The Real Deal with Weight Loss Patches

How would you like to lose weight by just putting a patch onto your skin? Weight loss patches seem to be all the rage in today’s fitness industry, with celebrities endorsing patches that contain different drugs that allegedly allow you to lose weight even while simply sitting down at your office. Such weight loss patches contain compounds like Hoodia, and extract from an African plant that can apparently allow for easy weight loss.

However, recent cases brought before the Federal Trade Commission, or FTC, show that weight loss patches are not as good as they are cooked up to be. In particular, the FTC sued a retailer and manufacturer of weight loss patches for making false claims on a weight loss patch, and for not backing up the claims with any research.

These patches were made of sea kelp, and the companies, Transdermal Products International Marketing Corporation, and SG Institute of Health and Education Incorporated, were marketing the patch directly to the Spanish-speaking market.

Are there really any benefits to patches? The FTC has long since been cracking down on false claims for such products using its “Red Flag” campaign, which has been in operation since late 2003. Under the campaign, the FTC assists the media in looking for false claims, especially in often sensationalized advertisements for weight-loss products. There has been no research yet showing that anything applied solely to the skin can cause weight loss.

If you really want to lose weight, you will need to consult with a dietitian and nutritionist, and you will have to talk to your doctor about any existing medical conditions that you might have. You also need to eat a balanced diet and exercise regularly. Without the proper permits and research to support them, weight loss patches are not bound to work.

Tags: patches, weight loss patch, FTC