Misrepresentation of Weight Loss Advertisements

“I have gained and lost the same 10 pounds so many times

over and over again my cellulite must have dejavu.”

-Jane Wagner-

You have seen them. Advertisements in magazines that say, “Eat

all you want and still lose weight!” or signs on the side of the road that
read, “Lose 30 pounds in 30 days. Ask me how!”. The world of weight
loss advertising is a fraudulent fantasy land where pounds just melt
away, no diet or exercise is required and substances like apple pectin
and lobster shells destroy enemy fat. Nearly 40% of advertisements
contained claims that are almost certainly false plus, 55% of
advertisements made claims that are very likely to be false or lacked
any proof. About 6 in 10 Americans are overweight or obese. U.S.
consumers desperate to shed the extra pounds, fall for gimmicks and
spend more than $ 30 billion per year on weight loss products ranging
from pills to patches to creams.

Model Kate Moss lives by a slogan which encourages people with

anorexia not to eat. In an interview with fashion news website, Moss
said her motto was: “Nothing taste as good as skinny feels”. The saying
is widely used by anorexia and bulimia sufferers. Eating disorders are
not glamorous but very unsafe. Brazilian model, Ana Corolina Reston,
who weighed only 88 pounds at a height of 1.77m (5’8”), died at 21. She
had been hospitalized for kidney malfunction due to anorexia nervosa
and bulimia nervosa, which included a diet consisting only of apples
and tomatoes. Besides that, the death of singer Karen Carpenter
brought awareness to eating disorders and its effect on celebrities.
Their anorexic/ bulimic behaviour has forced many of them to be
hospitalized.

Any diet which involves a drastic reduction in calories is likely to

be extremely unhealthy, possibly harmful. Paradoxically, ultra-low
calorie dieting among teens usually leads to a gain in weight. After a
short period of rapid initial weight loss, the body starts to slow down in
order to conserve calories. The teen dieter is already experiencing
tiredness and lack of energy, as a result of lack of calories. Up to 50%
of the weight lost is not fat at all, but lean tissue. In other words, the
body starts burning up its own muscles. A very low calorie diet (less
than 1000 calories) can lead to serious nutritional deficiencies,
involving extreme tiredness, bone weakness, skin and hair problems as
well as hormonal problems.

The most effective way to lose weight is to reduce the amount of

calorie intake and increase levels of activity. The public should think of
weight loss in terms of permanently changing your eating habits. Team
sports, racket sports, aerobic classes, running, walking, swimming and
cycling will all improve fitness levels. Always use the stairs instead of
the lift or get off the bus a stop before the usual one and walk the rest
of the way. It is not possible to lose body fat while eating lots of food,
cakes and sweets. This does not mean you can never have any treats,
but learn how to limit these foods to small quantities. There are no
shortcuts to losing weight in a healthy and reasonable way. Replace
fizzy drinks and fruit cordials with water, stoop taking sugar in tea and
coffee, have smaller portions of the food you enjoy and cut down on
alcohol drinks.
 Why lose weight? The main reason to lose weight is for health, not
appearance. Nearly 112,000 deaths per year may be attributable to
obesity. The risk of death rises to with increasing weight. Obesity is
now recognised as a major risk factor for coronary heart disease, which
can lead to heart attack. High blood pressure is more common in adults
who are obese than in those who are at a healthy weight. The
consequences of weight gain are serious for other health issues as well.
A weight gain off 11 to 18 pounds increases a person’s risk of
developing type 2 diabetes. Obesity is associated with an increased risk
for some types of cancer including colon, gall bladder, prostate and
kidney. For every 2 pound increase in weight, the risk of developing
arthritis increases by 9% to 13%.

In conclusion, unless he/she is seriously overweight, the most

effective way to reduce weight is to eat healthily and take regular
exercise. Amazingly, many teenagers do not choose this method.
Instead, they prefer instant solutions to their weight concerns-solutions
which typically cause ill-health and weight gain. The public must
change their mind-sets and start leading healthy lives before it is too
late. We should stop spending our money unwisely on products or
weight loss programmes that do not work. A person who wants to lose
weight must have persistence, determination and most of all, never give
up. Keeping your motivation up is one of the most difficult aspects of
reducing weight, there will be days when healthy eating goes out the
window and there will be weeks where you may not lose any weight or
put a little back on. However, do not lose hope and remember to hang
on. Do not aim for short-term fix for a lifetime problem. The correct way
is to have a simple, doable healthy lifestyle change.