There are few areas of business which have attracted so much fraudulent activity than the weight loss and dietary market.  As with any potential fraud, there needs to be a degree of distress for the victim, to ensure that they are not always thinking rationally, and desperation to ensure they act as quickly as possible - few business arenas cover these points as well as the weight loss market. 

Due to the way in which society portrays and reacts to obese sufferers, many tend to go into themselves, cutting themselves off from everyday life to avoid more hurt.  It is this type of person which the fraudsters have targeted in the past with an array of “miracle” weight loss cures which have included :-

• fat burning pills, which allow you to eat what you like.
• restrictive diets which are impossible to continue.
• fake tablets.
• generic versions of successful treatments.

They know that the victims are susceptible to a miracle cure, the chance to break free and the chance to reduce their weight substantially - with little or no effort.  Research shows that billions of dollars have been spent on fraudulent or failed obesity treatments, and while much is known about a lot of the fraudulent activity, many suspect this is only the tip of the iceberg.   

Over the last few years it has also become apparent that a lot of the fraudsters do not actually deliver anything to their “customers” after taking their money.  The vast majority of these crimes (which is what they are!) go unreported because it was “only £20”, but if they do this to 1,000 people that is £20,000 for nothing! The fact that many of these promised drugs are only available under prescription does not seem to register with everyone - if you have not got a prescription, it is an offence to buy a prescription drug, as it is an offence to sell one.

Why do people not report this fraudulent activity?

There are a number of reasons why this type of activity often goes unreported, which include laziness, confusion as to who to report them to and above all, a sense of disappointment and depression.  Many victims often feel embarrassed by the fact they were taken in by what, in the cold light of day, was obviously  scam - “How could I do that”, “I hope nobody finds out I have been so stupid”, are just a few of the regular comments from the victims of these heartless frauds.

The various complaints bodies around the world have masses of background on these scams, yet many are unable to act until the public actually complain. 

Why is Alli different?

In the first instance, Alli works!

The treatment has undergone an array of trials and research programs which have shown the treatment to be worthwhile and effective.  Alli works by reducing the amount of enzymes produced in the intestine, which are required to enable the body to convert fatty food into fatty acid, before being absorbed into the body.  By reducing the conversion to fatty acid, the body is unable to digest the fatty products and they pass straight through the body in the traditional manner - using Alli will immediately reduce your body’s fat intake by some 30%.

For those not aware, Alli is an offshoot of the original weight loss treatment Orlistat - which is only available on prescription.  Licensed by GlaxoSmithkline, Alli is the first weight loss treatment to obtain Over The Counter (OTC) clearance from the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) in the US. The FDA are the most powerful pharmaceutical regulator in the world, and often lead the way for many other countries.  

While Orlistat is available on prescription under a 120g dosage, the FDA approved Alli on the basis that the maximum OTC dosage would be no more than 60g.  This has opened up a potentially enormous market for the treatment, with initial sales reports in the US indicating that the public are buying in their masses.  While GlaxoSmithkline had expected sales to go well, few would have predicted the level of interest which is currently being shown.  As and when the treatment receives further clearance worldwide, GlaxoSmithkline expect the treatment to grow into a $1 billion a year income stream by itself.!

How will Alli help combat the fraudsters?

Apart from he fact that Alli actually works, one of the other great benefits is that it is available at local pharmacies in the US.  Not only has this opened up the market to many more sufferers, who may have been too uncomfortable going to their doctors, but it has also made the treatment more readily available than ever - cutting off one of the fraudsters main selling points.  Scarcity of a product means hungry buyers, who will pay big prices - if you make a product available locally to the masses, at a reasonable price, you immediately reduce the potential for fraudulent activity.

So will the fraudsters now fail?

Unfortunately, until Alli is available in more and more countries around the world, the fraudsters will use this as a major selling point when selling their fake treatment, or operating there no delivery scams.  The more countries who actually embrace the treatment and pass it through local approval systems, the smaller and smaller the fraudsters market will become.

Luckily, the FDA are held in high esteem throughout the world, with many of the US’s major trading partners actually using the FDA as a blueprint for their approval systems.  This should ensure that the treatment can be rolled out fairly quickly, with major European countries coming online at a later stage.

Conclusion

The battle to beat the fraudsters will always be an ongoing affair, but the more treatments which you can make readily and locally available to the masses, the fraudsters will soon find their markets shrinking.  It is not only the money situation and false hope which worries the authorities about these scam activities, it is the possibility of serious consequences should victims actually use these fake treatments.  There have been a  number of instances of deaths after taking such treatments, which shows the lengths to which these people will go to in their pursuit of money.