Acai Scams

12 Sep, 2009

Top 12 Diet Myths

Posted by: admin In: Dieting Tips

MYTH: Skipping meals can help with weight loss.
FACT: Most people who skip meals tend to overeat later in the day.

MYTH: Eating in the evening causes weight gain.
FACT: The time that you eat does not affect weight gain. It is the amount of calories you take in during the entire day.

MYTH: Some foods like grapefruit and cabbage help to burn fat.
FACT: No food burns fat. Reduced calories eaten and daily physical activity is the best way to lose weight and burn fat.

MYTH: Quick weight loss diets equate to permanent weight loss.
FACT: Quick weight loss diets are typically water losses that will be regained. A slow weight loss of 1-2 lbs. per week is most effective long-term.

MYTH: I can lose weight while eating whatever I want.
FACT: To lose weight, you need to use more calories than you eat. It is possible to eat any kind of food you want and lose weight. You need to limit the number of calories you eat every day and/or increase your daily physical activity.

MYTH: Low-fat or nonfat means no calories.
FACT: A low-fat or nonfat food is often lower in calories than the same size portion of the full-fat product. But many processed low-fat or nonfat foods have just as many calories as the full-fat version of the same food or even more calories. They may contain added sugar, flour, or starch thickeners to improve flavor and texture after fat is removed. These ingredients add calories.

MYTH: High-protein/low-carbohydrate diets are a healthy way to lose weight.
FACT: The long-term health effects of a high-protein/low-carbohydrate diet are unknown. But getting most of your daily calories from high-protein foods like meat, eggs, and cheese is not a balanced eating plan.

MYTH: It is less fattening to drink juice than milk
FACT: A glass of juice contains more calories than a glass of 1% milk. While juice contains mostly sugar and some vitamins, milk has more nutrients such as protein, calcium, potassium and Vitamin D.

MYTH: Dairy products are fattening and unhealthy.
FACT: Low-fat and nonfat milk, yogurt, and cheese are just as nutritious as whole milk dairy products, but they are lower in fat and calories. Dairy products have many nutrients your body needs. They offer protein to build muscles and help organs work properly, and calcium to strengthen bones. Most milk and some yogurts are fortified with vitamin D to help your body use calcium.

MYTH: Drinking wine instead of beer it is better
FACT: It is simply not true. One glass of wine (5 oz) contains ~130 kcal where as one bottle of beer (12 oz) has ~150 kcal. Remember, the sweeter the wine, the more sugar and calories it contains. By the same token for hard liquor; the higher the proof, the higher the calories.

MYTH: Starches are fattening and should be limited when trying to lose weight.
FACT: Many foods high in starch, like bread, rice, pasta, cereals, beans, fruits, and some vegetables (like potatoes and yams) are low in fat and calories. They become high in fat and calories when eaten in large portion sizes or when covered with high-fat toppings like butter, sour cream, or mayonnaise.

MYTH: Nuts are fattening and you should not eat them if you want to lose weight.
FACT: In small amounts, nuts can be part of a healthy weight-loss program. Nuts are high in calories and fat. However, most nuts contain healthy fats that do not clog arteries. Nuts are also good sources of protein, dietary fiber, and minerals including magnesium and copper.

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Sambazon, a leader in the US acai market, posted material on their site in response to many of the questions and concerns consumers have sent them regarding the acai scams that are making headlines.

The company has made it clear that they not involved in any way with the scams offers the media is talking about. Also, the activities of these companies offering free trials then allegedly charging people’s credit cards for exorbitant fees contradicts with Sambazon’s core values.

The most significant item to look at here is the quality of the products being offered. Obviously scam supplements are created to make the advertiser a quick buck, so very little (if any) research goes into the product itself. They only focus on marketing it. Most likely it is made with dirt cheap acai powder and manufactured in the third world.

sambazonSambazon spends hundreds of thousands of dollars in testing to ensure their products have the best quality of acai available, with integrity throughout the process. The acai claims of Sambazon are simply that through years of testing by accredited organizations in both the US and Brazil the acai berry continues to display a higher level of antioxidant capacity when compared to even the most powerful cleansing fruits, including the blueberry and pomegranate. Claims of quick weight loss or improved sexual performance are misleading consumers states Sambazon, and they encourage consumers to be very cautious when considering a diet product making such claims.

Ryan Black, CEO of Sambazon indicated it was very unfortunate that unscrupulous businesses are tainting the public’s understanding of the acai berry fruit’s true benefits by touting unfounded and at times extravagant benefits. Sambazon has assisted Google and Yahoo in removing scam ads and will also work with MSN, Facebook and other media channels. They also commented on the fact that scam companies have illegally used Sambazon images in their ads or marketing and have even directed users to a Sambazon owned URL, acai.com to make themselves look more credible or imply an affiliation.

Sambazon continues to inform the public regarding legitimate, organic acai products, the true nutrient levels of the berry, and its true health benefits enjoyed by health conscious people worldwide.

It can be certain that with time, when acai is no longer in the limelight like it has been for the last couple years, shady companies will stop making acai products in favor of the next craze. When this time comes Sambazon will be able to focus on what they do best: making world-class acai juice and acai supplements for informed consumers.

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The Texas investigation into an Arlington dietary supplements distributor has been resolved. Under the settlement, The makers of Acai Berry Maxx have agreed to stop shipping unauthorized orders to customers, stop making false health claims, and clearly disclose its terms of service to customers. The online vendor also agreed to provide refunds to customers that it overcharged for its products.

Hilton ran two websites: FXSupplements.com and acaiberrymaxx.com – and on those sites offered a “free” trial. But the advertising was misleading, Texas decided.

When unsuspecting customers visited FXsupplements.com or acaiberrymaxx.com, they were notified that they only had four minutes to place an order before the free trial of Acai Berry Maxx expired. Customers who completed orders entered their shipping information and credit card number to cover the $5.95 shipping and handling fee.

The Attorney General’s investigation found that this transaction led customers to a “terms and conditions” page that failed to clearly disclose that by accepting the “free” 15-day supply valued at $65, customers unwittingly entered into a monthly subscription program. Under this scheme, the company would automatically “renew” orders after the 14-day trial period expired without customers’ authorization to continue. The renewal forced customers to pay $80 for a one month supply of Acai Berry Maxx, even after cancellations were demanded.

The makers of Acai Berry Maxx allegedly made illegal health claims (reduced risk of heart attack, Alzheimer’s disease and cancers etc.) In addition they used deceptive marketing, failed to ship product in a timely manner and neglected refund requests. Of course FXSupplements.Com does not admit to any wrong doing.

Acai Berry Maxx only had to pay the Texas Attorney General a fine of about $6,000. The owner of the company, Austin Hilton, told the Dallas Business Journal in July, 2009 that they processed about 4,000 orders a day. As orders resulted in a $80 monthly charge, their sales were about $9.6 Million per month! Clearly a $6,000 fine does not seem like much for a company doing close to $10 million a month in sales.

The good news is that Acai Berry Maxx is no longer being sold and consumers who feel they have been scammed can now call 1-877-778-9035 and try to get a refund.

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With aging baby boomers forming an increased interest in wellness, a great deal of manufacturers have churned out questionable dieting products, seeking to profit from the trend. The latest phenomenon is the MonaVie scam.

MonaVie has recently become one of the most popular home-based businesses. Their acai juice is their flagship product, and with it, followers of the company are trying to turn a profit of their own by pitching it to family members, neighbors, friends or anyone else who will listen.

How MonaVie was spawned

MonaVie+Magazine+Success+from+Home1_fullMonaVie was founded by Dallin Larsen and is based out of Salt Lake City, Utah. Daillin had come from a 17 year experience on direct selling and wanted to create a product utilizing the powerful health benefits of the acai berry.

Instead of just creating a product with acai, Daillin has his team of scientists identified 19 fruits to be included in the MonaVie juice, including white grape, cranberry and pomegranate, just to name a few.. The acai portion of the drink is a combination of freeze-dried and powdered fruit.

How the system works

Like all typical multi-level marketing schemes, the goal is to sell propositions. Users of the product are encouraged to become Independent distributors. You profit by bringing in more distributors and get a percentage of every sale made under you. MonaVie hopes that the chain continues indefinitely so a massive network of sales agents is formed, all hoping to get closer to the top of the pyramid.

Fast facts about MonaVie

  1. The price for each bottle is $45. A one month supply is about $180.
  2. MonaVie is not purchasing their Açai berries from Sambazon (source of the best berries).
  3. The drink is not made up of 100% freeze dried Açai. They use a blend of Açai puree and freeze dried Açai.
  4. Independent distributors can abuse the system and try to recruit endless representatives.

Most people get burned by point 3 because in reality it isn’t that easy to recruit people who can work the same system to your liking.

Remember that only the people at the very apex of the pyramid (the founder and initial partners) are making the real money with MLM. At the end of the day, your energy is most definitely better spent just about anywhere else.

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15 Aug, 2009

Acai Burn Complaints, Rip Off Reports

Posted by: admin In: Product Complaints

“Acai Burn scam” is very popular entry in search engines. A multitude of similar products exist using similar tactics to allegedly scam consumers, however it is clear the manufacturer of this one is pushing some major volume. There is no shortage of entries about this product on Complaints Board either.

If you feel that Acai Burn took your money unrightfully, please post your experience in the comment section below.

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Today we take at look at acai flogs (or fake blogs). A flog is an attempt to replicate an unpaid testimonial blog where the product is the hero and is directly responsible for all the weight loss reported.

Roughly a year ago, marketers found that people trust unbiased reviews on amateurish blogs and sought to replicate the model for commercial gain. Like blogs on which they are based, flogs are personal. “Real life stories” don’t shout corporation or advertisement, even though the focus is on acai and colon cleanse products. Those who have written blogs using Blogger, Typepad, Vox or Wordpress, will recognize the standard two column layout, one that allows for the bulk of the content and a smaller section, generally on the right side, designated for author bio, the 2 easy steps (more on this later) media snippets and other pieces of information that seek to add credibility to the story.

Spotting a flog in it’s most common form is generally pretty obvious when you know what to look for. Here is a list of items to look for to confirm that it is indeed a fake.

Title and Header

kathysweightloss

A straight forward title sets the tone for the story (and pitch) ahead. Here is an example that looks fairly clean. Some have fancier designs while others go to great lengths to make it look ridiculous and distasteful so it is believable that a non-tech savvy mom put the site together.

About Me Blurb

aboutmeaboutme2

One of the more prominent and common elements is the “about me” section. It’s almost always located to the right as the first item in the right hand column. You generally won’t find professional photos. Images are selected to help tell the story of the author and support the text. It’s your chance to get to know a person who shares your pain and was able to overcome obesity. Some of the more clever site creators, use an IP address mapping script so that their location matches yours. We will just have to ignore how so many of the about pictures seem to be on multiple blogs and are associated with so many different names.

Before and After Photos

flog-jenny-before

Arguably the most convincing piece is the before and after shot. Here you get to see the results. The diet flogs invented the form and the first pictures they show in the main content are the results. There is nothing like seeing what might happen to you to get you reading further and clicking through to view the product being pimped. Some of the more industrious will show more graphic images of large stomachs to add to the authenticity.

2 Easy Steps

flog-jenny-steps

People like lists. They make life simple. We make them for going to the grocery store, for other to do’s, and especially for driving instructions. The flog is no different. A key component is emphasizing what you need to do. On the right hand side, they tend to summarize what you need to do. The body of the content is dedicated to describing each in detail, showing ancillary documents and additional pictures, and in general creating the story behind how they came to the solution that “worked.” Economically, most flogs promote two diet offers, an acai supplement and colon cleanse product. Not all do, but it’s definitely the trend.

Media Mentions

flog-jenny-media

Rivaling the before and after section are the media mentions. The diet flogs have exploited media coverage to no end. The products has never appeared on the media, certainly not Oprah, but the ingredients and/or procedures have. If anyone has ever mentioned the benefits of acai for example, you will find a site discussing implying that it has featured the product. As users seeking the newest diet tips, people want to so much to believe that while the sites are telling the truth, i.e. saying the product was there, the user naturally connects the dots from acai as featured to the particular product.

User Comments

comments

No blog would be complete without comments. Floggers try and make doctored posts look convincing, as though they are part of the dialog. More often than not, though, if you try to add your own, it won’t show, or the site has made a message that they are closed.

RSS Subscription Options

rss

The more ambitious fake blogs also include mechanisms for signing up or subscribing to the RSS feed. Alas, or perhaps fortunately, you won’t actually get to subscribe. Anything from email address submits that go nowhere to non-clickable images of popular blog readers are present.

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Yesterday I visited a page about desktop publishing on About.com and was greeted by not one but two dieting ads that obviously lead to flogs. If you don’t know what a flog is, visit this page before you continue reading here.

The subject matter of the page you are viewing is irrelevant. Acai berry ads have managed to cover a good portion of the web and have even infiltrated some of the most credible sites.

The display ads that promote flogs are just like the flogs themselves. They all look amazingly similar, feature the same tired stock photography and use the same headlines to hook unsuspecting dieters.

flatstomach

“I lost (insert arbitrary number here) lbs of stomach fat by obeying 1 simple rule.” Does that sound familiar? If you pay any attention to the new wave of diet ads that litter the internet, it should. Ad copy like this has become a cliché. The really questionable part of it all is the overuse of the term “obey.” Do you like it when an ad talks down to you, shouting commands fit for a young child or dog?

What makes the commanding ads even more insulting is the fact they look like they were tossed together in fifteen minutes by a basement dwelling, pimple-faced hack. They are intentionally designed to look amateurish. If a mom is dying to tell you her weight loss story and is surrounded by slick imagery that looks like the work of a top ad agency, it isn’t so convincing, is it?

Not everyone considers that a mom with a legitimate weight loss story would never spend a dime to promote her blog, let alone run an ad campaign costing six figures.

Flog ads almost always use the infamous before and after shot. Such imagery captures eyeballs and gets clicks. Often the head of the model isn’t shown. The face is really just a distraction since the advertiser wants you to focus on the body. The more skin shown around the belly in both the before and after shot, the better.

So now you know one of the main tactics scammers use to drive traffic to their web page and sling berries: mainstream advertising channels!

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About

Scam Diet Watch is dedicated to exposing weight loss scams, bunk dieting products and the shady companies that drive them. Don’t buy Acai supplements or juice before reading everything you can on this site first.

Don’t Blame the Berries

A handful of rotten companies are to blame for the scams. Acai really is a powerful antioxidant that is great for your health.

Here is a list of the top, legitimate acai berry products from trusted brands.

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Don’t fall for “miracle diet” schemes that promise impossibly easy solutions. Only your wallet will get thinner.

Legitimate weight loss options are out there for those that look.

Here is a list of trusted diet programs that are proven to work.