Attention: “Figure” weight loss pill that is advertised via Facebook

The posts on Facebook do not directly speak of a weight loss pill, but rather of a “change” (sic!). They are always posted together with comparison photos. – The typical before and after photos that show people who have supposedly lost a lot of weight. We all know those comparison photos. And in each case we doubt whether the people being compared are actually always one and the same person. However, many people hope that they can show such before-and-after comparisons of themselves and fall into a money and possibly health trap!

Advertising drum for weight loss pills

There are currently increasing numbers of posts being posted on Facebook about exactly this topic. Several different photos are attached and other people are always tagged in the posts.

What is striking here is that in all of these posts with identical text, 8 people are always tagged in the photos and the link at the end contains a continuous, changing number. This looks very much like the work of a bot that makes these posts on behalf of Facebook users.

The attached link should lead to the “miracle of change”: a weight loss pill.

Fake site Women's Health

The link takes you to a website that has the look and feel of “Women's Health”. However, we can see from the URL that this is not the official website .

People here are raving about a weight loss pill called “Figure,” which has apparently already been presented on television. “figure” on the official Women’s Health site , there are numerous articles about it, but none that discuss a miracle pill with that name.

The weight loss pill that promises miracles

Once on the page, you can enter your current weight and your desired weight. Add to that age and size and you get a sensational result. We tried an example of a 165cm tall, 35 year old woman who wants to change her weight from 95kg to 60kg. According to the forecast, she would reach this weight in just 87 days - less than 3 months. That would be more than 10 kg per month. Every nutritionist or doctor is screaming out loud here. That can't be healthy!

The ingredients:

Experts have already analyzed , as they are contained in many over-the-counter weight loss preparations. The listed Garcinia Camogia HCA Extract (hydroxycitric acid) is obtained from an Indian spice plant. There is no scientific evidence that this extract affects fat burning in humans. However, side effects are known.

“Even small doses can lead to nausea and gastrointestinal problems – and reduce the effectiveness of diabetes and asthma medications as well as blood clotting. In the medical literature , experts repeatedly report cases in which Garcinia Cambogia in doses such as those used in weight loss preparations has led to severe liver failure. In animal experiments, high doses of HCA extracts caused damage to the testicles of the test animals.”

Source: ndr.de

Stay away from supposed miracle cures

The topic of weight and weight loss is omnipresent in the media and in many people's everyday lives. If you really want to lose weight in a healthy way, it makes most sense to consult your doctor, a dietitian or nutritionist. Miracle remedies from the Internet sound temptingly simple, in the best case they only cost unnecessary money, but in the worst case they endanger your health.

We reported on a similar scam back in 2013. ( HERE )

Conclusion

The effect of these weight loss pills, which can be purchased freely on the Internet, has not been scientifically proven.

The posts appear to be automatically distributed across Facebook by bots.
– Not a serious form of distribution. The fact that the link is a fake Women's Health page is another sign of dubiousness.

One should refrain from purchasing and taking these pills to avoid risking their health.

Source:

ndr.de , Science direct

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