Death to a Diet Pill Spoof… May they all Follow Behind

On May 1, 2009, the Food and Drug Administration warned consumers to stop using Hydroxycut supplements due to several liver injuries and one death from consumption. As a result, over 14 Hydroxycut-branded products have been pulled off of shelves worldwide. Hopefully, other fat loss ‘potion and pill’ companies will follow behind and fall like dominoes.

Before I give a further analysis of the situation and reveal how this is a great thing for you and other consumers, let me give you some background information:

What is Hydroxycut?

Hydroxycut is the brand name of some of America’s top-selling weight loss products which are taken by millions of consumers each year. Hydroxycut products are made by Iovate Health Sciences, which has over 750 items sold in more than 70 countries around the world. They made their mark in the industry as a result of the ephedra craze in the early to mid 2000s (2001-2005). After the government banned ephedra in August 2005, because serveral reported deaths, Hydroxycut could no longer use the drug ephedra in their products. Instead, they replaced ephedra with an overwhelmingly increase of caffeine and other legal chemicals to keep their business intact despite the ban.

Which products are covered by this recall?

The following products are covered by the recall:

-Hydroxycut Regular Rapid Release Caplets
-Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Rapid Release Caplets
-Hydroxycut Hardcore Liquid Capsules
-Hydroxycut Max Liquid Capsules
-Hydroxycut Regular Drink Packets
-Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Drink Packets
-Hydroxycut Hardcore Drink Packets (Ignition Stix)
-Hydroxycut Max Drink Packets
-Hydroxycut Liquid Shots
-Hydroxycut Hardcore RTDs (Ready-to-Drink)
-Hydroxycut Max Aqua Shed
-Hydroxycut 24
-Hydroxycut Carb Control
-Hydroxycut Natural

My take on the whole situation is that this is a victory for the fitness industry and consumers that have been ripped off by this company and many others for years. I mean, the diet industry has been reported to make an annual revenue of over $40 billion! Now lets do the math.
First, do you at least agree that $40 billion of your hard earned dollars is a lot of money per year spent? Ok, so if the diet industry is racking in 40 billion dollars per year by selling you diets and weight loss supplements WHILE promising results, why is the US currently experiencing the worst obesity epidemic in history with 3 out of 4 individuals considered clinically overweight? The answer is easy: BECAUSE THE S@*T DON’T WORK! As a matter of fact it does the opposite in most cases. With the economy the way that it is, it is a shame that these companies are ripping people off and giving folks false hopes and promises.

On August 17, 2006, a federal appeals court upheld an FDA ban on ephedra, overturning the initial 2005 ruling that allowed the sale of products containing 10 mg or less of ephedra. Considering the ruling was a blow to supplement manufacturers, companies increased caffeine levels to promote appetite suppression and keep their businesses intact.

Heres how Hydroxycut and other bogus weight potions pills and powders make you feel like you’re losing weight. Be careful they may also cause severe health complications.

Caffeine is a diuretic, flushing the body of water and nutrients. This has dangerous effects on the body as it causes dehydration, ridding one of water while leaving behind toxic chemicals in the liver. This is hour many reports were found where consumers developed liver damages or even died. If one was to lose weight from the product, it is highly due to the loss of water weight.

In addition, it is an appetite suppressant. Both of these factors leave the consumer feeling as though they lost weight based on the empty feeling they may experience after taking a product such as Hydroxycut. In fact, the opposite occurs. Starving the body of food and essential nutrients makes the body think it is going through a famine. As a result, it quickly shifts gears and stores fat in the lipid cells as a future energy resourse, while consuming muscle tissue for survival. In actuality, the product should be called ‘Hydroxyfat’ instead of its common name. It makes you fat.

Don’t believe those crazy “before and after ads.” Those are really after and before pictures where people posed when they were in shape then posed again afterward in order to make the advertisement look real. Whether you don’t want to believe it, regular exercise, a consistent cardiovascular regimen and managing one’s caloric intake is the only guaranteed way to drop the fat.

Ok, I’m off my soap box now. Here’s a workout you can use at home that will shred the fat faster than any fat loss supplement around. Do 10 reps of the following 5 total body exercises for 4 – 5 sets with 45 – 90 seconds rest in between each circuit. It will take you less time to finish the circuit than it will for your typical fat loss stomach to dissolve in your stomach. Make it happen!

Committed to your fitness and success,

Damon Reio

P.S – As an alternative to the fat loss supplements that don’t work, try a meal replacement or high protein supplement. This will give you the ability to manage your calories as well as provide fuel for your muscles to tone. As you build muscle tone, you body releases fat as energy to build muscle. This promotes fat loss. Click on my recommended site from Prograde for more information.

Tags: fat, Fat Loss, fat loss workout, hydroxycut, loss, supplements, weight loss supplements