An Introduction To Fat Burners; Everything You NEED To Know Before Buying One!

If you're reading this, chances are you've arrived at UltimateFatBurner.com in an effort to do a little online research into a weight loss product you've read about in a magazine, heard about on the radio, or saw advertised on TV. You probably have a couple of pounds to lose and are curious about what fat burners can do for you.

First, of all, may we offer our congratulations. You are right to be skeptical, and you are right to ask questions. You are also lucky enough to have arrived at one of the very few "fat burner review" sites that is not run by a product retailer.

Yes, there are web sites out there masquerading as unbiased, impartial "review" sites that have only one mandate; promote the products affiliated with the company that runs the site.

Don't believe that we're "real"? Check out what our visitors have to say about us. Or simply see who we are — you won't see too many of the other "review" sites happy to reveal the people behind them.

Before we begin, please take note...

This is an important article. Please take the time to read it thoroughly.

It will save you time, money, heartaches and headaches (oh yes, and you'd better bookmark this site now, before you forget!).

There will be others who contradict what we say here, but their interest is in the sale of products — something not necessarily in your best interest.

OK, let's begin...

Fat burners are quite obviously, non-prescription, non regulated weight loss supplements.

Some contain stimulants (i.e., caffeine and xanthines), some are stimulate free. Others are advertised to "block", "burn", or "mobilize" fat.

Still others claim to cause "fat cell death." Certain products act on carbs, claiming to inhibit carbohydrate metabolism (i.e., carb blockers) and balance blood sugar levels. A growing number of them claim to suppress the appetite.

The biggest problem inherent to fat burners and natural weight loss aids is that they are largely unregulated. It may surprise you to know that retailers do not have to prove — through peer-reviewed, placebo controlled clinical studies — that their products actually work as described.

All they need to do is make sure the words "these statements have not been evaluated by the FDA" appear on the product label and advertising, and they can pretty much say what they want.

And they do.

In a competitive marketplace, this has lead to a series of escalating claims between retailers, each trying to "outdo" the other. None of these claims are based on anything remotely resembling reality, and most on pure nonsense. If advertiser #1 says you can lose 10 lbs. in 10 days, advertiser #2 claims you can lose 15 lbs. in 10 days, and so on.

Of course, you can't lose 10 lbs. of fat in 10 days, but that's immaterial (you can lose 10 lbs of water weight, but that's a big difference. And if you're using the scale instead of tracking your bodyfat percentage, you may even assume the product is working as described, when in fact you are no less fat; the diuretics in the product have merely driven out some water).

There are safeguards in place of course; in the United States, it's the Federal Trade Commission that protects consumers against retailers who make false and unsubstantiated claims (you can see examples here, here, and here!). In Canada, it's Health Canada that assumes this duty.

The problem is that there are zillions of products on the market, and neither Health Canada nor the FTC have the resources to monitor any but the tiniest percentage of products available. So most simply get away with it.

Sometimes it's the market itself that rebels, and disgusted consumers launch a class action suit against the company/product in question. A perfect example of this is the suit recently launched against the makers of Akavar 20/50, the "European breakthrough" that allowed you to "eat all you want and still lose weight" (completely and totally untrue, of course).

If you're new to fat burners, one of the claims that you should be most aware of is "clinically proven." 99.99% percent of the products on the market are NOT clinically proven (i.e., a peer-reviewed clinical study has not been performed on that product directly).

What retailers will often do is include an ingredient that does have some small amount of clinical data to support it, but at a dosage so miniscule and so removed from the amount used in the study, it's valueless.

Others will simply lie about clinical studies being performed, as the class action suit against Akavar 20/50 alleges.

And here's another thing...

Not all retailers of weight loss supplements are big, well known companies with a physical address, a board of directors, and a room full of food scientists and chemists laboring over the newest weight loss breakthrough.

For many of the products sold online, it is impossible to determine where they are coming from, or who is selling them (nowadays, anybody with a few extra bucks can pay someone to develop a product and sell it online!). We've received feedback from visitors who have purchased products that were shoddily produced, missing an ingredients profile, or were "boasting" labels that appeared to have been printed off on a home computer.

Often, the only contact information given for the retailers of many online fat burners is an e-mail address. Reputable companies, big or small, are always forthright about revealing who they are and where they can be located. If no such information is available, it's to prevent YOU from tracking them down.

Beware also of the 5, 7, or 30-day free trial offer.

These offers are not a good faith demonstration of retailer's confidence in his/her product, but an attempt to add you to a recurring billing program (often called a "membership" or VIP program). On such a program you will receive product every month or so, and your credit card will be charged accordingly. It is almost impossible to cancel your "enrollment" in this program. We've created a video on the subject here!

At this point, it's important to emphasize that despite this "doom and gloom" scenario, there are credible companies focused on producing quality products. And yes, there are a few non-pharmaceutical ingredients that do show promise for weight loss, when used in the appropriate dosage.

But for the most part, if you are not aware of the pitfalls facing you before you purchase a fat burner, you are much like a sheep in a forest full of wolves... you will get eaten for lunch. You will pay a lot of money for a product that doesn't work. You will be disappointed and you may even give up. We've heard this from our visitors time and time again over the last 9 years.

Here's what to do; spend some time exploring this site. Learn about the realities of weight loss, and what to expect from a well-formulated product. Learn which ingredients have some decent science validating their potential and which do not. Trust your instincts. Be skeptical. Be aware that some retailers will blatantly lie to you in order to separate you from your hard-earned cash.

And buy from well-known, reputable companies only... you'll thank us for this one, too!

Ok, with no further delay, here's a few quick links to get you started on your mission...

Have you been the victim of a product that makes exaggerated claims? Launch a complaint!

US visitors should submit a complaint to the US Federal Trade Commission!

Canadians, submit a complaint at the Canadian Competition Bureau!