Diet ads claim miracles can happen

Campus Times
December 6, 2002

by Amber McLaughlin
Staff Writer

Almost everyone will try some sort of diet in his or her lifetime. Just about anywhere you turn to - in magazines, on television, on the radio or online-there is sure to be an advertisement for some way to lose weight.

People fall into miracle diet traps because they believe it will not hurt to try them. But potential users often fail to read is the fine print at the bottom of the advertisement: "Use as directed and with a sensible nutrition and exercise program. Results shown may not be typical."

According to experts from www.ephedrine-ephedra.com, ephedra, also known as ephedrine or ma huang, is a botanical plant product that is a source of ephedrine alkaloids, which affect the central nervous system and has sickened or killed roughly 800 users.

"The FDA believes ephedra may be related to more than 50 deaths" and the "most serious injuries involved were high blood pressure that can cause bleeding in the brain, a stroke or a heart attack," the report said.

Barry Church, General Nutrition Center manager in La Verne, said the most popular diet pills claim to burn fat faster and more effectively than many other supplements on the market today. Xenadrine (regular or ephedrine free), Hydroxycut, L-Carnitine and Chromium Picolinate are some of the most popular supplements used.

As the advertisement says, Hydroxycut contains the ingredients known as ECA (ephedrine, caffeine and aspirin) stack. The fat-burner helps prevent the loss of lean muscle tissue while dieting. It contains Hydroxagen, a potent compound shown in scientific studies to help prevent conversion of excess carbohydrates into bodyfat and to naturally help reduce food cravings and hunger.

Another advertisement reads, "Xenadrine EFX (ephedrine free) is the first diet supplement of its kind that's been clinically proven to deliver dramatic results without ephedrine."

At GNC, Hydroxycut costs between $22.99 and $58.99 while Xenadrine EFX costs between $39.99 and $54.99 depending on the number of pills purchased. Just about anywhere you go the price is about the same.

L-Carnitine costs $41.99 for 60 pills, and Chromium Picolinate costs $4.99 for 30 pills. These are the two main ingredients found in diet pills to enhance fat loss.

"When taking these pills you have to be working out and eating right, otherwise they will not work properly," Church said. "I have used Xenadrine before to tone up and lose body fat, but once I got the results I stopped using them."

He said people often buy the Hollywood Celebrity Diet, which is a natural fruit juice designed to help people lose weight, while cleansing the body from toxins in less than two days. There are also fat metabolizers to take with it for even better results. The total price for both the juice and pills is approximately $40.

"People often use this, as well as the Atkins diet as methods for weight loss, but what they don't understand is that it's temporary. They are too lazy to lose the weight in a healthy manner," Church said.

Gina Simpson, a nurse for her husband's practice in Hemet, believes the most popular miracle diets are Atkins and the cabbage soup diet. She said they are a temporary fix, and the only way to successfully lose weight is through exercise and moderate eating habits.

"Diet pills from a doctor can be okay, although from a medical standpoint, any extremes from both sides is unhealthy," she said. "People get depressed from failure, which often leads to more weight gain."

The Atkins diet is an unhealthy high protein plan because it fails to address a fat body image, which will lead to failure in the end. It is dangerous and requires people to give up chocolate cake, spaghetti, French fries, pancakes and potatoes.

A short-term diet, the cabbage soup diet is based on a seven-day plan and is low in fat and high in fiber. Containing a minimum number of calories, it boosts the body's fat burning potential. There is no limit for the amount of servings that can be consumed each day, although there is a minimum of at least one serving for it to work.

Senior Michelle Renteria said she tried it a couple of years ago with her aunt. She was curious and only did it for two days.

"I was starving and wanted more of a variety, so I gave up. I will never pay a lot of money or invest time for miracle diets, but if people want to do it and it works, then that's great," she said.

Senior Jennifer Gretel tried thyroid pills from Max Muscle during the summer and said she stopped taking them because they were not working.

"I used them for two months while working out 3-4 days a week and didn't see any results. Now I don't believe all the hype about miracle diets anymore. I think people should accept themselves the way they are," she said.

There will always be the struggle to look "perfect" like people in advertisements, but there is no reason to think that this look cannot be achieved in a healthy manner. Diets are not made to work without effort.

Diet ads claim miracles can happen

by Amber McLaughlin Staff Writer

Almost everyone will try some sort of diet in his or her lifetime. Just about anywhere you turn to - in magazines, on television, on the radio or online-there is sure to be an advertisement for some way to lose weight.

People fall into miracle diet traps because they believe it will not hurt to try them. But potential users often fail to read is the fine print at the bottom of the advertisement: "Use as directed and with a sensible nutrition and exercise program. Results shown may not be typical."

According to experts from www.ephedrine-ephedra.com, ephedra, also known as ephedrine or ma huang, is a botanical plant product that is a source of ephedrine alkaloids, which affect the central nervous system and has sickened or killed roughly 800 users.

"The FDA believes ephedra may be related to more than 50 deaths" and the "most serious injuries involved were high blood pressure that can cause bleeding in the brain, a stroke or a heart attack," the report said.

Another advertisement reads, "Xenadrine EFX (ephedrine free) is the first diet supplement of its kind that's been clinically proven to deliver dramatic results without ephedrine."

At GNC, Hydroxycut costs between $22.99 and $58.99 while Xenadrine EFX costs between $39.99 and $54.99 depending on the number of pills purchased. Just about anywhere you go the price is about the same.

L-Carnitine costs $41.99 for 60 pills, and Chromium Picolinate costs $4.99 for 30 pills. These are the two main ingredients found in diet pills to enhance fat loss.

"When taking these pills you have to be working out and eating right, otherwise they will not work properly," Church said. "I have used Xenadrine before to tone up and lose body fat, but once I got the results I stopped using them."

"People often use this, as well as the Atkins diet as methods for weight loss, but what they don't understand is that it's temporary. They are too lazy to lose the weight in a healthy manner," Church said.

Gina Simpson, a nurse for her husband's practice in Hemet, believes the most popular miracle diets are Atkins and the cabbage soup diet. She said they are a temporary fix, and the only way to successfully lose weight is through exercise and moderate eating habits.

"Diet pills from a doctor can be okay, although from a medical standpoint, any extremes from both sides is unhealthy," she said. "People get depressed from failure, which often leads to more weight gain."

The Atkins diet is an unhealthy high protein plan because it fails to address a fat body image, which will lead to failure in the end. It is dangerous and requires people to give up chocolate cake, spaghetti, French fries, pancakes and potatoes.

Senior Michelle Renteria said she tried it a couple of years ago with her aunt. She was curious and only did it for two days.

"I was starving and wanted more of a variety, so I gave up. I will never pay a lot of money or invest time for miracle diets, but if people want to do it and it works, then that's great," she said.

Senior Jennifer Gretel tried thyroid pills from Max Muscle during the summer and said she stopped taking them because they were not working.

"I used them for two months while working out 3-4 days a week and didn't see any results. Now I don't believe all the hype about miracle diets anymore. I think people should accept themselves the way they are," she said.

Other popular miracle diets include Body Solutions, the grapefruit diet, meal replacement bars and various drinks.

There will always be the struggle to look "perfect" like people in advertisements, but there is no reason to think that this look cannot be achieved in a healthy manner. Diets are not made to work without effort.

by Amber McLaughlin
Staff Writer