Some interesting news came out last night. The attorney general of Connecticut, Richard Blumethal, announced an investigation into the business practices and questionable science associated with Acai berry products — primarily pitched by Internet-based companies as a wonder treatment for weight-loss.
Personally, I think this is great news and it is about time.
If you spend any time online, you have surely seen ads with the headlines, “Oprah’s Diet Secret”, “Seven Rules to a Flat Stomach, or (the worst) “Amy’s weight loss blog”, “Karen’s weight loss blog”, etc… on almost every page online.
If you actually clicked on one of these ads, you probably ended up on what looked like a blog with a before and after picture of some woman who has lost weight. She then tells a story about how she saw Dr. Mehmet OZ and Oprah say that acai is a miracle diet food. It might also mention Rachael Ray.
The woman then says she tried it herself and the pounds just came flying off. It is kind of believable as it looks like a real person and there are even comments on her blog. There then is a link to one of the many companies selling acai berry on a free trial basis.
Problem 1: The Blogs are Phonies
The problem here (one among many) is that these blogs are all phonies.
The woman depicted on Tara’s Diet Blog, Olivia’s Weight Loss blog, Alicia’s Diet Blog, Becky’s Weight Loss blog, and at least 75 other blogs is a German model named Julia who has nothing to do with acai or any weight-loss product. The German photographer who made the original photos of her available on Istockphoto.com said the pill companies manipulated some of the “after” images to give the impression of weight loss.
Most likely the sites are actually run by men. (That is just my guess).
Anyway, the people running the blogs are definitely a part of the problem – but they are not the cause. These are just opportunist people who saw an easy way to make a buck by promoting the biggest diet pill hoax of the 21st century.
They are not “associated” with the folks who market the pills; they just get an ungodly amount of money every time they send these people a free trial through one of these blogs.
I could go on and on about this. One consequence of these fake blogs making so much money is it squeezes out ethical marketers because the price for buying ad space simply becomes too high.
Problem 2: Acai Berry Will Not Help You Lose Weight
In truth, açai has less antixodants than concord grapes, blueberries, and black cherries. But more importantly, no credible evidence suggests antioxidants promote weight loss.
The attorney general from Connecticut says it more strongly,
“There is no competent scientific research that demonstrates any of the claimed effects of Acai berry, including weight loss, detoxification and increased energy and vitality”
Problem 3: Oprah Did NOT Endorse Acai Berry
And the truth about the Oprah show with Dr. Oz is that they never mentioned Acai as a weight loss aide, just as one of many fruits that were healthy (like tomatoes). In fact, on Oprah’s website they have a statement out that says,
“Consumers should be aware that Oprah Winfrey is not associated with nor does she endorse any açaí berry product or online solicitation of such products.”
Just to be clear, there is no acai berry supplement endorsed by Oprah, Dr. Perricone, Rachel Ray or Dr. Oz.
Problem 4: There is no Miracle Diet Pill that Works
There simply is no magic pill that is going to allow you to lose weight if you don’t eat right and exercise. There are pills that can help you lose water weight in the short term, and there are supplements that may help you control your appetite (usually stimulants) but even they are not that dramatic.
If you have a thyroid issue, hormonal issues or have a tendency towards insulin resistance, there are certain supplements that can help you move towards attaining the metabolism of a normal person your age. However, these will not help you if you already have a normal metabolism. For example, I lean hypothyroid and am helped by a very inexpensive iodine supplement recommended by Dr. Hyman.
I am as guilty as anyone in that I am always looking for the miracle pill! I take quite a few supplements, (mainly for vitality and longevity) but have pretty much given up on the weight loss benefits. I do see promise in resveratrol, not as a miracle, but as something that can help keep insulin levels in check. But again, if you don’t have your diet under control it will do you no good.
In short, if you want to get to and maintain a healthy weight - there is no magic pill that is going to do it for you!
I would love to read your comments on the acai berry scam as well as any other feedback you have. Just comment below.
{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
I got duped by acai and never got my money back - I should have known…..
I bought from an on-line company, when I wanted to return them before the 14 days was up, the phone link I was prompted to, there was never any body to pick up. One morning I waited on hold for 52 min. I timed it just to see. When I did get a hold of someone after the 14 days , it was a different phone prompt, I was given a hard time about wanting to quit recieving the automatic shipments. I have been watching my checking account to make sure they don’t keep charging my account. I asked the person on the line his name in case I had aproblem, he told me it was Kevin Peterson. I asked him to spell it, he spelled it wrong, his accent was from India. I am hoping I am out of the loop. We will see. Thanks for the information on this scam. Annie
Hey Michael, this is a great article about the acai berry & colon cleansing scam.
I’d like to re-publish your article to my blog, if you don’t mind?
I appreciate your ability to tell it like it is!
I decided to hire a personal trainer a couple weeks ago, and he comes to my house 2-3 times a week now, so I really don’t have an excuse not to exercise any more. Plus, he’s teaching me more about nutrition, and keeping me accountable to what I’m eating (or more importantly, not eating).
Best regards my friend!
Joe Barton
I wrote the Attorney General of Illinois, the FTC and the Better Business Bureau re my experience with one of those scams. Glad to hear someone is looking into it.
good to see you Joe! go ahead an republish - hope to see you soon all shaped up!
Secret to weight loss. Eat less, exercise more.
Yes I fell for it - learned a good lesson - Acai colon cleans if anything it made me more constipated - Also I did make sure I called the day I received the product - haven’t received a current credit card bill yet - hopefully they won’t get me again - sorry i didn’t see your article first at least you will have saved a lot of headaches with this article.
thanks!
Hi Michael, interesting article! I am in the UK. My daughter and I both were persuaded by the ads for this acai and wu yi tea combination through ‘Ann’s weight loss blog’. They continued to take money from my daughter’s bank even after we eventually got through to someone to cancel the product. She informed her bank of the problem and the bank said they had no choice but to pay the company because it was a contract entered into over the internet, so she was not receiving the product but money was still being taken from her bank account. She had to close the account in the end. In all she lost several hundred pounds (money not weight!). I have a heart condition and informed the company I was withdrawing because of this and was charged for one further shipment which never arrived. I fervently hope these people are stopped and wish the investigation all power.
Regards
Jackie Aitken
I just wanted to comment that I fell for the scam. I ordered the $5.95 trial order and hundred’s of dollars later.. fighting both my bank (yes, I used my debit card.. I still can’t believe that) I finally got all but the $5.95 back which is fine by me. But let me tell you, it took four months. Many of the phone numbers that they give you to cancel “at any time” are bogus until you shut off the money supply and then they will work for a month. Don’t know how they do it but its bad. So here are two plugs. After using the hypnosisnetwork for weightloss and eating an 80% raw food diet… guess what I lost weight without the hassle… I wasn’t hungry nor deprived. I have lost 20 pounds and just have another 10 to go but I am not… I repeat not worried about it… it is just going to happen naturally due to the fact that I changed my lifestyle to a much much healthier one. As for the Acai Berry it does have wonderful benefits but research reserch reserch! Nutritional highlights are polyhenols (potent plant antioxidants), anthocyanins (30 times more than red wine), essentil fats, vitamin E, minerals (including copper, iron & calcium). It also has the protein profile similar to eggs. The trick is that after picking the acai berry you have a limited amount of time to consume it in order to achive all the benefits. It has been found that freeze drying it soon after harvesting is the best way. I am unaware of other companies but Monavie is one company that can be trusted and does not try to rob people like the website you mention earlier. For anyone who would like to investigate that on your own. I hope this helps someone. I hate getting ripped off and I was so upset with myself, I do know better!
Thank you for reporting these scams - it was a very distressing time for me.
I followed a link in November - I thought the products sounded good and with a money back guarantee so I requested the “free” trial be sent to me in Australia and authorised for S&H costs to my Visa account. But the delay in receipt became a major problem and they started billing me before I had even trialled it. I cancelled the order in November but although I was promised immediate refund the company continued to charge for product and shipping fees and also the cost of a registration fee to another company which I hadn’t even heard of!
It took repeated telephone calls to the USA for over 3 months before I finally received a refund but not for the whole amounts debited.
It was so easy to sign up to but nearly impossible to stop. Every time they ‘hit’ my account I was also charged international fees. It was never ending - the name of the organisations deducting money from my account kept changing too. Of course I reported it to my Bank and was on the verge of cancelling my credit card when the main refund came through but I lost out on bank and international fees plus the drop in exchange rates Aust$ to US$ from November to February plus the additional cost of the numerous international telephone calls!!!
Michael,
Thanks for posting this. I have a friend who is deep into Mona Vie (a company that sells Acai drinks) and to be honest I actually believed it when they said that Acai has more antioxidants than blueberries and other high antioxidant fruits. Turns out it’s not true. However, I also thought it was strange that having a lot of antioxidants would produce all the amazing health benefits people report. Turns out I was right.
I fell to the scam as well. I haven’t lost any weight, but I’ve gained plenty. Previous to using the Acai, I had lost 35 pounds. To make a long story, short. I have found every pound that I had lost. I have now started swimming, to be a lifeguard and am finding it quite a struggle to do certain swim techniques. I am also biking on Fridays about 12 miles and increasing distant everytime I ride. I’m walking on the treadmill for another 45 minutes. But I believe it’s important to eat the right proportions of food according to you weight and BMI. I’m confidant the weight will come back off. I’m glad someone is busting them out on the scam.
Good Lord!! Everyone knows the if it seems to good to be true _______fill in the blank. I was a victim of my own desire to have the “amazing results” offered by the ad. They were quite convincing in their sales pitch. After ordering and placing another order thinking since it was a natural supplement it will take a little longer to act, I felt the sting of the “I told you so” and smelled the stench of a raw deal. Unfortunately as others have experienced, the only loss was the lighter feel of my wallet! The real eye-opener was seeing the same woman in another add for a similar product. She looked great. Probably from busily scurrying from state to state, huh?? Bottom line, it’s been said before, eat sensibly, exercise more. You’ll be happier all around!!
As usual, there is always someone lurking around to take advantage of anyone who is vulnerable. I’m one of those vulnerable people who got suckered in by being so desperate to lose about fifty pounds. I bought the hypnosis plan and I do believe it will work. I had to buy a CD player first. I am going to use the rest of the acai berry and colon cleanse but also get back to reality. I eat too much, I cheat and blow my diet and I don’t get much exercise. If there is a good pill it would be to give me more energy. I have chronic fatigue because of Fibromyalgia. I am 68 years old and swimming is good exercise for me. According to Mike Geary, who has good advice on his web site, “resistance” training is the best thing for building muscle, which is imperative to burning fat. We “fatsos” must learn to avoid any alcohol, sugar and going overboard on carbohydrates, which turn into sugar. To teach our bodies to burn the stored fat on our bodies, we must make our body “resort” to burning our stored fat by eliminating any other source of energy which burns faster and easier than fat. Alcohol sugar burns faster than anything else, so don’t drink liquor. Carbohydrates turn into sugar after you eat them and sugar burns faster than fat. So, don’t eat sugar, or more than 20 carbohydrates a day for awhile, in order to lose weight. Just one tortilla can contain more than 40 carbohydrates, or two days allowance of carbs. Continue eating fat, like bacon, in order to give your body the right fuel. Thank you so much for letting all of us know that we are not alone and that this is definitely a scam. By the way, “walnuts” are just under blueberries for the best antioxidants.
I also have just ordered the berry and the colon cleansing kit, just a few minutes before I read your email.
What do I do. How do I stop them taking monry every month out of mt a/c
Should I cancel my credit card.
I feel such a FOOL.
Please help/advise
lily
I also considered trying Acai. Until I saw a couple of ads on the internet. They featured different women, but they both had the same story - about getting married, gaining weight, wanting to lose it for their husband. They had the same number if children, who were the same ages. They gained the same amount of weight, and lost the same amount of weight. Anyway, this looked like to much of a coincidence. I didn’t consider buying into this anymore - they just did not seem to be very ethical.
I fell for the Acai free trial ($4.99 S&H) too. Twenty days later there was a charge for $78.81 on my credit card (looked like a different company with no “800″ number to call). I received the free trial, but no product for the $78.81. I called, got an “Indian” and cancelled. I was assured I would get a credit in the next 5-7 business days. Not true. Next, I got a call from my credit card company on a Sunday telling me that there is a charge on my card that may be fraudulent. I checked on my computer and there was a charge for $83.00+ from these Acai people. I was told to call them. I did, got another “Indian” and tried to cancel. He said I could cancel the $83.00 order, but not the $78.81 order (the actual cost of the one “free” bottle) because there was no evidence (cancellation number) that I cancelled. The initial person never gave me a cancellation number. I called my credit card company and was told by them that they only way to stop this was to cancel my card and they would reissue a new one, which they did, and to file a dispute, which I did. These Acai people should be tracked down and put in jail.
Wow,
I am so sorry that so many of you had already ordered this stuff. Over 100 people have now emailed me about how people can get their money back. My advice is to work through your credit card company -they don’t like those kinds of vendors either!
I also got a lot of emails from people wondering if we have any “deals” going on for our weight loss hypnosis program. Well, we have negotiated a better shipping rate and decided to create a 28 day trial of our own - so you can try the program for just $5.95
http://www.hypnosisnetwork.com/hypnosis/ewl/special
Thanks - Michael
I was encouraged to read that this scam is being investigated and addressed by the legal system. I am embarassed to say that I was duped by the “free sample” part of the scam. I presumed I was paying for the shipping (only) of the product. After they deducted approximately 65 dollars from my debit card, I worked with the bank, changed my debit card number so they could no longer charge to that number and eventually was credited the amount. The bank (Bank of America) couldn’t have been more helpful, but it was wasted time and money on their part and mine. I tried the phone and on line contacts as well. But, with some patience and humility with the bank, one can repair the damage. Thank you for the article and allowing us to vent and share. We have all learned a lesson with on line purchasing.
It just amazes me that people fall for this ’stuff’. IF there was a drug that was that amazing it would make world headline news,especially in western countries were obesity is not just a personal problem but a catastrophic dangerous and costly epidemic which kills millions!
An easy way to give you warning bells is google some key words and see if sites under different names are linked. Take Wi yu(?) tea which pops up an every second page. Be smart and go to your local health food store to by one of these types of products straight off the shelf with no contract etc and judge for yourself its ‘real’ benefits.
Most of the time they are ‘good’ for your health is because they are simply not’ harmful’!!!
The lady with fibromyalgia. Try reducing or eliminating gluten for a while. I had fibromyalgia associated with crohns. I am now fully free of both(and have the documents to prove this) I took responsiblity and changed my diet. No gluten,no lactose(used lactose free milk not soy milk or rice milk)hey I’m not saying it was easy to start but now I actually prefer the gluten free bread. Also started on 8 omega capsules daily which immediately allowed me to stop the morphine!! now down to 2 daily. Let the doctors help but ultimatley take control.
Detox ??? google sea salt detox!!! yup, no $100 kits just sea salt, lemon and sensible caution.This is an ancient formula that you can trace back to confirm if so inclined.
Also people, next time you are tempted to flash the plastic on-line. TRY THIS. Find the company contact details and phone the company first. Ask for an account number for you to direct credit payment. If they say credit card only then DON”T go there. Tell them you don’t have one and see what they say. You may be surprised.
….and I will leave you on a final thought…..If Acai berries were sooooo amazing we would all be growing them! Chances are the formula you are getting could be any berry, has anyone actually checked.
My daughter also ordered 2 of the free trials of Acai berry pills. One they only charged her the S&H. The other free trial, well, it turned out to be 14 days free then they charged her $70+ dollars on her credit card. She called and cancelled so that they wouldn’t send her a 2nd shipment. She also started receiving another charge on her credit card which always varied in cost, but had no idea what it was for. Called and disputed it with the credit card company twice, then it appeared again. She called the company last night, they listed a phone number on her credit card bill, and they said they cancelled it, it was some kind of health maintenance program that they signed her up for when she got her free trial. They told her it was part of the agreement. She said she didn’t sign any agreement, just ordered the free trial of acai berry and had no idea who they were or what it was they were supposed to be providing to her every month, since she never received anything from them. Hopefully everything is now cancelled. I buy acai pure juice along with other healthy juices from Sangsters Health Food store. I trust them, and their products are great.
Wow! The level of stupidity of some people never fails to amaze me! So, you saw an online advert claiming that eating a berry would make your fat melt away without any effort on your part. All you had to do was pay some guy a huge chunk of money and you would receive your fat busting berries within 14 days was it? Have any of you ever heard “if it sounds too good to be true it probably is”?
Try eating a sensible diet, don’t snack and do some light regular exercise and the weight will slowly and healthily come down. Use more energy than you use and you will lose weight. It’s not enough to have a venti hot chocolate made with non fat milk or to have a super sized big mac meal with a diet coke!
hey everyone!! just wanted to stop by and thank michael for FINALLY LETTING EVERYONE KNOW that acai berry pills are a SCAM. its about time!! I went and ALMOST (but not quite) got scammed by ‘wu-fi tea’…until i looked at the small writing at the bottom (get our free trial, and if you don’t cancel you’ll get charged $80 from that point forward). THAT right there (after filling out all the information INCLUDING my cell #, THANKFULLY NOT MY CREDIT CARD #) that right there…made me think “NO WAY could i afford someone to take out that much money for pills!!” so i left the website thinking “they won’t call me, i didn’t even order a thing.” LITTLE DID I KNOW I WOULD GET HARRASSED for the next 2 weeks with them (wu-fi customer service) calling me 8-9 times a DAY. CONSTANTLY calling me. And i’d pick up, but they would HANG UP! FINALLY, after 2 weeks passing, they call me again, and my bf answers my cell because i gave up answering. Luckily a guy answered and my bf told him i do not want him calling me, and to put me on the NATIONAL DO NOT CALL list (GUYS DO THIS!!) From that point forward i was no longer harrassed. be careful when you buy things guys!! Look at the small print……. or you’ll be sorry. sorry so many of you have been scammed and lost money! take this as a lesson learned…….AND ALSO to the people who say ‘eat less, don’t snack, excercise more”………………. no no no!!! PLEASE eat at least 4-5 times a day, (time it every 2 or 3 hours), breakfast, small HEALTHY snack, lunch, SMALL HEALTHY SNACK, dinner! make sure all of your meals are healthy and you excercise at least 4-5 times a week. i’ve been doing this and have lost 20 pounds alone!!!!!!! if i can do it, anyone can!!!!!! thanks for reading…………BEST OF LUCK TO ALL OF YOU.
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