Rapid Network

Obesity has become a global epidemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that obesity, which was once considered a problem only in high income countries, is now significantly on the increase in low and middle-income countries as well. Recently, the WHO published statistics indicating that there are nearly two billion adults world-wide, aged 20 and over, who are considered overweight based on their body mass index (BMI). As sobering as those statistics may be, we can find some encouragement in the growing number of people who are taking a closer look at their health and adopting more healthy lifestyles.

In a society which thrives on instant gratification, a long and arduous journey isn't nearly as attractive as a quick fix. Instead of making a sensible weight loss plan that includes a better diet and more exercise, many people are looking for that "magic pill" that will help them shrink their waist without all the effort. Because of this, the weight loss industry is chock full of companies and products promising to fulfill the fantasy of losing weight easily. These companies are marketing "the easy way to rapid weight loss". Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts. In fact, some diet products are downright dangerous.

A U.S. Food and Drug Administration analysis of some popular weight loss supplements found that the undeclared active ingredients in some of these products included substances that have been linked to serious health problems, such as high blood pressure, stroke, and even cancer. The weight loss products the FDA analyzed, many which are marketed in the category of dietary supplements, are promoted and sold in retail stores and online. Many of these products claim to contain only herbal ingredients, or promote themselves as being safe because they are reportedly "natural". Unfortunately, as anyone who has ever suffered a case of poison ivy knows, natural doesn't always mean harmless.

Next to a proper diet, the most important part of a successful strategy for weight control is a well-defined exercise training plan. Generally speaking, the human body operates on a fairly simple formula of "calories in, calories out". In order to lose weight a person must burn through physical activity more calories than they take in. Consume more calories than the body requires to function and weight gain is typically the result. Consume fewer calories than the body requires and weight loss is the expected result. So it holds true that in order to reduce our weight we need to create a caloric deficit and consume fewer calories while participating in more physical activity designed to increase the number of calories we burn.

Still, the temptation to find the easiest way to rapid weight loss is a strong one. As long as dietary supplement companies identify a desire for a quick fix, they'll continue to create products and produce advertising aimed at filling that market for willing consumers. In the end, the formula for healthy, permanent weight loss is a simple one: take in fewer calories and burn more off through increased physical activity. That advice may not be sexy, but unlike many unproven and unregulated dietary supplements, it has been consistently proven to work.