I’ve summarized a pretty good article on 10 secrets in the weight loss industry – I will devise my own later 
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10 secrets of the weight-loss industry
By Ellen Goodstein • Bankrate.com
It’s that time of year when millions of Americans struggle to once again lose some unwanted pounds. And the weight loss business is booming. From pills, potions and programs to gadgets, diet food and drinks, we’re gobbling them up, seeking an easy solution to our weight problems
Before you open your wallet or dive into a new program, consider this: Of the 50 million Americans who will go on some kind of diet program, a slim percentage will successfully shed the weight and keep it off.
Only 5 to 10 percent of us succeed, but we all contribute to the staggering $40 billion in revenue amassed by the weight-loss industry annually. By the year 2006, revenues are estimated to top $48 billion.
Millions of us succumb to quick-fix claims such as “Eat all you want and still lose weight” or “Melt away fat while you sleep.” We find it hard to believe in this age of scientific breakthroughs and medical miracles that an effortless weight-loss method doesn’t exist. But it doesn’t.
To help you sort through the claims, avoid the scams and become a more educated consumer, here are 10 things the weight-loss companies don’t want you to know.
1. Most weight-loss product ads are deceiving, so don’t believe everything you read.
A lot of the weight-loss advertisements need some toning of their own, according to a report from the Federal Trade Commission. An FTC review of more than 300 ads from radio, television, magazines and newspapers that ran during 2001-2002 found that a whopping 55 percent made claims promising more than the product or service could likely deliver.
2. ‘Scientifically proven’ or ‘doctor-endorsed’ doesn’t mean it works.
Many products claim to be tested at “respected,” “major” or “leading” medical centers or universities. Yet, rarely is the information provided on where the study was conducted, by whom or where it was published to help consumers assess the validity of such claims.
3. Testimonials are not a good indicator of a product’s success.
Common on television, in print ads and on the Internet are the “before and after” testimonials — personal accounts of success — in support of a product or service, many with before and after photographs.
Adds Dr. Blackburn: “Sometimes companies take healthy people, make them overeat and the “after” picture shown is really what the person looked like before they began overeating.
4. Just because the government allows it on the market doesn’t mean it’s safe or does what it claims.
There’s a misperception that the government wouldn’t allow a product to be marketed if it were bad for you, says Cleland. “People think these products have been pre-approved by the government before allowing it to be sold. That’s not the case.”
The majority of diet products on the market today are dietary supplements. Under the DSHEA, or Dietary Supplement and Health Education Act passed by Congress in 1994, the law doesn’t require the manufacturers of dietary supplements to demonstrate that their product is safe or efficacious before it goes on the market.
5. Don’t believe everything you hear.
Mark Nutritionals Inc., a Texas-based company selling the Body Solutions Evening Weight Formula, advertised on the radio that you could shed unwanted pounds in your sleep without having to change your diet or exercise.
In 2002, it was heard on more than 650 radio stations with over 700 endorsers in 110 U.S. cities, making it one of the largest radio advertisers in the country.
6. ‘Natural’ or ‘herbal’ doesn’t guarantee safety.
“We don’t have a good definition of ‘natural,’ ” laments Dr. Blackburn of the Harvard Medical School.
Consumers assume that because a product is natural, it couldn’t possibly be harmful, says a Food and Drug Administration spokeswoman. “It’s a buyer-beware industry. Consumers don’t realize this,” she explains.
7. Fad diets don’t work.
Sudden and radical changes in your eating patterns are difficult to sustain over time, say the experts. So-called crash diets often send dieters into a cycle of quick weight loss followed by a “rebound” weight gain once normal eating resumes, which leads to even more difficulty when the next diet is attempted.
“Fad diet means you get on some type of elimination program and you can’t stay with it,” explains Dr. Blackburn. “There’s no health benefit from weight loss regained. If you can’t do what you did to cut the calories to lose those few pounds for the rest of your life, you can’t maintain the weight loss.”
8. It will cost you.
All three of the largest national weight loss chains — Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig and LA Weight Loss — continue to make millions in revenue. In 2003, Weight Watchers’ revenue was approximately $943 million, while Jenny Craig saw $280 million and LA Weight Loss climbed from revenues of $105 million in 2001 to $250 million and counting in 2003.
According to the Marketdata’s John LaRosa, costs of these programs vary regionally (franchises have latitude in what they charge) and individually. On average, joining Jenny Craig will set you back between $199 and $299 initially, plus $70 per week to buy its meals. Weight Watchers charges $29 to join and between $8 and $12 per week for meetings. LA Weight Loss sells a year’s program in advance and averages $575 for a full year’s service. Costs could go higher, depending on how many of the company’s bars and supplements you buy. Marketdata Enterprises Inc., is an independent Tampa-based market research firm.
But Dr. Blackburn thinks programs such as Weight Watchers are worth the expenditure.
“The costs of obesity are extremely high. It’s not a cosmetics issue. Successful weight loss of even five to 10 pounds can save hundreds of dollars per person and hundreds of millions of dollars to the economy in health-care costs. Programs that teach you a healthy diet and lifestyle produce the best outcomes.”
9. Don’t count on the ‘money-back guarantee.’
According to the FTC, you have as much chance of getting back your money as you do having the product do what it claims.
“While money-back guarantees — if honored — may benefit consumers, there is no reason for consumers to have any more confidence in them than in a claim that the product will actually work,” says Cleland. The FTC has frequently sued companies that “guaranteed” to give consumers their money back but didn’t, he says.
10. There is no magic bullet.
Some dieters place their hopes on pills and capsules that promise to “burn,” “block” or “flush” fat from the body. But science has yet to come up with a low-risk magic bullet for weight loss. Some pills may control appetite but can have serious side effects. Amphetamines, for instance, are highly addictive and can have an adverse impact on the heart and central nervous system. Other pills are utterly worthless.
“There is no quick fix,” stresses Dr. Blackburn.
“Let’s be realistic. You can’t solve years of overeating overnight. You have to cut your calories and you have to keep at it. How do you get to play the piano? You practice! It’s the same for permanent weight loss. You practice and practice healthy eating until you get it right.”
Liar! 
Don’t be fooled y’all, THERE IS NO SUPPLEMENT FOR HARD WORK!
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