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In comparing weight-loss ads from eight national magazines published in 1992 and 2001, the reviewers found that the use of testimonials and before-and-after photos had increased. The percentage of weight-loss ads using testimonials climbed from 12.5 percent in 1992 to 76 percent in 2001. Use of before-and-after photos increased from 12.5 percent to 48 percent.

Another difference noted was that dietary supplements comprised two-thirds of the weight-loss products advertised in 2001. In 1992, meal replacement products were the most commonly advertised product.

In addition, the number of times weight-loss ads appeared in the magazines more than doubled between 1992 and 2001, and the 2001 ads generally included more highly questionable claims.

Need for Critical Evaluation

The FTC’s report notes that deception in weight-loss advertising has worsened despite an “unprecedented level of FTC enforcement.” Since 1990, the FTC has brought more than 80 cases against advertisers for allegedly false and misleading weight-loss claims – more than half the total number filed since the FTC’s first weight-loss case in 1927.

The report calls on government agencies, trade associations, self-regulatory groups, the media, and consumers to consider how they might help reduce the incidence of misleading weight-loss ads.

For consumers, the study provides important information on how to spot deceptive weight-loss products and services, says Walter Gross, an attorney in the FTC’s Division of Enforcement and co-author of the study.

“Claims like ‘rapid weight loss,’ ‘no diet or exercise required,’ ‘eat whatever you want,’ and ‘take it off and keep it off’ are all ‘hot’ buttons advertisers use to get consumers to buy their products and services,” he says. “Knowing how to recognize these will help consumers make more informed choices.”

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Are Food Seasonings Sabotaging Your Fitness Goals?

With so much emphasis being placed on what foods to eat and exercises to perform, a topic that does not get discussed very often is the one of food seasonings. At one time or the other, we have all indulged in some type of food that has been loaded with seasoning to make it taste great! The question now remains, are these seasonings good or bad for you?

In Are Food Seasonings Sabotaging Your Fitness Goals?, fitness expert Anthony Alayon discusses this topic and eliminates the confusion behind it.

Are Food Seasonings Sabotaging Your Fitness Goals? originally appeared on About.com Bodybuilding on Monday, January 25th, 2010 at 01:02:52.

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Many of you who have embarked on a bodybuilding program recently have emailed me about your muscle soreness and whether that is normal or not.

Muscle soreness is a normal part of the recovery process that begins once you finish your bodybuilding workouts.  Muscle soreness is more pronounced at the beginning of your bodybuilding journey since your muscles are not used at all to lifting weights.  That is the reason why it is of utmost importance that you use the right beginning bodybuilding routine.  By doing so, you avoid getting injured or excessively sore.

There are various types of soreness that you need to be aware of.  The key thing is to be able to distinguish between good muscle soreness, which is the one that indicates you had a good workout, and injury type soreness.  For learning how to differentiate between soreness types, please take a look at my Types of Muscle Soreness article, where not only will you learn about the different types of muscle soreness, but also how to minimize them.

Good Muscle Soreness vs. Bad Muscle Soreness originally appeared on About.com Bodybuilding on Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010 at 07:21:09.

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Keeping a training journal is a great tool for achieving your bodybuilding goals!  Recording your bodybuilding routines is great not only for accountability, planning, and motivation, but it also helps you to see where you are and where you have been. 

Imagine if you follow a program, get in the best shape of your life, and then you don't remember how you got there.  Could you imagine how you would feel if for whatever reason you lose your shape and then do not know how to get back to it?  In addition, a training log allows you to easily see where your progress is going.  Are you gaining strength?  Are you losing body fat?  All of these items can be easily looked at when you keep a training log. 

Finally, a log allows you to troubleshoot the program if your progress is not moving forward.  If you keep detailed accounts of your workouts and bodybuilding diet plan, if you are losing strength and you notice in your training log that you have been consistently missing a meal or two each day, then you know what the fix to the problem is. 

The Importance of a Training Journal for Bodybuilding Success originally appeared on About.com Bodybuilding on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 22:05:04.

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