Recently, diet products such as supplements, weight loss teas, meal replacement bars, and shakes have grown in popularity. This is due to increased awareness of obesity-related health risks such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes; as a preventative measure against these diseases, medical professionals recommend weight loss to many individuals.

Supplements, pills and shakes
Pills and supplements that make claims about an individual losing a large quantity of weight in a short amount of time or without changing dietary habits are generally suspect, and may include harmful ingredients that can raise heart rate and blood pressure.
Meal replacement bars and shakes may also contribute to weight loss. However, their overall intention is to aid in the general reduction of caloric intake, as the loss of one pound per week requires a reduction of 500 calories per day.

Green tea
Another product that seems to aid in weight loss is green tea. Green tea has been used for centuries in the Asian culture in order to maintain healthy digestion. Recently, green tea capsules and beverages have been reported to increase the generation of body heat that occurs during digestion; this process is called thermogenesis, and is responsible for the absorption and metabolism of food.

What it takes to lose the weight
No matter the claim or the reported results of a diet product, most labels, menus, and directions will agree that reducing caloric intake and increasing daily activity is necessary to lose weight.