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| About Detox Foot Patches to Lose Weight
About Detox Foot Patches to Lose Weight
by Shannon Crawford
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Overview
About Detox Foot Patches to Lose Weight
The diet industry is in overdrive due to America's large population of overweight children and adults. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institute of Health report the total cost of being overweight and obesity as well over $100 billion. Some of those dollars are inevitably spent on weight loss products that are ineffective.
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History
Foot detoxification pads and patches all claim to speed up or promote weight loss. An Internet search turned up only one foot detoxification patch that specifically claimed to produce weight loss, the Hydro-Gel Slim Patch. In 2003, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a lawsuit against the company that manufactured the Hydro-Gel Slim Patch. The lawsuit claimed the company engaged in deceptive practices and false advertising of its products. The FTC won the lawsuit, the company was barred from selling the products in the United States, and was fined $150,000.
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Theories/Speculation
There is a bit of sound science behind these foot patches. The manufacturers of the foot patches claim the patches detoxify the body and give the wearer better health. In fact, advocates of detoxification diets argue that toxins are everywhere, and there is a need to assist the body in getting rid of this daily assault of toxins. However, Dr. Peter Pressman, a medical doctor at Los Angeles' Cedars Sinai Medical Center, countered that argument by pointing out there is no evidence that the patches enhance the body's own toxin elimination systems. Likewise, there is no evidence that the patches increase the likelihood of weight reduction. There are no studies that show any benefit to using any of the foot patches. All evidence in favor of the patches is presented on the websites of the distributors and makers of these foot patches, and is anecdotal. In addition, on these websites, weight loss is secondary to the primary benefit of detoxification that leads to a healthier body.
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Considerations
There have been numerous consumer trials of foot patches by various journalists. One of the most compelling was a trial by Sarah Varney of National Public Radio. Her experiment involved the analysis of new patches and used patches by a lab manager at Thompkins lab in Berkeley, California. The manager found that used and unused patches had identical makeups. The used patch didn't have a higher rate of toxins or heavy metals, as would be expected if the patch had absorbed these substances. Continuing her experiment, she held the patch over a steaming pot of water. Varney found that the patch changed to the dark color indicated in the advertisements when it was exposed to heat and moisture. It's also likely that if the patches did absorb any toxins, the bottoms of the feet would show some indication of the concentration of harmful toxins in the foot.
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Benefits
There may be placebo effects related to using the foot patches; however, there is no known evidence or benefits.
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Warning
The FTC has already stopped advertisers of this product from claiming that it specifically promotes weight loss. In January 2009, the FTC filed a lawsuit against Kinoki, a major U.S. marketer of foot detoxification patches, for engaging in deceptive practices and false advertising of its products. There is no evidence that foot patches do anything claimed in advertisements.
