FTC says caffeinated underwear won't help weight loss

[chefmel]

Honestly, I can’t believe that this is a real weight loss news story, but it is, and I found it so funny that I had to share it here.

Apparently there are clothing products out there that are caffeinated, such as underwear that looks to me like biking shorts from the 90s. To me, that sounds like the type of thing that you find at a novelty store and that you buy someone as a gag gift if they are known for drinking too much coffee.

But no, some people try to sell this as a weight loss product. Well, I guess people were actually buying the darned things because the FTC has taken it upon themselves to give dieters a hand and point out that no, that product does not work. So in case you were hoping that choosing the right pair of underwear would get rid of that big fanny, you’re out of luck. You’ll have to keep power walking and doing squats like the rest of us…bleh.

Caffeinated underwear won't help you lose weight, U.S. government confirms - Your Community

[Beth]

That’s hilarious! I’d never even heard of caffeinated clothing before. How do they stop it from washing out for thirty washes? I don’t understand how they would be able to do that. WOuldn’t that mean that the clothing isn’t getting exactly clean every time they are washed if there is something like caffeine and herbs being left behind?

Still, I’m getting sick of reading articles that show that products recommended by Dr. Oz are just a pile of lies. I wish he would clean up his act and start to act like a real doctor instead of a snake oil salesman.

[bruceH]

OMG the idea of wearing caffeinated shorts is SO FUNNY! I really can't believe that people would fall for that, but also wouldn't you be afraid of getting a rash in a bad place? I mean there's a reason we don't just rub coffee all over ourselves to try to get skinny hhahahaha

[Tiff]

TOO funny! Yikes!

[antoniojones1968]

Who even comes up with these ideas? The idea of putting caffeine in your clothing just sounds ridiculous to me

[Tiff]

Who even comes up with these ideas? The idea of putting caffeine in your clothing just sounds ridiculous to me

That's exactly what I was thinking! I just think that it seems so funny to put something into your clothing with the idea that it's somehow going to make you lose weight. That's worse than the ones that make you sweat so much you lose water weight!

[Beth]

I've been reading up on other types of slimming clothing like the type with resistance bands in it, the shoes that have the uneven soles and the kind that is supposed to make you sweat when you exercise and there’s nothing to prove that it works other than the companies’ own studies. You can only exercise to get those results.

[Beth]

Beth, I'd read somewhere that there have/had been a rash of false Dr. Oz endorsements. Here is an article about it.

That was a good article and I can believe that lots of companies are using Dr. Oz's name (without his permission) to sell their products. I'm glad that he's mad about that and is doing something about it because that is wrong and lots of people have taken things he's said out of context and have even said he's claimed certain things are "miracles" when he hasn't. He's definitely gotten a bad rap for things when he shouldn't have.

At the same time, however, I don't think it's right that he endorses certain ingredients like Garcinia Cambogia, which has never officially been scientifically proven effective for weight loss. He's seen as a reputable doctor by millions of his viewers, which means his opinion matters to those who respect him and trust him as a doctor. If he wants to endorse insufficiently studied products as a salesman and celebrity that's fine, but I think as a doctor he has a bigger responsibility to his viewers. I found this article John Oliver Takes Dr. Oz To Task Over Health Claims, Free Speech interesting.

[chefmel]

That was a good article and I can believe that lots of companies are using Dr. Oz's name (without his permission) to sell their products. I'm glad that he's mad about that and is doing something about it because that is wrong and lots of people have taken things he's said out of context and have even said he's claimed certain things are "miracles" when he hasn't. He's definitely gotten a bad rap for things when he shouldn't have.

At the same time, however, I don't think it's right that he endorses certain ingredients like Garcinia Cambogia, which has never officially been scientifically proven effective for weight loss. He's seen as a reputable doctor by millions of his viewers, which means his opinion matters to those who respect him and trust him as a doctor. If he wants to endorse insufficiently studied products as a salesman and celebrity that's fine, but I think as a doctor he has a bigger responsibility to his viewers. I found this article John Oliver Takes Dr. Oz To Task Over Health Claims, Free Speech interesting.

I agree with you Beth. I don't care what he does or promotes as a person/celebrity. It's his ethics as a doctor that I question. That was a good article and I watched the John Oliver video, too

[Nelly]

I agree with you Doubletaurus. I think that there is a lot more to herbs than people give them credit for. I'm also not a huge fan of John Oliver. I get that he's trying to make a valid point, and a lot of the research is well done...but I do find some of the comparisons made are inappropriate.