14 DAY TRIAL // Losing weight often proves such a challenging feat that most of us simply give up on it halfway and then turn our attention to the so-called miracle cures now found on the market. Customers in the UK certainly went through this, as the Office of Fair Trading says, spending thousands of pounds on the wonder chocolate that helps you lose weight by burning fat and calories as you eat it.
If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is, they share. The same applies to Slim-Choc, the miracle product that has recently appeared on the market, telling women eager to shed the pounds that they could do so while indulging in one of life’s guiltiest pleasures, as chocolate is often referred to. Sadly, the OFT points out, it was all just a hoax, as also are countless other products on the market that try to take advantage of our desperation and, in the end, lack of proper motivation.
“Miracle health scams target vulnerable people who are desperate to lose weight or find a cure. The products are often worthless and can even be dangerous with untested and potentially harmful ingredients.” Director of Consumer Protection at OFT Mike Haley tells the Daily Mail. When a 40-day supply costs well above £35, as is the case with Slim-Choc, the OFT adds, then the damage done to the consumers amounts to a lot – about £20 million a year to be more precise, translating into more than 200,000 of Brits conned annually.
“The OFT yesterday warned consumers about the adverts for Slim-Choc, which were contained in junk mail sent to thousands of homes across Britain. The manufacturers claimed that eating the ‘slimming chocolate’ could help users lose 20lb in just 20 days, without exercising or cutting back on food. The hype claimed this was a ‘brand new revolutionary cure for the obese and overweight,’ and it was ‘the first and only chocolate that burns off fat and cellulite.’” the Daily Mail further informs.
On the same occasion that it studied the claims of Slim-Choc, the OFT also analyzed several other products now available on markets in the UK and abroad. The “fat burning” GI capsules, the Lipo-Slim Liposuction pad, the Slimball and Slim-Choc have all been proven to make false claims.