! At Herbal Magic, I was told that I could lose 9 lbs. I was not allowed to lose more, because that would put me underweight. LA Weight Loss did not give me a specific amount of weight to lose, yet explained that if I went on the Rapid Results Program, I could lose even more weight faster. Herbal Magic used a Body Mass Index (BMI) chart to determine if I was underweight, healthy, overweight, or obese. I have a BMI of 20, and a "healthy" weight range is between 18.5 and 24.9.

For those of you who believe that a BMI score actually means something, please read this next section carefully. A BMI rating is calculated by dividing an individuals height by their current weight. The result is a number. That number corresponds to a number on a BMI chart, and that chart apparently will show a person where they fit into the weight spectrum.

What bothers me about using BMI as a measure for weight loss is that muscle weighs more than fat. Meaning, if you are a healthy, athletic individual with a high muscle mass, your BMI may quite possibly indicate that you need to lose weight. In reality, you don't. You just have a lot of muscle, and there is nothing wrong with that! The problem lies in the fact that many men and women are convinced they are overweight because of their BMI results. In actuality, they may be completely healthy, and just slightly larger than society's current standards.

To further illustrate the above example, our group tallied and cross-referenced the BMI's of four males in our class. The results are as follows:

• Emmanuel @ 5'1" and 130 lbs = overweight
• Steve @ 5'7" and 177 lbs = overweight
• Mike @ 5'10" and 175 lbs = overweight
• Neil @ 6' and 200 lbs = overweight

Each of the above mentioned males are very athletic and in great shape. Because muscle weighs more than fat, they are categorized as overweight. In reality, there is nothing overweight about them!

Something else that bothered me was the fact that both weight loss centres explained that customers could lose LOTS of weight in the first few weeks of their program. Herbal Magic went up to about 3 lbs a week, but LA Weight Loss stated that by using the Rapid Results Program, one could lose over 8lbs a week! For someone like myself, who is already borderline underweight, this is frightening to hear. I did some additional digging, and came up with the following quotes from nurses regarding weight loss:

• "1 to 1.5 lbs a week is the standard amount of weight a person should lose. Anything over that is not healthy for the body."
• "1 to 2 lbs a week should be all a person loses."

I then asked the above nurses what problems could result from rapid weight loss. I received the following list:

• weight gain after a program has been completed
• damage to health
• gallstone formation
• gallbladder disease
• dehydration
• digestive problems
• lack of nutritional balance in body

Herbal Magic and LA Weight Loss pride themselves on rapid weight loss, but do you really want to sacrifice health to be thin? I know that I don't want digestive problems or a lack of nutritional balance in the body!

Another aspect of our findings that really bothered me was the lack of information regarding the supplements provided and both Herbal Magic and LA Weight Loss. Neither company provided detailed information about their products. To be fair, Herbal Magic did provide a leaflet containing names of the products and descriptions. The descriptions, however, explain what the supplements do for a person. They do NOT explain what medicinal ingredients are inside. LA Weight Loss would not even provide a leaflet, and needed a person to sign up for the program before learning more. On top of all of that, products had names such as "Lean Extreme, " and "Chromagic," which made it very difficult to search for.

Determined to find something that would prove Herbal Magic and LA Weight Loss were operating illegally, I spent an entire evening pouring over the Canadian Food and Drug Act (FDA). I am sad to say that there was only one passage of interest:

• Part 1, Section 9 (1) states that: "no person shall label, package, treat, process, sell or advertise any drug in a manner that is false, misleading, or deceptive or is likely to create an erroneous impression regarding its character, value, quantity, composition, merit or safety."

Herbal Magic and LA Weight Loss supplements could be considered to be in violation of this regulation, because as mentioned above, products are renamed and do not provide a list of medicinal ingredients. This could potentially be misleading to a consumer.

Something else that I found to be very interesting occurred during our visits to Herbal Magic and LA Weight Loss. We were informed that it was not necessary to consult our family physician about the program. One of my group members brought up that she was on numerous medications, and asked whether she should inform her doctor to ensure the supplements would not counteract her meds. Our counsellour assured us that they were qualified in the centre to "look up" customers' medications, and cross reference them with the program supplements to ensure it was a safe combination. I don't know about you, but if someone tells me NOT to talk to my doctor, I am immediately going to be suspicious!

The last point I would like to make is about the minimum program age. At Herbal Magic, 12 is the youngest age a child may begin the program. At LA Weight Loss, the minimum age is 13. This literally means that children can start either weight loss program before they have fully matured. I feel this age is far too low, and it is only promoting poor self esteem and body issues in the next generation.

Overall, the conclusions my group made are as follows:

• The selling tactics vary between Herbal Magic and LA Weight Loss, yet they share the overall theme of intending to manipulate consumers.
• Pricing and product information vary, both within the company and between companies.
• Discounts are available for students and groups, yet it is impossible to document a standard cost at each centre.
• List of products and supplement ingredients were unavailable, making it impossible to investigate the legal aspects.
• Products are also renamed, which is both misleading for the consumer and difficult to analyze.

I hate to announce that it was determined that both Herbal Magic and LA Weight Loss are not involved in any directly illegal business practices. This does not mean, however, that they are ethical. We as a group thoroughly believe companies such as these play on individual insecurities and use coercion to sell their products and programs. It is important consumers become educated about the tactics used to promote weight loss programs, and also be educated about healthy ways to lose weight.

I urge each and every one of you trying to lose weight to carefully read this blog entry before making the drastic decision to join a weight loss program such as Herbal Magic or LA Weight Loss. In the long run, it is not worth it. Visit your health care provider. A doctor can provide a wealth of information about how to lose weight and STAY HEALTHY at the same time. I will end off this blog by including my testimonial about how visiting both weight loss centres made me feel.

I must admit that I left the clinics feeling unsure about my weight. If my BMI is within a healthy range, why do I need to lose more? I understand now why people sign up for these programs. They are completely cut down during their consultation, and are made to believe that joining a program is the only chance they have to lead a healthy life. I have been reassured by family and friends that I AM healthy, but for a few days, I actually started to believe that maybe Herbal Magic and LA Weight Loss knew something I didn't. This was a crazy thought to have. I am 5'9" and 135 lbs. I refuse to let companies such as these win, and I refuse to let them tell me that I can lose weight...

I urge all of you out there to do the same...