And how do I know that none of them work? I've pretty much tried them all! Powders, pills, shakes, juices, foods, machines, tapes, books, DVDs, creams, ointments - all promising quick, painless, long-lasting fat loss. All backed by scientists, doctors, research, real-life examples - and all a bunch of crap!

Take the tried and true "medical doctor endorsement." Well now, if a licensed, practicing doctor is willing to endorse a product backed by extensive scientific research, then I can assume that is safe and effective, right?

Dateline NBC created a pill that promised to not only moisturize your skin, but take away lines and wrinkles. The pill contained a secret ingredient - Nestle Quik. They took the pill to a doctor to ensure that it was safe and ineffective - to verify that Nestle Quik would not actually support these claims.

Then they gave it a fancy name, found an infomercial producer who would market it. The producer said that as long as the product worked for 1 out of 4 people (or the people thought it worked), they could build a business on that. They secured testimonials from people who claimed it worked - people who later admitted they were either out-of-work actors looking to catch a rising star, or that the producers pressured them into saying something or that their words were twisted.

The clincher? They found a medical doctor who was willing to endorse the product! Without reviewing any clinical trials, without scientific proof, and without trying it herself, this doctor was willing to go on camera (for a fee, of course!) and endorse the product - while on a hidden camera she admitted that she had never seen the product, didn't know if it was a tablet, capsule or cream, and only read the ingredient list. She then later claimed to provide the endorsement as a favor to someone at the infomercial company. How's that for integrity?

While this story was focused on a skin care supplement, it could've easily been a fat loss supplement, and I don't think anyone would be surprised if some of the fat loss products available today followed the same sleazy development path. Before you buy anything with claims that seem too good to be true, do your homework. You should easily be able to find reviews from previous users or research studies with a simple Google or Yahoo search,