The recent weight loss saga down south in Singapore is more than just a love story (the way it turned out to be in the end). It opened many eyes to the danger that people go through in search of an easy solution to shed pounds. An estimated 50 million Americans will go on a diet this year, spending as much as $30 billion of dollars. And while some will succeed in taking the weight off, very few, perhaps only 5 percent, will manage to keep all of it off in the long run.

One reason for the low success rate is that many people look for quick and easy solutions to their weight problems. They find it hard to believe in this age of scientific innovations and medical miracles that an effortless weight-loss method doesn't exist.

So they succumb to quick-fix claims like "Eat All You Want and Still Lose Weight!" or "Melt Fat Away While You Sleep!" And they invest their hopes (not to mention their money and life) in all manner of pills, potions, gadgets, and programmes that hold the promise of a slimmer and happier future. These claims are often misleading, unproven, or just plain false, and can be confusing and costly, even lead to death or failure of various organs in the body.

An excerpt from a brochure by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is self-explanatory, states: