The majority of people with diabetes are overweight and therefore under pressure to lose weight, since doing so improves glucose control and reduces the risk of common complications. Unfortunately, unscrupulous marketers know this and sometimes direct their questionable weight-loss products to people with diabetes. The FDA has published some tips for spotting health fraud. Here are some of them:

• Don't be fooled by use of the term “natural.” It's often used in health fraud to get attention and to suggest that a product is safer than conventional treatments. This isn’t so, since natural products can kill (such as poisonous mushrooms), and many existing drugs are based on natural ingredients.

• Claims of a “miracle cure,” “innovation,” “new discovery,” or “magical” are highly suspect. If a product were truly any of these, it would be widely reported in the media and used by healthcare providers.

• Money-back guarantees should be taken with a grain of salt. FDA points out that marketers making such claims often move frequently. Because you won't be able to find them to get your refund, they can be generous with their guarantees.

• Promises of “rapid weight loss without dieting” are fraudulent. The only way to lose weight is to eat less food and increase activity.

• Beware of meaningless medical jargon such as “Hunger Stimulation Point” or “thermogenesis.” Such fanciful terms generally cover up a lack of scientific proof.

Source:  Federal Consumer Information Center. Kurtzweil, P. How to spot health fraud. Nov-Dec 1999.