To truly reduce obesity would require us to give up some of our values of an easy life. Consumers and regulators should not be surprised that unregulated 'speed' weight-loss supplements like Hydroxycut are dangerous. Furthermore, its illegal allure might be a great 'marketing tool' for people who wish to sell it illegally on the Internet. Perhaps its sales will only rise, if it can be sold from a location outside of the U.S., and it may be marketed as something that 'must work,' otherwise 'why would they ban it?'

Body Image

In America, we as a society promote the idea that if there is a will, there...

The obsession with image and commodities is very American, as is the obsession with self-transformation. The diet industry capitalizes upon both. Women in particular are vulnerable -- what their bodies look like, rather than what their bodies can do, is the focus of media attention. And just as children are the subjects of marketing for toys and fast food, young girls are also the targets of advertising selling a particular ideal of beauty. Consumers are most captive when they are young.