Hayley, I'm sure it's not possible... but... is Garcinia Cambogia legit? It's all over the twitter, and I spy a bottle on the desk of a colleague. Dr Oz says it works. What do you think? Thanks, G

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I am not one to write about supplements and diet pills but since this product is all over the media, and apparently your office too, I figured it was the perfect time to address it.

I read up on Garcinia Cambogia today (click here for the article from Dr. Oz). According to his website, Garcinia Cambogia is a natural extract from a plant that is native of South East Asia and Africa and is used in traditional curry dishes and soups. It is said to suppress the appetite, make meals “more filling”, help curb emotional eating and prevent unused carbohydrates from being transformed into fat cells.

One thing that needs to be made clear is people in the entertainment world are paid a lot of money to say things about products. Hollywood celebrities promote makeup and skin care all the time. Sports stars endorse sports drinks, shoes and clothing. Personal trainers promote workout methods and supplements and doctors promote medications, among other things. Listening to what they say is great but you also need to do your own research and take what they tell you with a grain of salt. Just because they say it works does not actually mean it does. 

There is no magic pill and no easy way to lose weight and a lot of the time supplements and treatments act merely as a placebo. Most of these products and methods will also prescribe a healthy lifestyle to go along with them. I know of a certain therapy that promises to “freeze away” fat but they also say to cut out all sugar, coffee and alcohol, to drink plenty of water and workout regularly. Making the diet change and lifestyle change alone will lead to your body shedding weight, without having to spend hundreds of dollars on a useless treatment.

I am sure that this product does what it claims to do but it goes hand in hand with a healthy lifestyle.  However, the supplement industry is a multimillion dollar industry because people assume the pill will work magic without having to make any changes in their lifestyle. If you go on their website you will see exactly what I mean as it claims that without having to do a thing you will lose weight. And I cannot stand companies that talk about exercise and eating well as being negative. It does not have to be painful and in fact, it can be quite enjoyable. Working out and eating a balanced diet is a part of life and magic pill or not, we need to take care of our bodies, which means filling it with real, healthy foods and making it sweat daily.

Here is my advice. Do not waste your money on these supplements. Take the $30 that you would have spent for a month’s supply and invest that into a month long membership at a spin studio or split a personal training session with a friend or take a cooking class and learn how to create delicious and healthy meals.

But, if you do decide to take the other route and try the supplement make sure you do your research and talk with your doctor about any side effects you may experience. Also, make sure this supplement will not interfere with any other medications you are currently taking.