Are we gullible or just infinitely lazy?

We keep falling for it every time.

For almost 100 years now, it seems there is no gizmo, gadget, or get-skinny-quick gimmick we won’t try. Americans spend over $30 BILLION A YEAR on weight loss products! Every snake-oil salesman out there willing to put together a crappy infomercial to sucker us into giving them our hard earned money for the promise of getting that dream body we always wanted – here’s the kicker…. with little to no effort!

I have always wondered how the people selling these products could sleep at night, knowing full well that they are selling a lie. Unfortunately, as long as there are people willing to buy there will be people willing to take advantage.

When it comes to these gimmicks, remember –if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Once more, remind yourself – anything worth having, is worth working for. If having a 6 pack and 5% bodyfat was that easily achievable everyone would look like that. Remember, results take time…….I’m sorry, but there is no such thing as Abs in “8 Minutes”.

The “magic ingredients” in those “patented” fat burning products are usually found in the same store that sells the unicorns, leprechauns, and flying pigs.

Also, just because a celebrity is endorsing a product – don’t believe it. Do you honestly think multi-millionaires who have personal chefs and dine out at fancy restaurants are ripping open a cardboard box of frozen food and warming it up in a microwave for dinner?! Don’t fall for it!

Still not buying it?….. Below are some examples of how gullible Americans have been over the years. Some of these just keep getting recycled over and over once people forget; they re-introduce it all over again.

1. The Vibrating Belts – This gimmick was first introduced in the 20’s and then again in the 50’s. The idea of just vibrating your body parts rather than exerting any effort whatsoever appealed to many…….but, as you can guess, doesn’t do anything but irritate your skin.
2. The Spot Reducer – Introduced in the early 20’s this promised to burn away the fat while just lying on the couch. Once again, no results…. Just a lot of unnecessary radiation.
3. The “Atlas” ad (muscle man) – Still going on to this day. The promise to many skinny young guys looking to get buffed. Willing to pay or try almost anything to look like the guy in the ad. Wish it was that easy as 35 days!
4. The introduction of the “gimmick” diet – Sad that such a credible company such as JIF tried this back in the 50’s, but they took a crack at the diet fanatics themselves. Promising you could lose tons of weight by just eating their peanut butter on sandwiches 3 x per day. Can you say – “Jared from Subway”?
5. The “twist and tone” – Originally introduced in the 50’s, but is now making a ridiculous comeback on tv commercials today! So, ridiculous to claim that just twisting on a plastic disk is going to get you in better shape. But, many fell for it back then, and are continuing to do so today.
6. The “sauna suit” – So sad. Also been around for a long time. Saw many people early in my career at Ballys wearing these while on a treadmill. I just always kept an eye out for someone dropping from heat stroke. All these did was cause you to lose some water weight (which they told you was fat). All the weight was back on after you re-hydrated.
7. The “Thigh Master” – The 1980’s. This is when celebrity endorsements were huge. Don’t think Suzanne Somers is losing any sleep tricking people into purchasing this ridiculous tool, but she has enough money from selling these to count dollar bills instead of sheep if she did.
8. The “8 minute Ab’s” – Another 80’s craze…… Millions of people fell in love with the idea of getting a washboard stomach in just 8 minutes! This lie made the inventors of this video millions of dollars while producing no results. What they didn’t tell you is that to get the washboard stomach required full body conditioning including strength training, cardio and a healthy diet to match.
9. The “Ab” gimmicks – The Ab roller was introduced for just 3 easy payments of $19.99, and now can be found at many garage sales for less than a buck. Vibro belts were also brought back, hoping that many forget that the original version never worked either.
10. Kardashian sponsored “Toning Shoes” – Really?….. Need I say more?
11.  The “Shake Weight” – Absolutely one of my favorite! ….and unfortunately one of the most successful rip-offs in Fitness Fraud history. More than 2 million were sold in just its first year! (before people realized they did nothing). The ironic thing now is that this company still makes money because it has become one of the most popular “gag” gifts today!

Don’t be fooled. A fit and healthy body is not easy, but it is worth it. The reward is worth the effort. There is no quick fix, no magic pill. Do not be penny wise and dollar foolish. Americans have spent billions on gimmicks for an easy way out.

You see all these examples. They have been used over and over again to take advantage of us. Don’t fall prey to these tricks. There is no substitute for hard work and consistency.

As long as Americans continue to look for an easier alternative to what really works to become fit and healthy, there will be an unethical opportunist to feed into your dreams, offer false promises and take advantage. Unfortunately, there is not an easier way. The best advice is to make fitness part of your lifestyle. Eat healthy everyday and strength train on a consistent basis. Training isn’t all “no pain, no gain” – it can be fun and productive at the same time.

If you added up all the money spent by the average consumer on gimmicks, gadgets, diet pills, and celebrity sponsored frozen meals – they would have been able to hire a personal trainer for over a year, not only getting the results they longed for but the education to keep those results and live a healthy lifestyle for years to come.

The only problem with that solution…… you can’t strap it to your waist while you lay on the couch.

By Paul Dexter