Powder Pushers…
In an ideal world the Burn It blog would only be used a space to share happy stories and promote all the great schemes and incentives out there available to aid people in their health, happiness, and weight loss if so needed. However, it has almost become a warning tool and ideally each blog post would be accompanied with a big, red, noisy, flashing alarm beacon to really get the importance across.
You sometimes think you’ve seen and heard all the ridiculous diet plan suggestions, powders/shakes subscriptions, foods being labelled sinful etc and you become numb to all the peddled nonsense, allowing them no more of your time and attention than an exasperated eye roll in passing. Yet every year, in the run up to summer especially, the rise of the pyramid scheme recruits, or multilevel marketers, or street dealers, whatever the best term for them is, happens without fail. And there’s always something new to get mad about. The image that tipped me over the edge this time, is this one…
You may recognise this brand but I’m reluctant to name and shame them as I don’t want to give their website anymore traffic via people googling them. Don’t want to assist in providing stats they can skew and use for their own promotion (‘We’ve reached Xmillion people this year!’).
To save you the trauma I’ve checked out their FAQ’s and advice and listed some of my favourite gems from these below:
Q. Why am I experiencing hair loss?
A. Hair loss can be linked with weight loss. The thinning of hair and hair loss can occur during and sometimes after the weight loss phase. But weight loss is not the only reason for hair thinning and we would therefore recommend you seek medical advice from your GP if you are concerned.
Real A: This is a starvation diet, causing rapid initial weight loss, stress, protein, vitamin and mineral deficiency.
Q. Why do I have headaches?
A. Got a sore head? You may be experiencing carbohydrate or caffeine withdrawals and therefore develop a headache. This is a temporary side effect and if you can, you might need to grin and bear it. Drinking the recommended amount of water can help, as your headache may be caused by dehydration. Failing this, a simple painkiller such as paracetamol can help.
Real A. Do not grin and bear it. This is a starvation diet, causing deficiencies – eat some carbohydrates, do not be forced into taking unnecessary painkillers…
Q. Why am I constipated?
A. Less frequent bowel movements may occur because *** products are not as bulky as normal food. But to tackle this, keep well hydrated and drink at least 2.25 litres/ 4 pints of fluid daily in addition to the water used to mix your products. If you have previously suffered with constipation, let your Consultant know before you start. We’ve got you covered, the Fibre Fibre can be added to your shakes from day one and this may help avoid constipation.
Real A: Water alone will not fix constipation, have full, fibre rich meals (from actual food whenever possible not overpriced branded sachets) and eat enough to allow you to cope with exercise to help avoid bowel issues due to under-eating and inactivity.
Q. Can I drink low calorie squashes instead of black tea/coffee?
A. Not if you are replacing all of your meals with The *** Diet products, no. You can use our water flavourings, or have herbal and fruit teas. If you really want normal tea and coffee but can’t stand drinking them black, try whitening them with a little bit of our Vanilla Shake. Vanilla latté anyone?
Real A: Who wants to put protein shakes in their tea?! Yes have sugar free diluting juice if you want, do not buy over priced branded ‘diet’ squash. Jeezo, have a splash of milk in your tea or coffee if it makes you happy – something a starvation diet will not.
I could go on, I had plenty to choose from: ‘why am I cold?’, ‘why are my periods affected?’, ‘why do I have bad breath?’, ‘ why do I have heart burn?’, ‘why do I have a rash?’.
In summary, ‘Eat leaves, feel terrible, and be too weak to exercise’ should be their tag line…
It blows my mind they’ve morally managed to create a business based on manipulating people into handing over money to buy their branded snacks that sign-ups have to eat because they are on a starvation diet and won’t survive otherwise…
In order to sell things like this to people as a weight loss diet you need to be one of two things: conned, or heartless.
This is nothing more than the exploitation of vulnerable, overweight (or body dysmorphic) people who both need and want proper help – no one would buy into these schemes if they weren’t wanting to change their body and life. People deserve proper care and help.
These plans come with no screening from anyone qualified to provide nutritional/health advise, and actively promote that ‘Who can be a consultant? Anyone’. Anyone; no education or formal accredited training required.
A one day course which will cost you £200 to start (who pays to start a job? Hello pyramid scheme, our old friend, MLM, whatever you want to be called these days…) is a business course where you apparently become qualified to advise people on medical issues! Makes you wonder what all these nutritionists and dieticians who study who at least 4 years, or medical students who become GP’s after 7 years are learning…
Not every salesperson of these product is heartless, of course some will be purely in it for the exploitation of the vulnerable in order to make money. But the vast majority, you would hope, are not parasitically inclined and have instead just unfortunately been duped and caught in their web of shiny marketing and contrived language use, and simply sadly lack the education to properly question and research it all.
If it leaves you malnourished – it is not a health improvement opportunity
It if requires you to buy their branded food and snacks – it is not a health improvement opportunity
If it isn’t widely supported by health professionals – it is not a health improvement opportunity
If it doesn’t provide you with enough energy to exercise – it is not a health improvement opportunity
If it leaves you miserable – it is not a health improvement opportunitySo, as always, if anyone approaches you with their ‘new business venture’ feel free to ring a shame bell at them, say no and walk away.
Here is a link to end on, which takes you to a fun page to report any inappropriate, dangerous nonsense you see any diet companies promoting in adverts 😊.
