We're only three weeks into the new year, but chances are high that your resolution is already broken. And you likely resolved to lose weight. After all, America is obsessed with inches, pounds, and toned physiques. Yet, quite ironically, we're among the world's fattest nations! We can thank our southern neighbor Mexico from bailing us out of the gold medal spot when it comes to obesity, but we as a people shouldn't strive for sloppy seconds either.

Instead of hitting the ground running, doing pushups/pull-ups/sit-ups or going for a swim we choose to sit on our comfy couches for long periods of time. When our calorie intake starts adding up and our old clothes become way to small we look for the easy way out. The fad that's all the rage today is weight loss pills! So why not buy a bottle and try it out? After all, just take 1 pill a day and you'll look like a Playboy Playmate or Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in 30 days flat. Or not. The real skinny behind these wild claims will make your head spin. After reading this article I hope you sincerely never think about buying weight loss pills.

I know what your thinking? Tons of weight loss pills exist so some of them must be good right? After all, they are popular and aggressively marketed. Weight loss pills are also seemingly sold in every supermarket and pharmacy in America. You can't got a week without seeing an infomercial pop up on one of the thousands of TV channels available to us. However, internet advertising grants the companies behind these nefarious "weight loss" pills is the largest platform of all. But to continually espouse these ridiculous, scientifically unproven claims is shocking. People most be falling prey to this false premise.

The most popular weight loss pill and supplement brands according to Amazon are Naturewise, Pure Garcinia Cambogia Extract, Just Potent, and Hydroxycut. None of these are FDA approved despite their mostly stellar customer product ratings. 

Taking such pills can even result in dangerous, potentially fatal side-effects such as increased heart rate and blood pressure, insomnia, drowsiness and anxiety according to WebMD. Additionally, eHow cites FDA findings that Hydroxycut has even been linked to liver damage. 

Shape is skeptical about extract's being useful as well. It claims "an independent analysis of three randomized clinical trials that included a total of 142 participants concluded that the effect of green coffee extract is only moderate at best, and the studies were poorly conducted," so there.

The only positives these pills grant, if anything at all, is a modest weight loss of 5 to 10 pounds max over the course of an entire year. Even FDA approved Alli won't help you lose much more weight than that. Don't get to down on yourself though since you can easily lose 5 to 10 pounds, if not more, just by walking for a month. You'll feel better physically and mentally knowing that you didn't take the easy way out. These pills are money grabs and the companies that produce these farces know that some consumers are tired of their poor body image, but unwilling to make little, positive changes.

Many of these claims are hatched by marketing teams and have no basis in the medical or scientific communities. These companies are even being fined by the Federal Trade Commission due to their repeated attempts in misleading the public.

"Resolutions to lose weight are easy to make but hard to keep," Jessica Rich, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement. "And the chances of being successful just by sprinkling something on your food, rubbing cream on your thighs or using a supplement are slim to none. The science just isn't there."

In fact only one, that's right one, weight loss pill, out of the hundreds for sale across America is approved by the Federal Drug Administration. The pill is called Alli and it has been in existence since 1997. According to Alli's website, the pill "works in your digestive system by blocking some of the fat you eat" and only a minimal amount of the drug is actually absorbed into the blood stream. It has little to no effect of your nervous system and cardiovascular system. Basically, it's safe and effective to a point. You can't just take Alli and expect to be sedentary. Alli is meant to be taken along with a nutritious diet and consistent exercise routine. Any weight loss product promising results without hard work is too good to be true. One claim Allie makes that seems to fall under this category is that with every 2 pounds you lose Allie can help you shed another one.

Remember Acai Berries? They were supposed to help you achieve a new you. Well, in addition to being complete wastes of money and leaving a disgusting taste in your mouth the company behind the berries, Central Coast Nutraceuticals, was ordered to stop internet sales of the product! 

"Too many 'free' offers come with strings attached," remarked David Vladeck, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. "In this case, the defendants promised buyers a 'risk free' trial and then illegally billed their credit cards again and again -- and again. We estimate that about a million people have fallen victim to this scam. As if that weren't enough, there were fake endorsements from celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and Rachael Ray for a product that didn't work in the first place."

This article isn't meant to be depressing, but rather an eye-opener. Achieving a healthy mind, body and spirit isn't rocket science. WebMD has a few solutions for you. It lists some common foodstuffs that can keep you and your family healthy. Not surprisingly, most of the options they recommend are all-natural. They are: calcium, fiber, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), green tea extract, meal replacements and orlistat, an over-the-counter weight loss drug.

Another thing you should be weary of is condiment like weight loss supplements as reported by CNN. 

"Simply sprinkle Sensa on, eat all the foods you love and watch the pounds come off," a commercial said. "It's that easy."

When a weight loss product has the word sprinkle in it you know it's BS. Plus, say you're eating a burger with fries and a side of Mac 'n Cheese. Do you really expect to stay at your high school weight just by "sprinkling" on Sensa? Have you no sense?! I mean unless Sensa is literally burning or melting the fact off of the burger (like how a George Foreman Grill works), how do you really expect it to keep you slim and trim?

"These HCG [human chorionic gonadotropin] products marketed over-the-counter are unproven to help with weight loss and are potentially dangerous even if taken as directed," said Ilisa Bernstein, acting director of the Office of Compliance in FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, at the time. "A very low-calorie diet should only be used under proper medical supervision."

Are you currently taking over-the-counter weight loss pills or supplements? Have you achieved desirable results or do you feel that you were scammed? Either way let us know in the comments section below.