by Shane Allen
Certified Weight Loss Specialist, Personal Trainer, Sports Nutritionist
“I Fooled Millions Into Thinking Chocolate Helps Weight Loss. Here’s How.”
Great headline. Sad story.
Journalist John Bohannon has revealed he duped the entire world earlier this year into thinking you could lose weight by eating chocolate.
In a well-written post, Bohannon explains how he was able to finagle a seemingly bonafide study of 15 people to create a mirage of statistically relevant weight loss attributed to eating bars of chocolate.
The result? Headlines all over the world proclaiming the weight loss benefits of chocolate. As soon as I read these headlines I knew it wasn’t true, which is what Bohannon now admits.
If you haven’t seen his story, it’s worth the read to get the full picture of how his small team was able to pull off this global farce. <Read Article>
The success of this fake study and subsequent news coverage shows us two things:
- People are desperate for a weight loss plan that allows you to shed pounds by eating whatever they want.
- The diet industry continues to be fraught with fraud. There are still easy ways to fake any sort of data to “prove” the efficacy and value of products and gimmicks that don’t work.
The truth is, you can’t eat whatever you want and lose weight. We all wish it was possible, but it isn’t.
Avoiding starchy carbs, sugars and alcohol is the only way to safely shed pounds. No chocolate. No red wine. No magic powder on your food. Just real meats, vegetables, eggs, cheeses and nuts.
Personal Trainer Food founder and CEO Mike Starks is steadfast in his commitment to run with transparent integrity a company that doesn’t rely on gimmicks or bad science to sell its products. <Read This Article>
Starks put it best earlier this year in an open letter to Personal Trainer Food’s customers and staff.
“At Personal Trainer Food, we believe the other meal programs have tried to help people. They have provided meal plans made of poor tasting food, chalky powder drinks and chemical-laden bars. These might help people see quick results, but they really don’t provide a plan focused on long-term habits. They tell people you CAN eat things like pizza, muffins, chocolate and still lose weight.
These claims are because marketers have learned if they can promise easy and quick results, they can sell. This goes for all those gadgets, gear, meal plans, and health club memberships.
I applaud their efforts but I condemn their compromise. They have now become so desperate, they use paid celebrities, fake before and after pics, photo retouched food, and sneaky sales gimmicks because they know their short term program does not work.
We are a meal plan that offers both short term results and life-long effects.
When a person goes from pizza, pie, and popcorn to eating only meats, vegetables, eggs, and cheese, their bodies see and feel huge changes within a few short days. Because we provide convenient, real food and a simple plan of exercise we help them transition for long term success.”
Maybe we should change our slogan from “Great Taste, Small Waist™” to “Personal Trainer Food – Integrity, Sincerity and Honesty in Weight Loss. Then, Now and Forever.”
About the Writer
Shane Allen joined Personal Trainer Food™ after 12 years in television news where he worked both on air and behind the scenes in news management. Shane is an EMMY, Edward R. Murrow, National Society of Professional Journalists and Texas Associated Press Broadcasters award-winner. Aside from being a fitness and healthy eating enthusiast, he is also a Certified Food Safety Manager.
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