Infomercial Insanity: Sensa
Time for another Infomercial Insanity here at Angry Trainer Fitness, where I take on another health and fitness product and tell you if it’s worth your hard earned cash!
This time around I’m taking a look at a dietary supplement called Sensa It’s a product that you simply sprinkle on your food and supposedly it will help you lose up to 30 pounds in no time! In fact during the commercial, you can see people sprinkling it on ice cream cones, cheeseburgers and French fries. And they all lost weight!
But can you really eat those foods along with Sensa and lose weight? Hmm…
Product Pitch
Sensa has received a lot of press lately. It’s been featured in numerous newspapers and magazines and even in a Dateline report.
So here’s the deal. The product manufacturer says Sensa has ‘tastants’ in it, which when consumed with food make you feel fuller faster and more satisfied – so as a consequence you eat less. Dana Devon, who’s a TV personality and news anchor, is the spokesperson for the product and she supposedly got turned onto the product when she was asked to produce a story on the brand. Dana admits that she thought it seemed to good to be true but says it helped her lose 20 pounds.
The company’s big selling pitch is that during a 6 month clinical study featuring 2,500 participants, about 1,500 people lost an average of 30 pounds over the course of 6 months by using Sensa. And apparently the people who lost weight achieved their results without changing their eating habits OR adding exercise to their lifestyle.
According to the product, hundreds of thousands of people have said YES! to Sensa and lost millions of pounds collectively. Right now the company offers a FREE 30 day trial kit with absolutely no obligation. If you’re not satisfied simply send it back. Otherwise a 1 month kit will run you $60, with a 6 month supply comes in around $300.
The Angry Trainer Says:
To me this is madness! Once again we have a product that isn’t teaching anyone anything! Even if Sensa did work, which I don’t believe it does, what kind of message does it send to say you can eat ice cream, burgers and fries, and not workout? Simply sprinkle Sensa on your food and lose weight? That’s a terrible suggestion in my opinion.
Another thing that irks me is the ‘average’ weight loss of 30 pounds in 6 months. For one, that’s not impressive – that’s just a touch over one pound per week for 6 months. Plus let’s not forget that only 1,500 out of the 2,400 study participants lost that amount of weight. So what were the other 900 participants results? I find it odd that they don’t provide that information. And Dana Devon? I’ve seen her on TV for years and she’s never appeared overweight. The supposed ‘heavier’ picture of her on the Sensa site hardly looks like she’s 20 pounds overweight.
Okay let’s concede for arguments sake that Sensa’s ingredients do work as they say and make you feel fuller sooner. So you’ll lose some weight right? But what about your health? Remember the participants didn’t change their eating habits or exercise. I’d like to see studies on cholesterol and triglyceride levels, blood pressure and other health markers. In my opinion this product is way off base and is exactly what’s WRONG with our way of thinking. Telling people they can eat junk food and lose weight does nobody any favors.
Finally this stuff is expensive! Who’s going to use Sensa for the rest of their life? Like all supplements once you stop taking it any benefits from its use will disappear. And you’ll just gain all the weight back.
Once again I find myself getting really pissed off and remembering why I’m the Angry Trainer in the first place. It’s consumers that keep companies like this in business and making billions.
There are no powders, pills or shortcuts to a healthy, fit and productive life. You must learn to eat right, exercise and in the process, save yourself $600 per year! How about sprinkling a little common sense on your plate instead?
The Angry Trainer says: I think Sensa is Absolutely Insane!
All information contained within this site, Angry Trainer Fitness.com, is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem – nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician. No action should be taken solely on the contents of this website. Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health or on any opinions expressed within this website. Please see your physician before changing your diet, starting an exercise program, or taking any supplements of any kind.
| Print article | This entry was posted by Alfonso on March 29, 2012 at 11:14 am, and is filed under FAT LOSS, PRODUCTS. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site. |
about 1 year ago
I cannot believe people still fall for stuff like this. Considering all the good advice one can find these days (like on this site), people still look for ‘lazy’ answers. And you are exactly right when you say that it is the consumers’ fault that there is no end to scams like these!
about 1 year ago
Could this in theory work for someone who already lived an extremely healthy lifestyle, to perhaps give them that additional “edge”? It probably won’t do anything for a sedentary lifestyle and a Standard American Diet. I wouldn’t write it off too quickly, I think the premise is interesting. I have gained a lot of weight on my anti-thyroid medication (Tapazole) and I have gained weight despite a diet composed entirely of whole foods and a very rigorous exercise regime, and I would try this at least once. However, it seems that the company is a little shady in it’s dealings with consumers and the return policy is not what they say it is…..
It seems that the main ingredient is Maltodextrin which is a food additive that is technically a carb, though having way less calories than sugar. It seems to be a bit like sprinkling aspartame or msg on your food. Every gram has 4 calories but a little goes a long way. Some people do not tolerate it well and can get serious indigestion off it. There does appear to be some research backing up increased satiety when maltodextrin is combined with some other foods. Read the Wikipedia article “Conditioned Satiety” and the query “Satiety and Maltodextrin”. However, it appears that research regarding Sensa alone on appetites and weigh loss is extremely suspect. They seemed to have lied outright about their participants success.
Maltodextrin causes bloating and indigestion as a common side effect so I cannot help but speculate that may the primary mechanism behind this. If this is the cause, someone might as well drink a lot of carbonated water or diet sodas with their meal to have the same effect. So maybe it enhances the taste of the food, and makes you feel bloated, thereby causing the appetite suppression.
I think if you have a real problem with food, this will not dissuade you. People have managed to out-eat the results of stapling your stomach to the size of a golf ball. I remember watching Oprah when I was like six and Carnie Wilson talking about her surgery. I was stunned anybody would do such a thing to themselves. Carnie has managed to gain the weight back despite these extreme measures and her personal fortune. A little packet of additives will not combat a true problem with overeating. I believe in that you are completely correct Alfonso.
I would still try this though, but the jury is still on the health safety of many of these food additives in large quantities. If it came to my local Walmart I would buy a small pack, and use it much like stevia and aspartame, in moderation and as a tool of a complete diet and exercise program.
about 1 year ago
Thanks for your review. I have wondered about this myself.
about 1 year ago
The key thing to your review (IMHO) is this: it doesn’t, in any way, shape, or form, teach people how to eat sensibly or exercise. It reminds me of the fact that people always ask my sister, “Why are you working out? You don’t need to lose weight!”
People are so uneducated. I don’t say that to point fingers and toss out insults. I say it, because it’s true. People thing that you can abs from doing a million crunches. People believe that there are miracles in pills. People believe that exercise is only for those that compete and/or are trying to lose weight.
Exercise and a healthy diet are a necessity. Pills won’t bring you health or weight loss, and if they do, you’re right: you lose the benefit the moment you stop.
Sensa’s commercial pissed me off. LOL
about 1 year ago
*think you can get abs…I believe my mind was working far faster than my fingers.
about 10 months ago
Well I read the reviews from one of the shopping networks that has this product for sale…very, negative reveiws from hundreds of people
about 9 months ago
I thought about trying the “free trial.” Saw too much on that website that raised the hairs on the back of my neck. Saw some bad reviews too. I have too many health conditions that make it a dangerous proposition. Best to stick with Paleo and worksouts. Besides I only have another 10 pounds to go. Common sense does win out once in a while. I’m not that desperate to lose that 10 pounds.
about 9 months ago
You know, no matter how much you tell people there is no magic cure, they still want to believe there is something out there to help them. What people don’t seem to realize is if there was a pill that was safe and helped you loose weight and it was sold over the counter – it would cost a FORTUNE.
I have tried, in the past, diet stuffs. I am okay with Slimfast type stuff because I figure a shake is better than nothing when you are short on time and it does have some nutrients in it but not as a foundation of a diet. I also found a drink mix that was supposed to have weight loss properties. I knew it didn’t work but I actually thought it tasted good. The thing is even if it doesn’t work that doesn’t mean it is full of inert substances, it still has chemicals and drugs in it, it is still doing stuff to your body. I really think the pills and stuff should be illegle. It’s not approved by the FDA how is it being sold on store shelvess?