Who has never been deceived by someone or something? Who has not been drawn in by products that promise eternal youth? Who has never bought trendy diet pills or some exercise gadget that promises to burn away your belly in 30 days?
There is such a variety of products of this kind on the market that it is almost impossible to keep track of them all. These products have one thing in common, and that is that they all try to entice consumers to use them. Once you start using them, it’s hard to stop.
According to Dr. Stephen Barret of the organization QuackWatch, modern sales representatives are "super" sales people. They play on the fears, hopes, and desperation of people. That is why few people realize they are being completely and skillfully conned.
These "super" sales people don’t usually pitch the quality of their products, but rather win over consumers through pure deception and false promises. To those who are in pain, they say the products offer relief; to those with incurable illnesses, they offer hope; to those with some knowledge of nutrition, they say "more (vitamins and minerals) are better"; to those worried about being overweight, they offer magic weight loss pills; and to women upset about cellulite, they offer everything from patches and creams to supplements.
Why do we fall into these traps, and why is it so hard to get out of them? Companies use various techniques to sell their "unique and miraculous" products. The companies sound convincing because they use scientific language, actors that are often well-known and respected personalities, and testimonies of people whose lives have supposedly been changed by using the product.
Appealing to our vanity
We all want to look good, have shiny, silky hair, firm legs, beautiful skin, and be at an ideal weight, and in our determination to pursue perfection, we reveal our vulnerability. And although it is easier to take a supplement than to go on a diet and do exercise, whether we like it or not, losing weight requires more commitment than just coughing up some money.
The sale of supplements has become such a lucrative business, that products keep being invented and reinvented. But are they changing the situation? No, the results are still the same. If this weren’t so, ask yourself why there are still so many overweight and obese people around despite all these promises of miraculous solutions?
Playing on our fears
“Giving hope to someone who is seriously ill is terribly cruel and unethical,” says Barret. People who are ill are being diverted away from conventional treatments that have a proven effectiveness, by a product that has little or no scientific backing.
30 day money-back guarantee
Few consumers bother to return these products. Who has the time to repack and wrap what you bought, let alone take it down to the post office?
Don't be deceived!
Stay away from purchasing these kinds of products! Not only are you wasting your money, you could also be putting your health at risk. Conventional medicine does not have a remedy or solution for everything, but the solutions it does offer are rigorously tested and researched.
*Dietitian
