Weight Loss Scams in Singapore

Do methods slimming salons use work? How about the fat loss pills that 'burn up to 2000 kilocalories per day'? Well, in most cases, people don't even eat up to 2000 kilocalories when they're trying to lose fat.

Quote from Singapore Health Promotion Board's Nutrition FAQ:

The use of slimming products may lead to relatively fast weight loss initially. Many slimming products contain bioactive substances that suppress appetite, stimulate metabolism or induce water loss from the body. It is not safe to use these products without medical supervision. Moreover, slimming products are usually expensive and do not help change the overweight individual's eating and exercise behaviors that are the root causes of weight gain. This makes maintenance of weight loss difficult.

Enough said.

With regards to numerous slimming salons using body wraps, infrared or electro stimulation devices etc - must you really be educated to realise that all these don't work? Please don't fall victim to their intensive marketing tactics. If they really work, why do they spend so much money on advertisements mostly showing astonishing 'before' and 'after' pictures and slim figures of celebrities but little or no scientific information about their fat loss devices?

Wait. Didn't recent TV programs show normal Singaporeans losing weight after visiting beauty salons? How do you explain that? Well, these slimming salons know their stuffs don't work, so now they're getting smart enough to recruit some personal trainers and nutritionists to 'preach' healthy living. So on top of their dubious fat loss gimmicks (where the real bucks are rolling in), they have their clients exercise and diet. Without a doubt, exercise and diet worked, and weight loss resulted. At www.PT.com.sg we offer the same services (without the body wrap nonsense of course!) at a fraction of the cost.
Seriously, only lazy people wanting a quick fix would visit these salons. But the thing is that they don't even provide a quick fix! You'll only get ripped of.

Here's a very informative report compiled by the Federal Trade Commission of the United States Of America - Deception In Weight-Loss Advertising Workshop:

Seizing Opportunities and Building Partnerships to Stop Weight-Loss Fraud. A panel of experts discusses and analyses claims made by manufacturers, citing scientific references to show how these claims are false and misleading the public. The claims include:1. Consumers who use the advertised product can lose substantial weight without reducing caloric intake and/or increasing their physical activity2. Consumers who use the advertised product can lose substantial weight while still enjoying unlimited amounts of high calorie foods3. The advertised product will cause permanent weight loss4. The advertised product will cause substantial weight loss through the blockage of absorption of fat or calories5. Consumers who use the advertised product can safely lose more than three pounds per week for a period of more than four weeks6. Users can lose substantial weight though the use of the advertised product that is worn on the body or rubbed into the skin7. The advertised product will cause substantial weight loss for all users
8. Consumers who use the advertised product can lose weight only from those parts of the body where they wish to lose weight

Find them familiar? Read them in ads on the papers or on television lately?Please do take time to read the full report:

Losing fat ain't easy. Nobody said it is. Only hard work and smart dieting will help you achieve your goals. Another important key is to change your eating behaviors and adapt to healthy eating so that the weight will be put off for good. Please do show your friends and family the reports and help to prevent any more fellow Singaporeans from falling into the traps of these useless companies!

References
Muris, T. J., Thompson, M. W., Swindle, O, Leary, T. B., and Harbour, P. J. (2003). DECEPTION
IN WEIGHT-LOSS ADVERTISING WORKSHOP: Seizing Opportunities and Building Partnerships to Stop Weight-Loss Fraud. Rockville MD: Bureau of Consumer Protection of the Federal Trade Commission..Available from World Wide Web:
http://www.ftc.gov/os/2003/12/031209weightlossrpt.pdf - Page 59-73 Health Promotion Board. (n.d). Nutrition FAQ. Singapore: HPB Online. Available from World Wide Web:
Singapore Health Promotion Board's Nutrition FAQ - Q.12
+The statements in the above article are mere opinions of its author and are by no means directed to any beauty salons, slimming salons or whatsoever, in Singapore.
 
 

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