Weight loss is one of the highest grossing industries in the world. We are being bombarded with weight loss promises in exchange for money and the problem and trend continues to grow decade after decade. The demand is growing therefore there will always be a supply to meat it. One of the problems are we are too vulnerable and don’t take time to look deep into the details and get credible answers for ourselves. New weight loss miracles and scientific discoveries about a new product continue to hit store shelves every month promising to solve the obesity problem. The only thing limiting the sale of new products is the imagination of the inventor or seller. Being a less vulnerable critical thinker is the only way you can tell fact from fiction.
Reason #1 - Pluralistic Ignorance – The best way to define pluralistic ignorance is a quote that comes directly from the bible. “If the blind lead the blind they all fall into the ditch”. This may occur at work when you get around a bunch of co-workers and start talking about a new diet fad which helps you lose weight fast so you all decide to try it out. A more common example would be buying a bestselling product such as a fat burner or appetite suppressant. Pluralistic ignorance simply means following the crowds while lacking the facts and not spending time to do research and get verification about the decision you’re about to make. Just because a product is bestselling doesn’t mean it works. It could just mean that the company has a great marketing team and millions of others also brought that product for the exact same reason.
Reason #2 - Appeals to People of Authority – So let’s first get a clear understanding of what a person of authority could be. It could be your favorite talk show host, a celebrity, medical doctor, a scientist or any random person who’s physically fit with six pack abs or has the kind of body you’d love to have. Most people who are physically fit and walk the walk are automatically given the title of “fitness expert” just because of their physique. The problem is some of the worst advice you can get are from people of that caliber. Just look at all the late-night infomercials of people selling fraud products, fat burners and appetite suppressants. Most of these products are being endorsed by someone who’s physically fit.
Name titles are no exception. Just because someone has the letters M.D after their name doesn’t mean the buck should stop with everything from their royal mouth. There are many doctors who are fat and most of them have never had six pack abs in their entire lives. Fitness models get approached all the time to do supplement commercials and just having a sexy body doesn’t pay the bills. Many doctors willfully use their titles as a means of selling books or inventing a useless new product. Investigate before you invest and do your own research to get verification of new scientific claims. Taylor Swift may have obtained her sexy figure from eating spicy foods but that doesn’t guarantee you will if you buy her book.
Reason #3 - The News Said So – One of the most common sources that brings a false sense of credibility comes directly from the news. One thing you should always remember is that reporters are always under pressure to be the first to deliver the hottest story before anyone else gets it. One of the most widely used axioms in news rooms is “if it bleeds it leads”. News channels are best at delivering bad news. If you want to find out who died, what hurricanes are coming and whose house burned down, flip open your favorite news paper. Reporters are under too much pressure to do a sufficient amount of research but weight loss is such a hot topic that you normally see news anchors take a detour with new news about this topic. High ratings and eye-catching headlines are their primary goal, so if it moves newspapers you’ll see it as a “top-story”.
Reason #4 - Wrong Cause and effect – An example of wrong cause and effect is through a few examples. It’s a classic case of people not doing enough research to get proper verification. First example would be the classic rumor that watching TV makes you fat. Does this mean that there’s a weird radiation coming from the monitor into your body making it difficult to burn fat? Of course not. The proven research behind this allegation is that TV watchers tend to be inactive people. They tend to eat mindlessly in front of the TV without paying attention to when their hunger needs are satisfied. Lots of TV watchers tend to stay up late watching movies and feel more comfortable with a bag or potato chips, popcorn and soda nearby. There are lots of self-disciplined people who can watch TV and remain slim and fit.
A second example of this allegation is restaurants making you fat. There are lots of self-disciplined physically fit people who eat at restaurants daily and remain slim. The truth is many average people usually go to restaurants with friends or in group settings making it more likely that you’ll get distracted and makes poor food choices. American restaurants also tend to serve more calorie dense foods in higher portions. Add this to the fact that restaurant menus can make you feel like a kid in a candy store with their beautiful mouth-watering picture menus and wide variety of appetizers, beverages, delicacies and delicious deserts, it’s no wonder this myth has gained so much traction.
Reason #5 - Wishful Thinking – Many people put too much merit in technology and innovation. They want to feel justification that soon a weight loss pill will be invented that will solve all their problems without them doing any work. They lead themselves to believe that being overweight is not their fault and fail to evaluate their own lives and the true reasons that led to being overweight. It’s easier to blame obesity on genetics and being slim would be like trying to touch a cloud. Perhaps you have a thyroid problem or you’re a diabetic. This makes many people fail to look at the facts such as all the binge drinking they’ve done, the stress they’ve been under the lack of exercise and sleep they’ve been getting or all the junk food they’ve been eating.
