The well-known diet aid Sensa has been hailed as a revolutionary supplement for weight loss, thanks to its ease and results – the diet proposes simply adding the spices to your favourite meals in order to lose weight. Whilst a balanced diet and exercise are proven methods of losing weight in a healthy way, there have been many marketing plans that have suggested equally magic-like weight loss tricks – but do they actually work?
The Sensa plan was created by Dr Alan Hirsch as a natural food flake to be sprinkled on foods you enjoy eating, to curb your appetite and hunger pangs. The idea is that you can trick your body into believing that you are already full so that you eat smaller portions. The flakes come in a variety of sweet and savoury flavours, from mint and raspberry to ranch dressing and cheddar cheese. Although the company claims that the diet is clinically proven to be an effective supplement, there have been suggestions that perhaps some of these studies did not actually take place. Likewise, many people have commented that the supplement also caused non-threatening but present side effects such as upset stomach.
Alli uses a renowned prescription drug that is used for weight loss treatments, a vast difference to Sensa’s natural product. It works by reducing the absorption of fat, but poses significant side effects as well, particularly for those who already suffer with medical conditions. Lipozene, on the other hand, doesn’t contain fat burning ingredients. An all-natural product, it is created from Konjac Root and works as a fibre diet supplement. However, the company has been fined for making false claims, so the effectiveness of Lipozene has been greatly compromised.
Diet supplement SlimQuick is designed specifically for women and considers the hormone changes, water retention and energy reduction in the female body. It works in conjunction with other weight loss endeavours and supposedly increases your metabolism with thermogenics. As with other products though, it has received conflicting reviews. ViSalus is a more complex system and provides support to burn fat, curb hunger pangs and boost metabolism, which has received great reviews but is not an all-natural product. Finally, HCG is a product which claims to work via burning fat in the body – however, there have been no clinical trials to support this, nor is it a healthy system – though people have claimed to lose weight, this is likely due to the hugely limited number of calories they would be consuming.
Although there are many supplements available, none provide a healthy alternative to simply eating well and exercising. For those seeking a natural route, Sensa and Lipozene have the advantage, and SlimQuick offers a great boost for women who want to lose weight. However, it is important to remember that any supplement needs to be used with major lifestyle changes and are not a cure-all fix for excessive weight.