Weight loss supplements are products that claim to help people lose weight by blocking the absorption of fat or carbohydrates, curbing appetite, or speeding up metabolism. These supplements can contain dozens of ingredients, and some contain more than 90. Common ingredients in weight loss supplements include botanicals (herbs and other plant components), dietary fiber, caffeine, and minerals. However, there is little scientific evidence that weight loss supplements work, and some supplements have been associated with the potential for physical harm.

Here are some details on specific weight loss products:

• GOLO Diet: The GOLO Diet uses insulin resistance to promote weight loss. It involves a combination of one-on-one coaching, a few simple home-cooked meals, and supplements.

• Optavia Diet: The Optavia Diet is a weight loss program thats low in carbs and calories but high in packaged foods. It encourages weight loss through a combination of one-on-one coaching, a few simple home-cooked meals, and low-calorie packaged products.

• Herbalife Diet: The Herbalife Diet is a meal replacement program that includes shakes, a powdered tea drink, a multivitamin/mineral, and supplements. The main ingredient in most of the Herbalife meal replacement shakes is soy protein isolate.

It is important to note that many weight loss supplements are costly, and some of these products’ ingredients can interact or interfere with certain medications. Furthermore, dosages and amounts of active components vary widely among weight loss supplements, and a product’s composition is not always fully described in published studies. Therefore, it is important to consider what is known—and not known—about each ingredient in any dietary supplement before using it.