I remember walking into convenience stores several years ago looking near the counter and seeing these “Stacker” pills. It was interesting to notice that over time these pills went from “Stacker 1” to “Stacker 4.” It didn’t take much time for me to realize that people were getting “used” to them. So the manufacturers decided to increase the potency of these products which lead to the “fat burner” craze. The flood gates were wide open with similar products targeting the weight-loss wanting public.

What a great idea! Let’s put caffeine and ephedra together and get people addicted to them. By putting stimulants and diuretics together we’ll promote the product as a fat loss aid. Genius! Since then there have been numerous deaths linked to ephedra based products. The FDA banned the sale of ephedra on January 1, 2004.

The supplement companies market these products as the “solution.” The fact is no supplement works….. on it’s own. Many supplements will say “scientifically tested.” Unfortunately, what they don’t tell the public is the research is conducted by the same company! Either they “fund” an outside party to conduct the study or they perform their own research. One popular fat loss aid marketed their product by advertising “ burns fat 68% faster than diet and exercise alone.” Hmm…. Since a pound of body fat contains 3500 calories and by cutting our calories 500 a day with an additional 500 calories through exercise, if we do the math that would equate to 72lbs in a 12 week period! A slight exaggeration don’t you think?!

Many of these products are potentially dangerous due to the fact they increase heart rate dramatically. If you have hypertension or not conditioned to physical exercise you run the risk of having a stroke or heart failure. It became quite clear for the FDA to ban ephedra because of the number of deaths reported and serious side effects associated with these products. It is important to know if you are not sure of the safety of any product, don’t risk your health taking them. Many supplements are hyped and don’t provide the results they promise. That’s why they have a disclaimer “ Results not typical … results may vary.” This is their legal loophole that enables them to market their products with no proof that they work. Now if they did work wouldn’t you think the side effects listed on the bottle work also?

If you’re seeking fat loss you do not need any of these products. You need the right technologies associated with a proper training program that consist of the right nutrition, moderate aerobic exercise and resistance training. These key elements will bring the best out of you and improve the quality of life like no supplement ever will.