Julie lost 74 pounds!

The diet industry makes money by preying on our insecurities. They start off by telling us, you’re too fat. You’re obviously not beautiful. Look at those thighs, that butt, that stomach. Men will never find you attractive when you are that huge.

But, they tell us, there is hope. It’s okay, we can help you. Just look! These people have used our wonderful, easy, miracle treatment and they are so skinny, so happy, so perfect now. And, lucky you! You can be just as skinny, happy, perfect as they are. Just buy our product. You’ll lose weight, and therefore people will love you and you will love you. We promise, just give us your money and do everything we say.

Jenny Craig promises to “lose 20 pounds for just $20” (“plus the cost of food”). Trimspa’s offers of a seven-day supply of chocolate Hoodia weight-loss supplements for $24.95.

Yet, they all have been denounced by the doctors and specialists, at least those who are not being paid to promote them. For the most part, these diet programs and pills don’t work in the long term, are harmful to your health, and cost ridiculous amounts of money. What ever happened to the historically-proven method of eating healthy and exercising regularly?

Yet American’s desperately spend $40 billion a year on weight-loss programs and products. FORTY BILLION DOLLARS. There are so many more productive ways we could spend that money. Actually, most ways we spend forty billion dollars would be smarter than on fake chemicals that only worsen our health.

The ad to the right is a typically ridiculous message. Apparently, if we're not on AcaiBurnMax, we won't find love, nevertheless a date, or be as happy as the little blonde woman in the picture.

These advertisements, these promised miracles, are something we all see everyday. For the most part, we simply glance at it and move on; but do we realize that the tiny effects add up after seeing outrageous numbers of these weekly? Is that okay with you? It's not okay with me.