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The FTC has filed suit against Medlab, Inc., Pinnacle Holdings, Inc., Metabolic Research Associates, Inc., U.S.A. Health, Inc., and L. Scott Holmes. They are charged with violating Sections 5 and 12 of the FTC Act by making false and unsubstantiated claims that their product causes users to lose substantial amounts of weight rapidly.

• FTC Sues Sellers of Weight-Loss Pills for False Advertising

Here are the names of the products that the FTC has sued:

• Zyladex Plus
• Questral AC
• Questral AC Fat Killer Plus
• Rapid Loss 245
• Rapid Loss Rx

Their advertisements were in newspapers (see advertisement to the right). They made the following promises:

• Lose as much as 15 to 18 pounds per week
• Lose 50 percent of all excess weight in just 14 days, without dieting or exercise
• Clinical studies prove those claims
• Their product causes permanent or long-term weight loss

As typical for weight loss ads, those claims weren’t true and the FTC is working on shutting them down.

Just because the FTC has sniffed out these folks doesn’t mean you are safe. If any ad promises that you’ll lose weight quickly without exercise or diet modification, then they are suspect. Don’t spend your money on them.