ABSTRACT

After the holidays, the weight-loss/diet industry bombards consumers with messages on radio, television, and the web. They know that many of the people overindulged during the holidays, and they are making promises that they can take that weight off fast. A little healthy skepticism goes a long way. Magazine covers, many aimed at the female demographic, are on newsstands now. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which oversees advertising, has some very good advice for the people. Using dramatic imaging and bold red pennants, FTC warned people about the deceptive advertising, offering some strong advice. Claims for diet products that promise weight loss without sacrifice or effort are bogus, and in some cases, dangerous. As the FTC also notes, those before-and-after photos can be highly manipulative. And then there are the Photoshopped images of celebrities, endlessly tweaked by graphics designers to remove every blemish and sculpt perfect, fat-free bodies.