Beware: Trick Photography Staple in Online Ads - ABC News

Beware: Trick Photography Staple in Online Ads - ABC News

Watched a great segment on ABC's 20/20 last night..

Those online before and after photo's showing weight loss results from the latest miracle diet? They've been digitally altered.

Say it ain't so. While not necessarily breathtaking news, having a veteran news show do a story like this helps bring the issue to the forefront and show just how wide spread the phony claims are. For instance, many of the photo's you see of people that supposedly lost weight using a certain product will also appear promoting other weight loss products, only the claimed name of the person in the photo changes. The old trick using slight of hand to bamboozle people is alive and well in digital media.

One person who actually did lose weight safely and gradually posted her results on the Internet because she wanted to show people it can be done. To her surprise her personal photo's showed up on a fad diet website- without her permission- and claimed she the lost the weight fast with this miracle product.

So why do people set aside better judgement and fall for these phony hucksters? Desperate needs call for desperate action. If you're feeling desperate to lose weight chances are you will be willing to resort to desperate actions to achieve the loss.

I've found a lot of success with my weight loss clients when they do an emotional inventory on themselves. Those who feel anxious and frustrated with weight loss tend to succumb to poor judgement. Those who find a way to think long term and look at lifestyle changes tend to develop long lasting healthy habits. Go here for an article on emotional misscalibration- researchers suggest this is major player in why we choose to overeat.

Permanent healthy fat loss isn't quick but it is easy, so long as you can overcome the emotional and habitual roadblocks. That's where the time and energy is spent, and honestly it isn't always that easy. Those who can overcome the emotional and habitual roadblocks are the ones who succeed long term.

As for the phony diet pushers; they're a bunch of lying schemers and it's about time they were fully exposed and hopefully brought to justice for the fraud they perpetrate.