Fat Foe Website

Of course readers of Rainbow Investigations are well aware how passionate we are about going after these fraud artists in the diet fraud business.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission and Canada's Competition Bureau have now combined on a webpage designed to hopefully educate consumers on the typical signs of diet fraud. The webpage, known as "Fat Foe" is a teaser, in that initially it looks like another one of these pages trying to sell the bogus diet products, then goes on to say how misleading this is.

The story from the FTC, is right here.

Here are some pointers on how to spot a diet fraud, from our latest brochure:

How To Spot A Diet Fraud

- Full page ads or webpage ads describing someone losing a large amount of weight in a short time without dieting or side effects (not possible - either cannot be done, or if it is done with agents like ephedrine, there are huge risks from the elevated metabolic rate)

- Address is a post office box number (we have never found a legitimate product in this area marketed out of a post office box!)

- Telephone number is an 800 number which leads to a call center to simply take orders, and they typically know nothing of who is behind the company (or so they say!)

- The promotion has a "famous doctor" or a "celebrity figure" ie reporter. These are all paid models folks! (remember Chantal LeGrand?)

- Products work by a secret formula, or vague "natural ingredients"

- Product claims to be supported by research (almost all of these are testimonial research which is NOT proper research)

- MOST IMPORTANTLY - the promotion is not an on-going weight loss program. Weight loss is a serious issue, and can only successfully accomplished with an on-going program which accounts for diet, lifestyle, etc. in a gradual reduction manner.

While there has been no formal announcement, it is looking like the Competition Bureau, along with one selected division of the RCMP, is starting to slowly but surely move into the big void in Canada in health fraud. Rainbow Investigations has recommended for years that this area be the responsibility of the Competition Bureau, as this Agency has a better skill set to deal with planned health fraud than the rather invisible and ineffective compliance unit within Health Canada.

Date of Story: Sunday, October 02, 2005
Story Posted By: Ron Reinhold
Source: Ron Reinhold/FTC

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