Losing weight is among the most common New Year’s resolutions. Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona advises consumers who want to lose weight to be cautious when signing up for gym memberships.

“Joining a health club is a big decision,” said Kim States, BBB President. “It is important that you visit the club and feel that it is a good fit for both your budget and your lifestyle.”

Before you sign a contract at a new health club, BBB advises you to consider your needs and your budget.

• Determine your fitness goals. It’s hard work to lose weight, and you need to find a program you can stick with, and preferably one that you enjoy. Find a health club or exercise facility that is convenient and that offers times that fit your schedule.
• Visit the facility before joining. Check on cleanliness, adequacy of space, machines and instructors, and any other factors important to you. Ask if you can try the facility out before you join.
• Consider your budget. Ask the health club about “joining” or enrollment fees and ongoing monthly costs. Does a weight loss plan require you to buy special foods? Can you cancel if you move or find that the program doesn’t meet your needs? If the facility closes, can you transfer your membership to another facility?
• Read the entire contract. Does it list all services and facilities and hours of operation? Is everything the salesperson promised included in the contract? What’s included in the monthly fee and what will cost you extra? What is the total cost, including enrollment fees and finance charges?
• Check with BBB first. Check a company’s Business Review at www.bbb.org

Before beginning an exercise program or diet, BBB advises consumers to consult a doctor for an assessment of over-all health risks. Get the doctor’s recommendations on exercise regimens that fit your health status and ability to stick with it.

For more consumer tips, visit www.tucson.bbb.org

Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona is warning consumers about HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) Xtreme weight loss drugs that come in oral drops, pellets and sprays. HCG is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for weight loss. The only legal form of HCG is prescribed by doctors to treat female infertility, not weight loss.

HCG manufacturers claim that these diet supplements will reset metabolisms, change abnormal eating patterns and shed 20-30 pounds in 30-40 days. According to Elizabeth Miller, a pharmacist of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), HCG is marketed with an extremely unhealthy caloric intake of 500 per day; the average person’s intake is around 2000 calories a day.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and FDA issued seven letters in December of 2011 to businesses selling HCG, warning them they’re selling illegal weight-loss drugs that are not FDA approved.

“You cannot sell products claiming to contain HCG as an over-the-counter drug product. It’s illegal,” said Brad Pace, regulatory counsel at FDA’s Health Fraud and Consumer Outreach Branch. “If these companies don’t heed our warnings, they could face enforcement actions, legal penalties or criminal prosecution.”

HCG Xtreme, has an F rating with BBB. They have 53 complaints that range from billing and collection issues to problems with products and services. Factors that lowered HCG Xtreme’s rating include length of operating time, failure to respond to complaints, insufficient background information and advertising issues.

The HCG Xtreme is a fulfillment center where hundreds of other products are distributed from is in Maine, but BBB does not know of a definitive address for the company headquarters.
When consumers click on HCG Xtreme advertisements on Facebook, a link is posted to their wall; however they are unable to see it themselves. Legitimate businesses will not solicit consumers through false advertising.

BBB advises consumers to follow these tips when purchasing diet supplements:

• Do your research. It is important to know the risks of diet supplements since many are untested and unreliable. Most are comprised of caffeine, appetite suppressants, fat blockers and more. Even “natural” supplements are made up of unhealthy ingredients.

• Know the side effects. Diet supplements are full of ingredients that cause adverse effects such as nausea, increased blood pressure, stroke, seizures, headache, insomnia, and much more.
• • How realistic are those results? Shed those extra pounds, have increased energy, feel fuller faster – are these guaranteed results? Most diet supplements are marketed with extreme dieting and exercise regimes that are not only unhealthy but dangerous.

Don’t forget the fine print. Many manufacturers of diet supplements don’t offer money-back guarantees. Can you return any unused product? Will you be charged monthly for auto-shipping? Be sure to read all disclaimers and know what you’re signing up for before you purchase any products.

For more information you can trust, visit www.tucson.bbb.org.

Gumdrops, lollypops and candy canes shot their final volley in the 2011 battle of the bulge this holiday season, and now the weight loss gimmicks, fads and remedies are crawling out of their trenches and preparing their assault. Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona cautions consumers to research weight loss products and companies carefully and understand contracts completely — including terms of cancellation — before giving any personal information or making any purchases.

In 2011, BBB received more than 920 complaints nationwide against weight control services, more than 600 complaints against gyms and more than 3,150 complaints against health and diet food stores. Consumers have complained about deceptive advertising, ineffective products and confusing or misleading contracts.

In addition, the Federal Trade Commission has taken action against companies making unsubstantiated medical claims and using deceptive advertising tactics.

“It didn’t do that much for me, to be honest with you,” Texas consumer, Patrice Owens, said about a product she purchased online. “I just wanted my money back and I didn’t want to deal with them anymore.”

Owens was looking to find an appetite suppressor to help her lose weight when she came across a free trial offer. That “free” trial came with an agreement that allowed the company to charge her $90 per month to send additional product. She said she later found that disclosure on the website, but it was not prominent and took some digging. When she called the company to cancel, she was refused a full refund.

“They agreed to give me back $30 of my $90,” she said. “I looked on the website for an address to write them a letter. (There was) no address or anything on their website, so I had to go through the Better Business Bureau to find out where they were.”

BBB received hundreds of complaints last year about “free trial” offers coming with undisclosed or difficult to understand caveats. Most consumers say the company signed them up for a monthly service without clear notification, or made it difficult to cancel and obtain a refund when the consumer was unhappy with the product.

In addition to enrolling her in a monthly program without her consent, Texas resident, Susan Kwasniak, said one company sent her additional products she had not requested and failed to include any instructions on how to use its appetite suppressor.

“When I looked it up on websites, I found a lot of people selling this and they have guides online,” she said. “It’s actually a 500-a-day calorie diet. They never told me that on the phone, and I got that on a competitor’s website, not from them.”

The product — a homeopathic version of the prescription hormone chorionic gonadatropin, also called (more…)