If an ad for Doctor’s Choice Miracle Rapid Diet pops up on during a browsing session, just close the page and move on. This 28-day diet scam is yet another one of the weight loss pill schemes that proliferate on the Web. Much like the abominable Keto Ultra Diet, this one claims claims that the supplement quickly throws the body into ketosis, where your body burns stored fat rather than carbs for energy. There are a number of red warning flags about 1 Minute Miracle that lead us to conclude that this product is a scam and should be avoided.
Why 1 Minute Miracle Keto Should Be Avoided
So what are you getting for your hard earned money. They won’t tell you until you give them your name, home address email address and phone number. That’s right — no prices are mentioned on the website. A one-month supply is sold on Amazon for $49. But otherwise, you can’t get the price unless you give them your personal information. That’s a screaming red warning flag.
It touts beta-hydroxybutyrate as its primary ingredient. It claims that BHB “kicks the metabolic state of ketosis into action”. So what do scientists really know about beta-hydroxybutyrate? Not that much, other than that it helps reduce seizures and can be used when diabetics go into insulin shock. Otherwise, the scientific studies are not conclusive.
The absence of scientific support for weight-loss claims doesn’t faze the diet scammers. In fact, they count on it. Because science hasn’t proven that beta-hydroxybutyrate doesn’t promote weight-loss, they can make their dubious claims and charge people a lot of money for placebo pills. In this case,1 Minute Miracle is capitalizing on the Keto fad.
Sadly, Keto dieting may be possibly the worst diet fad out there because it’s not a sustainable diet (apologies to the Grapefruit Diet, which has you eating nothing but grapefruit until you commit yourself to a mental health facility). Keto is a throwback diet to the widely promoted and subsequently discredited Atkins Diet in a wolf’s clothing. Worst of all, it wrongly views all carbs as undesirable. Here’s why a Keto diet is, at best, a poor short-term weight-loss tactic.
Why the Keto Diet May Be Dangerous
The Keto diet most frequently used was first developed in the 1920s to help children suffering from epilepsy. It was believed that carbs triggered childhood seizures. It has subsequently morphed into a low-carb diet in which you cut your carbs down to about 5 percent of your daily intake. Seventy-five percent of your remaining calories come from fat and 20 percent from protein.
It is called a keto diet because after a short period of time on this regimen, you will enter ketosis. Ketosis occurs when you don’t have enough sugar (glucose) for energy, so your body breaks down stored fat, causing ketones to build up in your body. This is the body’s attempt to deal with the ketone overload. It’s been known to trigger the Keto Flu, a well-documented condition in which the body’s reaction to ketosis mimics flu symptoms. Overtime, a keto diet can also lead to deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals and increase your risk of kidney stones and potentially heart disease, depending on the types of fats people choose.
For people with diabetes, heart disease, or kidney disease, both the keto diet is a no-no. A study published in February 2017 in BMJ Open Diabetes Research and Care looked at 10 low-carb studies and found dropout rates ranged from 2 percent to 60 percent.
A more recent 2019 study is even more alarming. A Boston-based cardiologist published a massive, blockbuster global study of the eating patterns of more than 447,000 people around the world. Her findings showed that no matter where you live or what your daily diet is like, banning entire food groups offers only short term benefits. Even worse, the longer term impacts will cut your life short. She pointed to the keto diet as an example of one that has harmful long-term consequences.
Yet another 2019 study published in the journal PLOS Medicine that surveyed the eating habits of 471,495 Europeans over 22 years found that people whose diets had lower “nutritional quality” (i.e., fewer fresh vegetables, legumes, and nuts) were more likely to develop some of the most common and deadliest forms of cancer, including colon, stomach, lung, liver, and breast cancers.
The American Heart Association, the National Cholesterol Education Program, and the American Cancer Society all recommend a diet in which a smaller percentage of calories come from protein. The scientific community is largely in complete agreement: Americans eat too much animal protein.
The esteemed Mayo Clinic reports that Keto’s high fat and protein content — and especially the high level of unhealthy saturated fat — combined with limits on nutrient-rich fruits, veggies and grains is a concern for long-term heart health. Some health experts believe that if you eat large amounts of fat and protein from animal sources,your risk of heart disease or certain cancers may actually increase. Recent studies show that beef consumption is directly linked to gut inflammation and certain types of cancer.
Other Warning Signs About 1 Minute Miracle Keto
This diet pill is incredibly expensive for a mere 30-day supply, with a single bottle costing $29-39 when taking shipping fees into account. The manufacturer states that they offer a money-back guarantee and that customers can try the product 100% risk-free, but this is incredibly misleading, as the return period is only for 15 days and opened products cannot be returned. So before you try them, figure out how you can use them for 15 days without opening the bottle or, for that matter, how you can tell whether they are working in such a short test period.
What is this product? Turns out that it is allegedly a combination of very common herbal supplements: reen Tea Leaf Extract, Green Coffee Extract , Garcinia Cambogia Extract, Turmeric, Psyllium Husk, Narigin, Coleus Extract , Acetyl-L Carnitine, Grains of Piradise Extract, White Kidney Extrac, CLA and Korean Ginseng Extract. Nothing particularly new here: these ingredients are found in most diet-related supplements. Editors note: the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns consumers that these kinds of diet pills may be more dangerous than they seem. FDA lab tests have found that nearly 300 of these products contain undisclosed drug ingredients.
How To Identify A Weight Loss Supplement Scam
Weight loss scams are nothing new. In fact, the FTC has been prosecuting false diet claims since 1927. However, the Internet has greatly accelerated the speed and impact of scammer successes by gaining access to wide audiences and making it easy for them to reap large profits.
This blog spends quite a bit of time exposing some of the worst offenders, but we’ve only scratched the surface. Regulators have the same problem; since 2005, the FTC has brought 82 cases against scammers for using false or unsubstantiated claims about weight-loss products, and yet they continue to proliferate. We can try to help protect you, but you’ve got to be alert to the sophisticated tricks being used by the weight-loss scammers. Here are some red-flashing lights to alert you to a probably scam:
- The product claims you will lose more than one pound per week. Diet experts believe about one pound per week is the ideal rate for healthy weight loss. Any product that claims it can shed weight faster is probably too good to be true.
- The product advertises you can lose weight without diet or exercise. It’s not fun to hear, but if you really want to lose weight, a diet and exercise are the only proven and healthy paths.
- Be alert if it claims you can lose weight from a specific part of your body, that a single factor is preventing your weight loss, and/or any advertisement using the words “miracle,” “scientific breakthrough,” or “secret formula.”
- The pictures accompanying the ads show dramatic “Before” and “After” pictures.
- Claims that the supplement blocks the absorption of fat or calories to enable consumers to lose substantial weight;
- Any product that causes substantial weight loss by wearing a product on the body or rubbing it into the skin.
- Promises substantial weight loss no matter what or how much you eat.
- The product uses affiliate websites that claim to “review” the product, but really are just trying to sell it.
The problem has gotten so severe that Congress has held formal hearings to determine whether new laws would help curtail the scourge of false advertising. Sadly, the hearings didn’t result in any useful reforms. But there are a number of things that YOU can do to avoid getting suckered by the weight-loss swindlers. Just like how magicians don’t want to show you how to do a trick, the scammers don’t want you to know their tricks. That’s why we are going to bust them and show you their tricks.
TRICK #1 – Endorsements and Friend Referrals
Advertisers are beginning to realize that Millennials have begun to catch on to the fraudulent ads. Most young consumers no longer trust ads — instead they rely upon referrals by their friends. So, the Net shysters have retaliated by creating fake referrals. That’s why many recent email scams have used Americans’ faith in their loved ones against them by hijacking email addresses to make it look like the scammers’ pitch was coming from a close friend or family member. In addition, these emails send readers to false versions of respected news websites, giving their false claims an air of objectivity, because even people who might not trust Uncle Fred’s diet tips might accept claims made by faux-journalists. If you ever get an email, text or Facebook message from a “friend”, here’s what you do:
- Always confirm that someone you really know sent you the email before you pay any money or volunteer any personal information.
- Even if a site shows the logo of a major network, that doesn’t mean it’s legitimate. Check out the other headlines the page links to. Take a look at the ads on the page.
- Are all the ads directing you to weight loss products or other similar businesses?
- If you’re still unsure about a product or offer, question everything. What name did the reporter use in the video? Search for it online to make sure he or she works for that network.
- Look up the product and see if it’s for sale at a legitimate store. Call the friend who sent you the email. Ask your doctor.
TRICK #2 – Before and After Pictures
The camera never lies….right? You know better than that. And when it comes to weight-loss photos and testimonials, you can be sure that the weight-loss tricksters are playing fast and loose with the camera. Just read two stories: one by a weight-loss model who was paid to lose weight in 30 days and one by a guy who explains how the camera can be used to fake weight loss. You’ll never believe a Before and After picture again……nor should you. Some of the tricks that the fakesters use include:
- The before picture is taken in the morning, prior to eating and after completely voiding the bladder making the model appear the thinnest. Manipulating posture dramatically changes appearance as well; internally rotating and wearing longer underwear makes the legs appear smaller.
- Tipping the front of the model’s hips downward, while pushing the stomach out as far as possible makes = abs disappear. Protruding the head forward, and slumping shoulders together make any upper body musculature disappear. And lastly, a depressed look on the face creates an alarming “before” picture.
- After eating a large breakfast and re-hydrating, models will complete an intense, full-body workout achieving a good “pump.” Retracting shoulders and neck restores proper posture, creating the illusion of upper body musculature.
- Externally rotating thighs, wearing shorter underwear, and cropping the photo closer, adds to the illusion. Changing the lighting with a lamp, some coconut oil on the skin, and flexing completes the illusion of a transformation
These, and other tricks, make it possible to show a 10- to 20-pound weight loss on a scale in a matter of hours. Dehydration techniques (fasting and spending time in a sauna) used by wrestlers and martial artists has allowed athletes (especially fighters) to lose 13 pounds in 24 hours. But it’s simply water weight loss, and posture manipulation, both of which are temporary. Yet, these illusions helps sell thousands of weight loss gimmicks every year.
Other fraudsters will use stock photos and alter them. If you aren’t sure if the images are authentic, use Google images to perform a reverse-image search. Google can show you all the places using a specific picture. The method for doing this varies based upon your Web browser. Just search “Reverse Image Search Google” to quickly find the instructions that will work best for you.
TRICK #3 – Lose Weight Fast
Meaningful weight loss requires taking in fewer calories than you use. It’s that simple. Ads promising substantial weight loss without diet or exercise are, by definition, false. And ads suggesting that users can lose weight fast without changing their lifestyles – even without mentioning a specific amount of weight or length of time – are false, too. If you see any of these claims, you can be sure it’s a fraud:
“I lost 30 pounds in 30 days – and still ate all my favorite foods.”
“Lose up to 2 pounds a day without diet or exercise.”
“Drop four dress sizes in just a month without changing your eating habits or enduring back-breaking trips to the gym.
“Finally there’s _____ (fill in the blank), an all-natural weight loss compound so powerful, so effective, so relentless in its awesome attack on bulging fatty deposits that it eliminates the need to diet.”
TRICK #4 – Scientific Studies Support The Claims
The bottom line here is that there are LOTS of studies out there that support just about every weight-loss claim ever made. In fact, one enterprising journalist created a Chocolate diet, using dubious studies and unethical sales techniques to convince a major news outlet that eating chocolate will help you lose weight. It was a hoax, but it made the point that science is continually abused by the weight-loss con-artists.
Some FREE Proven Weight Loss Plans Available on the Web
The vast majority of reputable health studies show that quick weight loss pills and potions simply don’t work. If you are serious about exploring a diet aid, check out these free and reputable dieting and weight-loss resources for you on the Net:
Livestrong Diet – Aims for a loss of about 1-2 pounds per week.
GM Diet – It’s not really a General Motors-designed diet plan. It’s actually a short one-week detox program. But it could be a useful starter to a major personal diet reboot. Linora Low gives a helpful (and free) step-by-step video and written guide to how to do this detox program.
The Lose Weight Diet – It does what many of the diet scammers do (take free information and distill it down to 3 easily understood phases) but he actually offers it for free!
Contrahealthscam recommends Truth From Within (Truth About Keto. It claims that this program by Brad Pilon is designed specifically for women in response to the 2017 keto craze that left a lot of women in hormonal disrepair. So if you are a woman who wants to lose weight the right way, Truth from Within is something you should try. It also recommends Eat Stop Eat, also by Brad Pilon has been studied extensively and has stood the test of time.
And if you are serious about wanting to shed some pounds, begin by going to the Mayo Clinic’s free and reputable website. The medical experts at the Clinic have fashioned a thoughtful and time-tested plan that has worked for untold numbers of people. Effective weight loss requires you to master the habits, urges, and feelings that rule our lives. It’s really all about learning more about your impulses. Once you do, you can create your “new” normal and the pounds will begin to disappear.