When the need to lose weight quickly arises, many people opt to try out one of the numerous fad diets that are always making promises of quick and easy weight loss. Some of these fad diets have nutritional value and will temporarily give your weight loss efforts a boost.

Unfortunately, there are several popular fad diets and fad diet products that can be downright dangerous for your health. When people try these methods, they’re usually not thinking that they can end up in any kind of serious trouble. After all, the companies that put out these products often tell you that it is perfectly safe.

As a consumer, you need to be aware of the dangers of using these scam diet products and plans so that you can make wise decisions about your long-term health goals. Here are some of the popular fad diet products that are sold as safe, effective weight loss, but are anything but safe.

Diet Pills – I know. The ads promise that popping their miracle weight loss pills will make you model slim overnight. Diet pill manufacturers make millions of dollars making these claims to desperate people. They’ll tell you that their pill will do all the fat burning work for you, so there’s no need for you to follow a healthy diet or do any kind of exercise.

Basically, it’s the lazy way to lose weight.

So, if their pills are so effective, why are so many people overweight?

That’s right, because these pills are only a short-term fix to your weight loss problem. Diet pills may temporarily suppress your appetite, but once you stop taking them – bam! The weight comes right back on.

Danger: Some of the side effects from taking diet pills are dizziness, chest pain, nausea, liver and kidney damage, seizures, stroke, heart attack and even death. Because there’s no way of knowing what’s in some of these formulations or what exact amounts of herbs and other substances are in them, it’s best to stay clear of diet pills.

Diuretics and Laxatives – Diuretic products are often used by doctors to treat high blood pressure and glaucoma. For weight loss, they often come in the form of pills containing natural herbs that are considered safe to use. A weight loss diuretic is supposed to clear your body of excess food, toxins and water. Laxatives are another product that’s often used as a quick weight loss fix.

Danger: Excessive use of either diuretics or laxatives can lead to damage of the intestinal wall, renal damage, severe dehydration and heart problems. Plus, you won’t lose any fat, just water weight.

Diet Patch – After nicotine patches that help people to quit smoking became popular, diet product manufacturers had to get a piece of the action, so they came up with the diet patch. Supposedly, when you wear a diet patch for whatever length of time they specify, these will help you to lose weight by giving you a constant supply of appetite suppressant.

Danger: The FDA has banned many of these diet patches from being sold because there is no proof that they work in helping people lose real weight and are not considered safe. Basically, diet patches have been proven to be scams and you should stay far away from them.

Fat Burning Massager – These are often sold as stomach or thigh toning belts. You wrap the belt around your waist or thigh and turn on the electricity. That warm buzz you feel is supposed to be burning off that belly and thigh fat while you go about your business.

Danger: While electrical muscle stimulation is often used for legitimate body therapy, their use as a quick fat loss tool is strictly a gimmick. You may experience burns or electrical shock from these products if used incorrectly. These don’t work and are a waste of money.

Fasting – Often the first thing people think about when they want to lose weight quickly is to go on a food fast. They reason, if food is the cause of their weight gain, surely, depriving the body of food will create the opposite effect. Juice fasting has become a very popular weight loss method.

Danger: Staying on any fast for more than one day is going to be nearly impossible for most people. The very nature of a fast causes extreme hunger, and many will simply go off the fast and binge on the foods they’ve been craving. A long-term fast will also compromise your immune system and could cause vital organ distress.

Fad diets and fad diet products are not considered by experts to be the best way to lose weight in the short or long term. When you are choosing a weight loss plan, be sure that it includes a healthy, daily diet meal plan, and has enough calories to maintain weight without causing you any harm.