Fakes and fraud in commercial diets

Abstract

The interest in health-food products is intense among the general public and in the media. Many products are widely sold despite a lack of supporting scientific evidence. Several examples of fraudulent claims are given here, such as the non-existent compound said to be the active ingredient in the weight-reduction product called MicroMagic. Another example is Dr Peter J D’Adamo’s blood group diet, which claims to be specifically designed for the different blood groups of the ABO system and to be able to alleviate symptoms of serious diseases. These products are marketed without support from scientific studies, and often contain totally unrealistic claims such as rapid and extensive weight loss without reduction in food intake. Sources are provided that contain critical evaluation of these types of exaggerated claims. Keywords: ABO blood groups; blood group diet; weight-reduction diet