Annie Lam
With Thanksgiving rapidly approaching, some revelers may turn to quick weight loss methods to help them shed extra pounds gained over the holidays.
They should know, however, that weight loss methods like dietary supplements and fitness trackers have failed to show effectiveness in research studies.
Melinda Manore, a researcher at Oregon State University, found that weight loss supplements were not as effective as their packages claimed at increasing metabolism, suppressing appetite and blocking absorption of fat.
“For most people, unless you alter your diet and get daily exercise, no supplement is going to have a big impact,” Manore said in a statement released by the university.
The Food and Drug Administration has also found hundreds of cases in which items sold as dietary supplements contained unsafe ingredients, ingredients used in prescription drugs, or compounds that have not adequately been studied in humans, according to a consumer notice issued by the FDA.
Fitness trackers, another weight loss trend, are wristband watches that monitor your steps, calculate your calorie intake and track your physical activity. But wearing the watch alone is not effective, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center found.
Santa Ana College student Tanya Mohr, who started using a Fitbit in September, agrees. “There’s no result if I don’t go to the gym,” she said. To stay fit, Manore recommends eating well and getting exercise.
“Adding fiber, calcium, protein and drinking green tea can help, but none of these will have much effect unless you exercise and eat fruits and vegetables,” she said.
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