Just Rub It In to Lose Weight? We Don’t Know if It Works, Yet!

“Did she just say I can lose weight by rubbing that cream on my skin?”

Unarguably, the most popular items on the home shopping channels are weight loss products. Nowadays, there is even a product that promises weight loss without any exercise but just by rubbing it. And it sells like hot cakes.

Even some female TV actresses have been recruited for its promotion. “Before” and “After” pictures of subjects entice many female viewers. It’s hard to resist even if you are a stubborn skeptic when you see the phrases like “100% money back guaranteed if you don’t lose weight.”

Park Jung Hee, the agriculture and fabric team leader of the Korea Consumer Protection Board said, “The number of cases of complaints about this [weight loss cream] type of product claiming “no effect” refund requests are increasing;

There were 65 cases in May, 96 cases in June, and 112 cases in July.”

Park added, “Most of these people don’t end up receiving refunds because their guaranteed refund period usually has expired already.”

It’s Only A Cosmetic Product Abroad—

Products of this nature are manufactured by many companies in and out of the country, and there are over 20 varieties of them.

In other countries, they are used as cosmetics for people who have cellulite, which is an area of skin that looks like an orange peel, not as a medicine.

Home shopping channels advertise them with phrases like, “The product has been approved for safety by the FDA in the U.S.”

However, Gang Jae Hun, a professor in the Family Medicine Department in Seoul’s Paik Hospital said, “The products being labeled as safe only means that there are not known side effects, it does not mean that it will work. “ He explained that it is true that these products were approved for their safety in the U.S., but that only indicates the products are safe as cosmetics and doesn’t necessarily mean they will help one reduce weight.

Does It Really Work?-

The products’ main ingredient is caffeine or aminophylline. They help the fat breakdown stimulation process, and at the same time prevent the fat breakdown interference process. They do have some theoretical background. However, they are only in the animal testing phase right now, and there is almost no information on their clinical tests on humans. Experts advise not to believe the advertisement hype until a scientific, clinical evaluation is made.

Some experts also question the effectiveness of the product because everyone has a different skin thickness, thus the absorption rate varies. They argue that the product might have no effect on people who have thicker skin. Upon hearing this argument, one of the weight loss cream companies refuted the findings, saying, “The latest products have a special ingredient which helps the active ingredient be absorbed by the skin easily.

There Is No King’s Way In Weigh Loss.—

The best way to lose weight is regular exercise accompanied by a proper diet plan. Professor Shim Gyung Won of the Family Medicine Department in Ehwa Woman’s University Mokdong Hospital revealed that ”even most of people who said they saw some results by using the weight loss cream actually did exercise and diet at the same time.” Professor Shim warned, “Fast weight loss can cause dehydration, constipation, fatigue, headache, and depression. In the long term, it might lead to anemia and osteoporosis.

It is advisable to pick an exercise plan that you can do easily, frequently and for more than 30 minutes, regularly. The ideal weight loss pace is to lose 10 percent of one’s current weight over a six-month period.

Eating three times a day at regular hours and spending more than 20 minutes for each meal are also recommended. Three or four hours before going to bed, no food should be allowed.

Keeping good posture when sitting down with the lower back straight, or walking fast with one’s back straight helps prevent obesity.

Jin-Han Lee likeday@donga.com