QUESTION: I am enclosing an ad from my Sunday paper which almost sounds too good to be true.
I have had trouble losing weight all my life which has become just one never-ending diet.
As you can read, they claim that this new break through has excited the "scientific community" and that I can now melt the fat away without diet.
Can you please tell me if this product is safe and will it do what they claim it will?
ANSWER: Your letter is just one of the many that flow in each week, enclosing similar advertisements and equally seductive promises.
I decided this time to try and follow through, to try to find out the true facts, the name of the substance or something about the scientific research that backed up the claims.
I found that the number called was merely an order taking service; I could not get any additional information through them, nor was an address available.
In rereading the ad and picking up on a clue here and there, I believe the product is probably one of the dietary fiber supplements which are known to reduce cholesterol, and since they are natural products, do not come under the same strict surveillance by the Food and Drug Administration that chemicals classified as medications do.
There is no astounding medical breakthrough here, just a few inflated claims, and a very inflated price for a product which you probably can find on the shelves in any pharmacy.
Weight loss can only be accomplished through sound nutritional management, lots of motivation and perseverance, and a full understanding of your own patterns of eating.
Modifying your own eating habits, along with some help from a counselor, and even the assistance of a "diet product" if you must, can make you a suitable candidate for the "before" and "after" pictures featured in all of these ads that claim miracles for a price.
The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace the counsel and advice of your personal physician.
Promptly consulting your doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical problem.
