Weight Loss Pictures or Advertising Gimmicks?

They say a picture tells a thousand words.

When it comes to quick weight loss, nothing strikes you more than a remarkable 'before and after' transformation. It's the best way for promoters of weight loss pills and exercise gadgets to sell their products. Its a great advertisement, but the line between reality and trick photography is thin. Granted that the pictures are genuine in most cases, many are surprised to learn that the same person can look like a 'before' and 'after' in the same day! I don't believe in gimmicks, and would like to help you identify hype.

You are about to learn some amazing secrets that advertisers use to 'enhance' the effects of these transformations. This strategies will help you to spot the fake 'quick loss' schemes. The average person is not able to see these nuances, which makes it important to critically review a TV / radio ad before you decide to invest in the product / service.

TRY THIS LITTLE TEST

You can see for yourself how easy it is to make photos even taken on the same day look drastically different. As soon as you wake up go stand in front of the mirror. Stick your tummy out and slump your shoulders. Snap - there's your before picture.

Now after you take a shower and are fully awake it's time for the after photo.

Get in front of the same mirror with your hair neatly combed and stand up straight, tighten your abs, hold your shoulders back, look forward and slightly up and smile. Click, there's your after photo. Quite a change. Now throw in a tan and a little dieting with some professional photo work and you'll look like a different person.

The following features are common to all 'before' photos. The before photo is posed and taken under conditions to make the person look grossly out of shape. Their hair is messed up. Posture is poor with shoulders slumped forward. The light used in the photo washes out any appearance of muscle tone. Most times, the subject intentionally protrudes his / her tummy out. They always have a very unhappy look on their face. The ladies have no makeup on and the gents are usually unshaven. Lastly, it looks like they just woke up.

In the 'after' photo, the subject is make to look as appealing as possible, using make-up. Their posture is perfect and it's usually in some sort of pose. They are tanned and clean shaven. Their hair is neatly styled, and they pose in a manner to accentuate the good points and hide the bad. The background of the photo is such that it makes them look good. The lighting in the photo is perfect and set up to highlight muscle tone. The subjects pose as if they were professional models. Finally, all of them have expressions on their face as if the just won the lottery! So don't be fooled by these, and several other marketing techniques. Be an educated consumer, and make decisions based on your judgment, professional advise and sound scientific principles. Remember - the power to create a 'before' and 'after' picture of yourself lies inside you, not in the pages of some commercial.

1. Prev:Atkins Fans Claim False Victory
2. Next:Fat Loss Nutrition - When Myths Become Big Fat Lies