Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
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According to the ads, you just put it on and burn fat. It's the miracle you've been waiting for! Lose two to four pounds per week!
Karla Jarret/ Vim & Vigor: "WHAT'S NICE ABOUT THE DIET PATCH IS THAT YOU CAN JUST PUT IT ON YOUR SKIN. IT'S EASY TO USE.. NO PILLS, NO DIETING."
The patches contain natural products.. seaweed and herbs. Many claim they stimulate the thyroid gland to boost metabolism.
Jim Hill, a nutrition and weight loss expert at the University of Colorado, says they're too good to be true.
Jim Hill/ Nutrition Expert: "PUTTING A PATCH ON ISN'T GOING TO HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT. PEOPLE ARE WASTING THEIR TIME AND THEIR MOVEY ON PRODUCTS THAT AREN'T GOING TO GIVE THEM SUCESS."
What's more, he says people should be careful about products that claim to affect the thyroid.
"I'D BE LEERY OF TAKING SOMETHING THAT AFFECTED MY THYROID, BECAUSE IT'S EQUALLY LIKELY IT CAN AFFECT IT IN A BAD WAY."
The manufacturers say they're safe and effective and lead to a gradual weight loss of a few pounds a week.
But the scientific proof is lacking. Most sites include testimonial of satisfied customers, or a study of people using the patch, but no control group for comparison.
One company, which has since stopped running this ad, says studies show their patch work when used as part of their four part program that includes diet and exercise.
Experts say it's the diet and exercise that work, not the patch.
"IT'S NOT EASY, IT'S HARD WORK. IT TAKES TIME. AND IT TAKES CONSISTENCY."
Judgding by the proliferation of these fat patches,or diet patches, Americans are still loooking for an easy solution. There is no magic bullet or magic patch. The best way to lose weight is simple math. You have to burn more calories than you take in.
