With so many kinds of weight-loss products on the market, it can be difficult for dieters to decide which is right for them. While they all sound promising, many of them do not live up to their guarantees, and some can even be dangerous. That's why dieters should carefully research their options before they choose a weight-loss product. Many diet and nutrition experts do not recommend weight-loss products, feeling that it is more effective for dieters to learn how to change the way they eat rather than rely on short-term fixes that may not work.

Diet Shakes, Powders, and Beverages

Meal replacements, also known as diet shakes and powders, are some of the most popular weight loss products. Some are pre-mixed and packaged in a can or bottle, just like soft drinks, while some are powdered and mixed with milk or water. Diet shakes are easy and quick to make, but may not be satisfying, leaving dieters with food cravings and hunger.

Diet Pills

Diet pills have rapidly gained popularity in the last few years, but are viewed with suspicion by many health experts. They promise quick weight loss, and many do seem to deliver, but they are considered ineffective for long-term weight maintenance. Many diet pills also have side-effects, including dizziness, increased blood pressure or heart rate, chest pain, heart attack, strokes, seizures, and death. Several herbal supplements also promise rapid and easy weight loss, but many of them have not been proven effective. Just because they are natural doesn't mean they are safe, as even many herbal supplements have been linked with serious health conditions.

Quirky Weight-Loss Products

With weight loss being such a lucrative industry, there is never a shortage of weight-loss aids on the market. Many novel ideas have been introduced and quickly proven ineffective, such as diet patches, which were pulled from the market by the FDA in the early 1990s. Some examples of these products include the following:

• Weight-loss earrings, which supposedly work by stimulating acupuncture points
• Magnet diet pills that promise to flush fat from the body
• Eyeglasses that are designed to suppress appetite through the use of special colored lenses
• Electrical muscle stimulators.