Weight Loss is SO Easy...?

Being an expert on "Weight-loss-blues", I can tell you that weight loss pills are to be met with caution before purchasing them. Claims that "IT'S CLINICALY PROVEN!" or that "Test subjects experienced significant weight-loss results...in 8- and 12-week studies!" are quite extreme. Let's think for a minute: Is it really that easy to lose weight by just popping a pill two times a day?

Let's look at a prime example of a glorified weight loss supplement!

Hydroxycut (http://www.hydroxycut.com/index.shtml) An amazing supplement that's been "proven" to get you on the right track! Well, unfortunately, Hydroxycut's key advertisements show quite the amount of pseudoscience.

PSEUDOSCIENCE #1: Exaggerated Claims.
"Increase Energy for Your Busy Lifestyle!"

PSEUDOSCIENCE #2: Talk of "Proof" instead of "Evidence".
"Clinicaly Proven Key Ingredients"

PSEUDOSCIENCE # 3: Overreliance on Anecdotes
"I LOST 42 POUNDS WITH HYDROXYCUT! IT REALLY WORKS!"

The more signs of pseudoscience we see, the more skeptical of the claims we should be. Honestly, Hydroxycut's advertisements sound very appealing. It's no wonder I purchased them in hope of a great fix to my weight problems. Yet, at the same time, I was unaware of a simple psychological effect: the Placebo Effect. The Placebo Effect is when improvement results from the mere expectation of improvement. I lost weight merely because I wanted to lose weight.

There is really no proof for this product, as well. Just a few claims about how they used a placebo-based experiment. What they fail to mention is whether or not they had the same diet and exercise pattern. Is it possible the group given Hydroxycut exercised more rigorously then the Placebo group? We don't know because they won't tell us!
Also, they give a few true life stories of how people lost up to 40 lbs in a short amount of time. This is possible, but was it the pills? Is it possible they just exercised and ate healthy? They also knew they were taking Hydroxycut, so it's possible the Placebo Effect was engaged.

All in all, be careful on what you believe. Not everything is backed up like they say it is.