Avoiding scam diet schemes: How to pick a reliable diet to follow

Claire Small
Authored by Claire Small
Posted Friday, August 23, 2019 - 9:51am

One of the biggest industries around right now is diet and weight loss. It is thought that the overall health and wellness market in the UK was worth almost £21bn in 2018, and diet-related products contributed greatly towards this. It is easy to see why this is such a booming sector in Exeter and all over the country. All Exeter residents like to look their best and also stay healthy, which is why we spend so much of our hard-earned money in doing so.

Within the diet industry, many people spend their cash on diet schemes. These schemes will help Exeter-based dieters to lose weight, gain self-confidence, and look after their bodies more effectively through healthy eating. However, it is also an area where you should be on guard. With so much money to be made, the rise of scam diet schemes has become all too common.

What are scam diet plans?

Put simply, they are diet schemes sold to the general public that do not work. The only thing you will lose with a scam diet is money. There is an even more serious side to these cons though. A scam diet plan will be badly thought out and offer poor dietary advice that could be dangerous for your health. In the modern age, they are usually found online, where internet fraudsters are waiting to trick innocent people who are looking for ways to lose a few pounds quickly. 

How can you spot a scam diet? Although it can be hard, the general rule is to use your common sense and not be persuaded by outrageous claims of success. If a diet is saying that you can lose weight without exercising and being able to eat what you want, then it is probably worth avoiding. It is not just healthy eating plans that don’t work that you need to look out for though. Dietary products such as fake slimming pills or ordinary herbal teas are another tactic used by scammers to con people out of their money. 

What should you look for in a good diet scheme?

While this may leave you despairing of finding a reputable plan to follow, do not worry. The good news is that there are some great ones that you can try that work and are safe. The 1 to 1 Diet is a very popular and effective one to try that is perfectly safe to follow. What exactly should you be looking for in this and other diets though?

Sensible claims 

Any decent diet scheme that is worth considering will have realistic claims for its effectiveness. With this in mind, it is certainly worth only following diets that do not make lurid claims for what they can do. Having said that, a big part of any decent diet scheme is the fact that it actually works. Make sure to check on their website and also online reviews to get a feel for this.

Lots of support 

Although some perfectly reputable diet plans do not include support, many people find that the ones that do are more effective. This is especially true if you find yourself needing the guidance of another to last the course. Some plans now will include personal mentors to help structure a diet that works for you personally and help you along the way with regular phone calls. For many people, this is often the difference between achieving their goals and not.

Tasty food 

More and more diet schemes now are coming with their own meal replacements and snacks to order up. These will work instead of your usual meals, or with them, to help get the weight off. Once you reach your goal, you can then begin eating as normal again but in a healthier way. A big thing to think about is how tasty their food and drink products are as you will be consuming them each day. As well as taste, it is worth looking into the range they offer and how much it costs. All this will help you decide whether a scheme is a good one to follow.

Balanced nutritionally 

Just because you are dieting does not mean that you should miss out on vital vitamins and minerals that you would usually take on. Any good diet scheme will be balanced nutritionally so that you are still eating sensibly. Make sure to check this out before signing up for any schemes.

Give the scams a miss

If you are an Exeter resident looking to get in shape or lose some pounds, then taking the above advice on board is worthwhile. It will not only help you to avoid the scams out there, which could prove costly and ineffective, but will also help you to find a good diet that does work. Before long, you will be in the best shape of your life and feeling amazing.

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