GREENSBORO, N.C. — If you're still going to the gym as part of your New Year's resolution, congrats! That's because, by the end of this month, about half of Americans who joined a gym in the new year will cancel their subscription according to a study by the marketing firm Cardlytics.
Instead, right about now, a lot of folks start searching online for weight loss supplements and diet pills. Google shows those types of searches always spike during this time of year. But if you're going to order a weight loss product online, the Better Business Bureau says there are three things you should know.
1. Don't believe all the reviews
First, don't believe all the reviews. Some companies will hire people to post fake reviews saying they lost a lot of weight.
“Just give yourself a beat, think about it, do your research, go online, look up the company, go to bbb.org, and see what other people are saying about this company. And go to Google, put in the word scam, and see what other people are saying," Lechelle Yates with the BBB said. "Because when a company is making some of these claims that just sound too good to be true, think about it,” said Lechelle Yates with the BBB of Central and Northwest North Carolina. “If this was a product that was making all of these claims and they were really true, wouldn't we all be doing it?”
2. Only buy a product that lists all its ingredients
Second, you only want to buy a product if it lists every single ingredient that is in it. That's because weight loss supplements can be sold without FDA approval. The FDA will only go after companies if there are problems found with a product.
3. Make sure you aren't charged for a subscription
If you find a product you like, talk with your doctor to make sure it's safe with all the other medications you take. Then watch out for hidden fees! Read the fine print to make sure there won't be a monthly subscription charge.
“Make sure you read the terms and conditions, make sure that you look in the cart to make sure that you're not then also being charged for any other add-on services that sometimes some of these companies do,” Yates said.