You know it already, it goes through your head several times before you decide to buy a product that claims to have a quick fix solution to weight gain. But the idea of a pill that magically makes you lose fat and an advertiser who uses big words and graphics to convince you that its scientifically conceivable makes you break, right? At least that is how I feel. Even if you don't buy it you want to, right?

Since there are some scams going on I decided to do some research and find out how consumers can tell if a weight loss product will be effective. What I found was a report issued by The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) about claims that weight loss companies make when they try to sell their products to you.

And guess what, the feeling you've had all along is true. They came up with some weight loss claims that are, frankly, impossible.

Let me be more specific. You've heard of weight loss products that say you'll drop the pounds just by wearing a special belt or rubbing cream on your trouble spots. It would be nice, but according to the FTC there is no substantial evidence that using external products will generate any weight loss.

They also found that a product can't "block" the absorption of calories enough to cause significant weight loss, if any at all. It is simply (and unfortunately) a fact that the calories you take in have to be burned off or they are stuck there.

Another claim says that you can lose weight without diet or exercise. Not true. In fact, you may even gain weight if your unaltered diet includes eating more calories than your daily needs. To be more specific, the potential weight loss from a non-prescription pill that increases metabolism or blocks absorption of calories likely won't be more than a quarter to a third pound per week. That's a lot less than most of these drug companies claim.

One last false claim: a product will cause permanent weight loss. Just like fat can always be burned off, it can always be added on.

So now that you know some of the things that don't work you can focus on what does. There are many products out there that do work, and work well. Those that promote overall health like zone diet meals, athletic equipment, fitness videos, some appetite suppressants and many more weight loss products have a good degree of effectiveness on certain individuals. Just do a little research to find out what will work best for your body and your lifestyle.