Lip Gloss for Weight Loss?

Over at Daily Diet Blog Mike Howard brings forward obesity researcher Betty Kovacs and Self Magazine editor Erin Hobday collaborated article on ridiculous weight loss methods. Now, I've tried some crazy things in my day including a self-made cling-wrap body suit (didn't work) and the infamous cabbage soup diet. But nothing nearly as crazy as some of these: take a look and enjoy!

1. WEIGHT LOSS LIP GLOSS: Fuze Slenderize lip gloss promises to help shed pounds. By infusing chromium and L-carnitine into the gloss, the manufacturers believe (and are trying mightily have us believe) that this will curb cravings and boost energy.

2. AIR MAKES YOU FAT: A recent In Style story suggests that all those additional air bubbles you consume while chewing gum, taking big bites or sipping carbonated drinks fills your stomach with air. Until now it seemed that air was about the only thing that wasn't making us fat!

3. OVERNIGHT SKINNY CREAM: Better yet, lose while you snooze. The body balm Fatgirlsleep by Bliss promises to fight flab and diminish dimples overnight with a combo of red algae extract, moisture binders and their encapsulated "slenderiZZZe" complex. Kovacs and Hobday both agree though, that a good night's sleep is important in fighting the bulge.

4. SMELL DIET: Bath & Body Works Instant Aromatherapy Crave Relief claims that rolling on their fragrant grapefruit and sweet fennel essential oils will stave off hunger. "The only time I would use smell is if somebody was walking by a bakery, and they're smelling stuff," says Kovacs. "Put some lotion on your hands to replace the smell, not as a way to curb an appetite." This smells fishy to me.

5. BODY OIL: Another appetite controller, SLIMShots boasts its users eat up to 30% less a day. The single-serving shots of natural oat and palm oil are poured into your coffee, yogurt or cereal to make you feel full. I'm not sure how they came about those numbers, by I suspect is was not through the rigors of a double-blind, placebo study. You could use regular food choices to help you eat less. One's that don't sell for $80.

6. LOTION POTION: A couple of drops of Clarins Body Shaping Supplement streamlines your lotions and moisturizers with plant extracts and caffeine to add powerful shaping action to your skin-care routine. I have no idea what this has to do with weight loss and I don't know the first thing about skin care products.

7. CALORIE-BURNING DRINK: Enviga, Coca-Cola's sparkling green tea mixed with caffeine and antioxidants, claims that it's proven to boost metabolism and burn an extra 60 to 100 calories a day. "The one thing that can boost the metabolism is muscle," says Kovacs. Kovacs also noted this disclaimer on their website: "Weight loss requires a reduced calorie diet and regular exercise."

8. EATING IN THE DARK: Eating in a dark room encourages you to eat more, studies show. Distracted diners also tend to eat more, so turn off the TV and the radio, or you won't notice how much food you're shoveling in. The authors of this article actually concur with some of this as do I. I'm not sure about the dark room thing (how dark are we talking?) but being distracted certainly has some relevance. I don't know that I would count this one as a ridiculous idea - but I will think it's ridiculous if someone writes a book about it.

There is no shortage of ludicrous weight loss products out there. No doubt, many of these products will fly off the shelves because of what they claim to do - which is a shame.