Health and Fitness Clubs Health and Fitness Clubs ^ (back to top) As more companies have become involved in the lucrative fitness industry, problems with health spas have grown. Some health and fitness centers have closed their doors without warning their members while others never opened for business after taking consumers' money for memberships. Many states are enacting legislation to regulate the operation of heath clubs which include provisions requiring:
Check with your local legal aid office, state and country bar associations, city or county consumer agency administrator, county prosecutor's office of consumer affairs or state Attorney General's office for brochures and explanations of specific laws in your state on this issue. Long-term care refers to a wide range of services for persons who, due to chronic illness or infirmity, need help with everyday m activities for a long period of time. Although long-term care traditionally has meant nursing home care, the full spectrum of long-term care services may include home health care, adult day care, respite care services care provided in congregate housing, aides/chore services, home delivered meals and friendly visiting services. Long-term care insurance policies may or may not cover all of the above services. Each policy is different. Before you buy any policy you must know what resource you need to take care of your long-term care needs. Then you must consider what kind of coverage you need to buy. Be aware that there are some companies that prey on consumers. They will try to confuse you, sell you policies that not beneficial to you or sell you more insurance than you need. That is why it is essential you examine and carefully compare policies. Here is a list of questions you should ask in comparing long-term care insurance policies:
For a full report on the problems and challenges of purchasing long-term care insurance read Avoiding Fraud When Buying Long-Term Care Insurance: A Guide For Consumers And Their Families. Miraculous Cure for Baldness Discovered! Ancient Secret of Youth Revealed! Cellulite Guaranteed to Disappear in Days! If you have been tempted by fabulous health claims like those above, don't be embarrassed. Each year thousands of consumers are bilked out of billions of dollars for bogus health products treatments. The real tragedy of health quackery, however, cannot be measured in dollars. Rather, the greatest threat posed by these fraudulent schemes is that they may persuade people who are seriously ill to buy useless products rather than seek effective, proven medical treatment. Without proper medical treatment, diseases may progress, sometimes beyond treatable stages. In addition some bogus products themselves may be harmful. Many medical quacks are easy to spot, but other health fraud promoters make promises that appear to be based on science, exploiting popular misconceptions about health to make a profit. Telltale Signs A healthy dose of skepticism and a little investigating can help you avoid wasting money or jeopardizing your health. To help spot health quackery watch for these signs:
A government study on quackery found that a majority of all victims of health-care fraud are older persons, and the three largest areas for medical quackery are the aging process, arthritis and cancer. The Fountain of Youth In a youth-oriented society quacks find it easy to promote products that promise to stop or reverse the aging process. Be wary of claims that cosmetics erase wrinkles, vitamins enhance virility or creams reverse baldness. Arthritis Remedies More than 30 million Americans suffer from arthritis. Although there are legitimate, effective treatments for arthritis, there is no known cure. The Arthritis Foundation estimates that for every $1 spent on arthritis research, $25 is spent on quack "cures." Diet and Weight Weight-loss promotions are common in today's image-conscious society and, unfortunately, some unscrupulous businesses have taken advantage of the trend. In recent years health quacks have marketed "megavitamins" or other pills promising to give users perfect bodies in a short period of time or "body toning" devices that are advertised and sold as substitutes for exercise. Cancer Cures Cancer is a name given to a wide range of diseases requiring different forms of treatment as determined by a physician. There is no one treatment or medicine capable of treating all types of cancer. Medical science has been able to help many cancer patients, but use of a bogus remedy can delay proper diagnosis and treatment. Metabolic Therapy Older consumers should be especially cautious of "metabolic therapy," which operates under the premise that diseases are caused by a buildup of toxins in the body. The course of therapy often includes a combination of potentially dangerous "alternative" health procedures such as fasting or enemas. Consumer, Beware Before investing your money in a product or treatment, investigate thoroughly. Check with your doctor or other healthcare professional before starting new treatments or therapies. Medical Quackery--For Information American Cancer Society Unproven Methods Consumer Health Information Research Institute American Council on Science and Health* Looking for a quick and easy way to lose weight? You're not alone. An estimated 50 million Americans will go on diets this year. And while some will succeed in taking off weight, very few--perhaps 5 percent--will manage to keep all of it off in the long run. One reason for the low success rate is that many people look for quick and easy solutions to their weight problems. They find it hard to believe in this age of scientific innovations and medical miracles that an effortless weight-loss method doesn't exist. So they succumb to quick-fix claims like "Eat All You Want and Still Lose Weight!" or "Melt Fat Away--While You Sleep!" And they invest their hopes and their money in all manner of pills, potions, gadgets and programs that hold the promise of a slimmer, happier future. The weight-loss business is a booming industry. Trying to sort out all of the competing claims--often misleading, unproven or just plain false --can be confusing and costly. Here are the facts behind the claims to help you avoid outright scams and to encourage you to consider thoroughly the costs and consequences of dieting decisions you make. Weight-Loss Facts Being obese can have serious health consequences. These include increased risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, gallstones and some forms, of cancer. Losing weight can help reduce these risks. Some points to remember:
To lose weight safely and keep it off requires long-term changes in daily eating and exercise habits. Many experts recommend a goal of losing about a pound a week. A modest reduction of 500 calories per day will achieve this goal - a reduction of 3,500 calories is required to lose one pound of fat. In Search of the Magic Bullet Some dieters peg their hopes on pills and capsules that promise to "burn," "block," "flush" or otherwise eliminate fat from the system. But science has yet to come up with a low-risk "magic bullet" for weight loss. Some pills may help control the appetite, but they can have serious side effects. (Amphetamines, for instance, are highly addictive and can have an adverse impact on the heart and central nervous system.) Other pills are utterly worthless. The FTC successfully has challenged marketers of pills claiming to absorb or burn fat. The FDA has banned 111 ingredients once found in over-the-counter diet products. None of these substances, which include alcohol, caffeine, dextrose and guar gum, has proved effective in weight-loss or appetite suppression. Beware of these products that are touted as weight-loss wonders:
Phony Devices and Gadgets Phony weight-loss devices range from those that are simply ineffective to those that are truly dangerous to your health. At the very least they are a waste of your hard-earned money. Some of the fraudulent gadgets that have been marketed to hopeful dieters include:
Diet Programs About 8 million Americans a year enroll in some kind of structured weight-loss program involving liquid diets, special diet regimens or medical or other supervision. Before you join such a program you should know that, according to published studies, relatively few participants succeed in keeping off weight long term. Before you sign up with a diet program, you might ask these questions:
Weight Maintenance Tips Losing weight may not be effortless, but it doesn't have to be complicated. To achieve long-term results, avoid quick-fix schemes and complex regimens. Focus instead on making modest changes to your exercise and diet routines. Although nutrition science is evolving, here are some generally accepted guidelines for losing weight:
For Help or to File Complaints Your state's Attorney General has authority under state consumer protection statutes to investigate and prosecute unfair or deceptive acts and practices. He also has the power to seek consumer restitution, civil fines and revocation of a firm's authority to do business. Federal Trade Commission, 202-326-2000 The FTC has jurisdiction over the advertising and marketing of foods, non-prescription drugs, medical devices and health care services. The FTC can seek federal court injunctions to halt fraudulent claims and obtain redress for injured consumers. Food and Drug Administration, 301-443-3170 The FDA has jurisdiction over the content and labeling of foods, drugs and medical devices. It can take law enforcement action to seize and prohibit the sale of products that are falsely labeled. CONSUMER FRAUD | INVESTMENT | HEALTH | AUTOMOBILES | HOME | ENTERTAINMENT | CONSUMER ACTION Press here to visit The Consumer Law Page. |
CONSUMER FRAUD: Spotting and Protecting Yourself Against It A General Primer : Health
This article was edited and reviewed by FindLaw Attorney Writers | Last reviewed March 26, 2008
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