Editor’s Note (June, 2015): Not surprisingly, the Zoeta "Complete Weight Loss System" appears to have completely vanished. I think it’s safe to assume that it has been discontinued.
Zoeta. Sigh. Here we go again. In amongst my usual barrage of spam (unsolicited bulk e-mail) this morning were two advertisements for Zoeta, “The Complete Weight Loss System.”
Well, well. Isn’t that amazing. But here’s the problem (actually, there a LOT of problems) with Zoeta…
Spam, or sending bulk e-mail without the request of the recipient, is illegal in the U.S. and several other countries. Companies that either engage or endorse such practices are breaking the law, and as such, have no credibility or ethics.
Purchasing products from such companies not only signals your own endorsement of such nefarious practices, it also puts you at risk. That’s because it’s companies such as these that are most likely to engage in deceptive billing practices — like automatically adding you to a recurring billing program you will find almost impossible to remove yourself (more on this a little later on).
The spam e-mail I received proclaimed loudly “As seen on Oprah and 60 minutes!”
Well, if this isn’t a indication of this company’s ethics, who knows what is? After all, Zoeta has never been featured on either Oprah or 60 minutes, although the Web site proudly displays the 60 minutes logo.
What about the other problems with Zoeta I mentioned?
Well, Web site advertising proclaims Zoeta’s combination of transdermal patch and once-a-day tablet to “be the most powerful weight loss system available today.”
Unfortunately, this statement is not qualified by any credible medical research, or any peer-reviewed, double blind, placebo controlled studies. In other words, there’s no proof that Zoeta is anything of the sort.
And the ingredients included in this magical “fat melting” formula?
Well, we are told that green tea, Hoodia and kelp are included, although we’re not told how much. Green tea (reviewed here) is a worthwhile ingredient because of its effects on metabolism and amylase — provided it’s present in a significant enough dosage. Again, who knows how much is in Zoeta?
Hoodia, on the other hand, is the most over-hyped product on the Net these days, and evidence it does anything for appetite suppression is in very short supply (you can find a full review of Hoodia here!).
Kelp is a source of iodine. Iodine is used by the thyroid gland to make the various thyroid hormones necessary for optimal performance. Low or sluggish thyroid performance can lead to low energy levels or overweight.
Of course, iodine supplementation is only helpful if you actually have low levels of thyroid hormone. If you are not iodine deficient, kelp may possibly induce hyperthyroidism.
According to the Natural Database, “prolonged, high intake of dietary iodine is associated with goiter and increased risk of thyroid cancer.”
Kelp also has a tendency to concentrate heavy metals, and as such, poisoning can occur at higher dosage levels.
Other concerns I have with this product?
Like many of its kind, the retailers of Zoeta sucker you into a recurring billing program with the offer of a 7-day free trial. When you sign up for the offer, you will need to surrender your credit card info in order pay the $9.95 required to receive the product (10 dollars? To ship 3 patches and 7 pills?).
If you do not actively cancel your membership in the “Value Direct Program” within 10 days, you will automatically begin receiving a 30-day supply of Zoeta every 30 days, probably until hell freezes over, if my feedback from visitors ‘stuck” in similar programs proves accurate.
I’ve written a complete article on this — what I call the “5-7 Day Free Trial scam.” Click here to read that article!
So…
Although I heartily suggest avoiding Zoeta and other similarly marketed fat burners, please, please, please be sure to thoroughly review the small print (i.e., the “terms and conditions”) before you order. Otherwise, you may be in for a nasty surprise. Better yet… don’t order it all.
