Dietary Supplements: The Face of a Self-Regulating Industry
The pressure to look great weighs heavily on many. From people who want to lose weight to improve their overall health to those who want to lose weight to fit their ideal beauty standards, the dietary supplement industry regulates itself. According to a report done by ABC News, the weight loss industry makes $20 billion each year from weight loss surgeries, supplements, and diet books. This is good news for the dieting industry, but what about the general public? Let’s check it out.
The Vicious Dieting Cycle
The downside of dietary supplements is that without healthy lifestyle choices, many dieters gain back the weight after they quit the supplement. For this reason, dieting is a vicious cycle for many people. One report shows that dieters may attempt to lose weight 4-5 times each year, often either giving into cravings and binge eating or quitting their supplements and gaining back the weight. The good news is that there are steps you can take to avoid this – keep reading to learn more.
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Dietary Supplement Fads
In the last decade, supplements like Garcinia Cambogia and Green Tea Extract, with many others, that make claims their product can melt away your fat. In many cases, the ingredients can make an improvement to your overall weight when they are supplemented in the right amounts. Unfortunately, while manufacturers of dietary supplements are required to ensure the ingredients in their supplements are safe enough for consumption and cannot make misleading claims, they do not have to prove their products are effective. This is because unlike prescription drugs, dietary supplements are not regulated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration).
This has led to many supplement fads over the years, as people vouch for and dispute the effectiveness of drugs. In the next section, we will take a look at if these supplements are really as good as they claim and if the dietary industry is worth it to the consumer.
The Science Behind It: Do Dietary Supplements Really Work?
If you do a quick search on a dietary supplement like Garcinia Cambogia, you are likely to find before-and-after photos, with statements about how the supplement has changed someone’s life for the better. However, you will also find those that dispute the claims, saying that the supplement cannot possibly work. So, what’s the truth?
The effectiveness of the supplement often depends on the concentration of its ingredients. Not every dietary supplement is created equally, especially since the industry is not regulated by the FDA. For example, a supplement like Garcinia Cambogia can help boost metabolism and suppress weight loss, but only when given in high enough doses to be effective. To get a better idea of a supplement is right for you, you’ll have to research the facts behind each formulation. Check out studies and what amounts have been effective for supplementation. Look for websites that compare nutritional and dietary supplements such to help you break down exactly what you’re getting.
The pressure to fit into societal standards will always be there, as will the dieting industry. While the trends that drive sales will change, companies simply need to offer new supplements to keep up with the latest research. By doing this, the dieting industry regulates itself. If you are trying to lose weight, the best thing you can do is do your own research on any nutritional or dietary supplements before you try them. Find out exactly what each supplement does and always research the quality of a supplement before deciding it is the right choice for you. If you have any questions, do not be afraid to turn to a doctor or dietician for help.
Author: Pankaj Deb
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