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Best Weight Loss Supplements - It's Hard To Tell

from: DietFitnessCenter.com

If you start looking for information on the best weight loss supplements, within minutes you will be overwhelmed by advertising claims for the best fat burners and weight loss pills. Just 10 years ago, a small percentage of the U.S. population bought over-the-counter diet supplements. But the number of people who bought these products doubled in less than three years, with sales well into the billions of dollars by 2001, according to several studies. Huge numbers of U.S. citizens continue their search for the best weight loss supplements.

The Federal Trade Commission issued a "Report on Weight-Loss Advertising: An Analysis of Current Trends." The report states that false or misleading claims, such as exaggerated weight loss without diet or exercise, are widespread in ads for weight-loss products, and appear to have increased over the last decade. The report adds that many marketers of what are supposedly the best weight loss supplements use false claims, misleading consumer testimonials, and deceptive before-and-after photos to market their products.

According to the report, "nearly 40 percent of the ads in the study, including ads that appeared in mainstream, national publications, made at least one representation that is almost certainly false and 55 percent of the ads made at least one representation that is very likely to be false."

Why is this such a concern? The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (sections of the National Institutes of Health) identify overweight as a BMI of 25 to 29.9 and obesity as a BMI of 30 or greater.

Using this standard, a national survey conducted a few years ago shows:

1980 - Adults 20-74 years of age - 47 percent overweight
15 percent obese

1994 - Adults 20-74 years of age - 56 percent overweight
23 percent obese

2000 - Adults 20-74 years of age - 64 percent overweight
30 percent obese

With so many people overweight and aware of it, the search continues for the best weight loss supplements. Some companies focus on fat and sugar blockers as the best method, though reputable sellers should also tell you that these products are no substitute for good nutrition and appropriate exercise. As most weight loss experts now know, many herbal supplements could be called the best weight loss supplements. The real problem with herbal supplements is not their effectiveness, but their side effects, which often include drastic increases in blood pressure and heart problems.

In recent news about the best weight loss supplements, the over-the-counter version of the prescription drug orlistat will be sold in a lower dosage form under the name alli or Alli. According to some sources, it is the first time that the FDA has allowed the direct sale of a diet drug that previously had only been available by prescription. But doctors are already warning that even this is not to be considered a magic solution in the search for best weight loss supplements.

DietFitnessCenter.com