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King Solomon once said, "There is nothing new under the sun." Everything, it seems, is a rehash of an earlier idea. With only 26 letters in the alphabet and eight notes in a scale, eventually the reasonable combinations are exhausted and will begin to come around again. The same, it seems, is true for diet scams.

With the advent of email, the unscrupulous marketer has been let loose on a mostly-unsuspecting public. Armed with an email address and the ability to send messages at no cost, these "scuz-balls" blast away without ceasing.

An unanticipated result of this "shotgun" approach is that consumers have become more saavy and discriminating over the years. But still, the scams persist. According to an article (http://foxnews.webmd.com/content/article/103/107165.htm) found on FoxNews.com, the same scams seem to continue to rear their ugly heads time and time again.

The author (Jennifer Warner, Web MD) grouped the diet scams into five categories.

- Herbal "metabolism boosters"

- Supplements that "block" fat and/or carbohydrates

- Weight loss teas

- Diet patches or other items worn on your body

- Body wraps

The first class of products are those that may be unhealthy or dangerous to use. In some cases, the product may actually result in weight loss, but the way the weight loss comes about is very unhealthy - and usually only temporary.

A few examples include the herbal "metabolism boosters", weight loss teas, and body wraps. In the case of the "metabolism boosters," products typically contain stimulants that do, in fact, keep hunger in check. The problem is that they also constrict blood flow and increase blood pressure. These are reasons why we lose weight in the first place. It is counter-intuitive and downright dangerous to increase blood pressure in the name of weight loss.

Weight loss teas that contain caffein and body wraps both promote water loss, which does cause a temporary weight loss, but not a healthy one. (See our archive and review the articles on sodium and drinking water for a review of this topic.) The human body does an incredible job of regulating its own fluids. Diuretics put a strain on the liver, which is the best fat metabolizer the body has to offer!

With that said, there are decaffeinated green tea extracts that have been shown to assist people in losing weight. It may be -- ironically -- that this product helps because people who use it drink more water than when they are not using the product.

The second class of products are the ones that simply do not work. They are products that are purchased, but never do anything at all. They are typically described with glowing descriptions that appeal to our sense of immediacy. They are guaranteed to work now, without effort, without a lifestyle change, without exercise and the effects are not reversable. In short, if they sound too good to be true, they probably are.

Products that fall into this class are the diet patches, bracelets, necklaces, etc., and the "fat and carbohydrate blockers." Once again, there are certain supplements that can - to a certain extent - perform these functions, but not in a way that will provide the results one is expecting. Something that would prevent the body from breaking down fat or carbs would end up resulting in bloating, gas, and even diarrhea. Doesn't that sound fun? Also, the vitamins or minerals that are contained therein would be blocked as well.

Losing weight is a function of diet and exercise. There are many fine products that can assist us in our battle, but not without reducing our caloric intake and burning more than we consume through exercise. If a product promises results without sacrifice, don't buy it.

Michael Callen is the author of the Weekly Weightloss Tips Newsletter (http://www.weeklyweightlosstips.com) and the Chief Technology Officer for WellnessPartners.com (http://www.WellnessPartners.com), an online retailer of dozens of health and wellness products such as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), r+ alpha lipoic acid (R+ ALA), and green tea extract.