BATON ROUGE, La. (KTAL/KMSS) — Attorney General Jeff Landry is warning Louisiana residents about weight loss scams.
On Tuesday AG Landry issued a consumer alert cautioning everyone to keep an eye out for fake weight loss products.
You may be hoping to lose weight in 2021 by taking a pill, wearing a patch or drinking a detox tea.
Even though medical data shows otherwise, AG Landry said that is not stopping scammers trying to take advantage of new year wellness resolutions.
Landry said, “Pursuing a healthy lifestyle is a great idea. But I strongly encourage consumers to be cautious when purchasing anything that promises weight loss.”
According to the Federal Trade Commission, bogus diet products, centers, and programs are the top reported complaint amongst health-care related scams.
Scammers tend to promise weight loss products that “melt,” “burn,” or “dissolve” unwanted fat. They use these tricks to promote unproven materials with little to no medical testing.
How to recognize if a weight loss product is FAKE:
- The product claims weight loss without diet or exercising.
- The product promises “instant and permanent” weight loss.
- Claims stating that in order to lose weight, all you have to do is take this pill, wear this patch, or apply this cream.
- The product lacks an ingredient list or is on the FDA’s list of potentially harmful weight loss products.
- The product cites a long list of clinical studies that are unrelated to the product, outdated, or performed on animals, not humans.
Landry also encourages residents to report deceptive ads and products to the FTC by calling (877) 382-4357. He also recommends checking out the National Institute of Health’s Dietary Supplement Fact Sheets and Nutrition.gov, a USDA-sponsored website that offers credible information to help you make healthful eating choices.
To learn more about scams and fraud, visit www.AGJeffLandry.com or call Attorney General Jeff Landry’s Consumer Protection Hotline at (800) 351-4889.