Do MLM Weight Loss Programs Really Work?

Your friend on Facebook posted about their amazing results from the 3-Day Refresh, another friend posted up a photo of them drinking their “daily dose of dense nutrition,” and another is claiming this supplement brand has curbed her appetite and improved her energy levels… but something doesn’t feel right to you, does it?

It's no secret that losing weight can be tough. And for a lot of people, they find reassurance in the idea of relying on someone else's advice - even if it comes from a friend or family member. MLM companies selling weight loss products and programs feed on this. But before you do the same, be aware of the inherent danger

• ELI5

  If you're considering an MLM weight loss program, be very wary. There is a high chance of losing money, and the weight loss programs are often ineffective and dangerous. MLM weight loss programs don’t work. The "coaches" in MLM companies are not properly credentialed and the programs may be hazardous to your health.

  Instead of looking for short-term fixes, invest in a proper nutrition coach or trainer who can help you make incremental changes that will last long term.

  If you have a friend or family member who is trying to sell you an MLM weight loss program, be prepared to say no and set boundaries. If you have already signed up for an MLM weight loss program, there are steps you can take to file claims against these companies and prevent others from falling for the same scam.

How to Spot (and Avoid) Multi-Level Marketing Weight Loss Schemes.

Your friend on Facebook posted about their amazing results from the 3-Day Refresh, another friend posted up a photo of them drinking their “daily dose of dense nutrition”, and another is claiming this supplement brand has curbed her appetite and improved her energy levels… but something doesn’t feel right to you, does it?

Do these weight loss programs and products really work? Or are you being targeted as a recruit for a multi-level marketing (MLM) scheme?

Learn about how harmful weight loss MLM programs can be, and how to spot the signs of an MLM scheme so you can avoid them.

What is an MLM?

MLM stands for Multi-Level Marketing. It is also known as Direct Sales Marketing, and Network Marketing. Essentially, this is where a product is sold through an independent contractor instead of sold in a store-front.

Many people think that MLM businesses are harmless. However, the truth is that these businesses are designed to make money off of the people who join them. In fact, it has been found by the FTC that 99% of people who join an MLM lose money because their commissions are funneled to the "TOPPs" or top-of-the-pyramid-promoters.

It’s a money-losing scam. These companies rely on targeting and recruiting vulnerable populations. They exist heavily in the health and wellness space where they masquerade as weight loss programs or supplement companies.

MLM weight loss programs can be dangerous and often lead to people losing money. Be aware of these schemes before you invest in one, and if you have any friends or family members who are involved in an MLM weight loss program, warn them about the risks.

What makes an MLM weight loss program dangerous?

The worst MLM companies are the weight loss MLM companies. Most MLM weight loss programs are not backed by scientific research making them the biggest MLM scams today. In fact, most of the pseudoscience in health and fitness industry is perpetuated by MLM companies. A lot of the claims these companies make about their products - like being able to help you lose weight quickly and easily - have not been proven by science.

There are no certification requirements or training required to become an MLM sales rep - you don’t even need a high school diploma! Anyone can join as long as they have the money to buy the starter packs. What’s more, these companies often encourage their distributors to sell to their friends and family. Do you really want to put your health in the hands of someone who simply purchased a starter pack from their equally un-credentialed sponsor?

Because network marketing relies on exploiting a distributor’s social network, social media is the cesspool where the sales reps for these companies gather. Some people might post photos of themselves using the products and make claims about the results their products can bring you. But they might not tell you everything, especially the details that might prevent them from reaching their next sales and recruiting rank.

MLM weight loss programs are problematic because they rely on un-credentialed distributors who make claims about their products that cannot be substantiated by science or research. MLMs often encourage sales reps to sell to friends and family, which can lead to people taking uncredentialed advice from a friend's post on social media without realizing the potential consequences.

Do MLM Weight Loss Programs Work?

Most MLM weight loss programs consist of a very low-calorie and food restricted diet, paired with unnecessary supplements, and high volume workouts. They are also designed to be short programs in duration, only a few weeks or months long. This is the very definition of a crash diet.

Will they cause you to lose weight? Technically, yes, in the same way that an eating disorder such as anorexia can cause weight loss, but you can’t ignore the detrimental health risks of crash dieting:

• Gallstones

• Loss of muscle tissue

• Loss of bone mass

• Deregulated metabolism

• Nutritional deficiencies

• Weakened immune system

• Bodyweight rebound

• Impaired intestinal function

• Electrolyte imbalance

• Heart arrhythmias

• Kidney damage

Aside from the physical harm a crash diet can do to your body, there are also serious psychological effects.

People who engage in crash dieting programs are more likely to develop disordered eating behaviors and become pathological dieters. According to this study by the National Eating Disorders Association, a whopping 25% of pathological dieters will develop a serious eating disorder such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge-eating disorder.

If a weight loss program causes damage to a person’s health and doesn’t set them up for long-term success to maintain their results, it is a bad program. You’re better off not trying to lose weight at all than spending your money and your time doing a bad program that will set you up for weight loss failure.

Don’t Take Nutrition Advice From MLMs

You run the risk of receiving poor nutrition advice if you trust un-credentialed sources, such as MLM distributors. Poor nutrition advice is dangerous. So dangerous that, in rare circumstances, it can be fatal.

Nutrition programs and supplements that promise to cure disease by touting food as medicine have caused heart disease and cancer patients to abandon their medical treatments in favor of fringe diets and supplement programs.

Many people can develop or exasperate health conditions by adhering to unbalanced weight loss schemes or “cleanses” that strip their bodies of essential nutrients. They end up risking their lives more than they improve it.

The risk increases for developing eating disorders such as orthorexia nervosa and binge-eating disorder. Both of which are linked to the rise of nutrition misinformation. This is especially true for weight loss plans and marketing that revolves around food restriction and elimination as seen in MLM weight loss programs.

The irony in this is that most people seek out a weight loss program to improve their health, but this is the part that no one wants to hear: there is no one cookie-cutter fix to weight loss. The truth is that building real health takes time, but the good news is the results you earn last a lot longer than a crash diet could ever promise you.

MLM weight loss programs are dangerous because they can cause serious health problems, and even set people up for an eating disorder. A better solution is to find a weight loss program that is tailored to your individual needs, and that will set you up for long-term success.

Are the MLM supplements okay to use?

Most of these companies base their weight loss programs on supplements but what most people don’t know is that, according to the FDA, dietary supplements are largely unregulated.

Dietary supplements can take many forms but include any product that is taken by mouth to supplement the diet such as nutrition shakes, detox teas, and fat burning/appetite control pills. Taking any of these supplements comes with health risks because they are not reviewed for safe consumption before they go to market.

Any properly credentialed nutrition professional knows that supplement-based weight loss programs are unethical. However, everywhere you look there is another new weight loss meal replacement shake that you just HAVE to drink every day (or even two or three times a day) to solve all your problems! 

It isn’t a solution to your weight management, and letting your friend recruit you and convince you to buy in only perpetuates the same exhausting cycle. Let me know if this sounds familiar:

➖ Buys nutrition shakes and replaces 1-2 meals a day with the shake.

➖ Lose weight at first (this is because of a caloric deficit btw, not the shake).

➖ Gets bored or tired of drinking shakes 75% of the time and goes back to eating like a regular human for a few weeks.

➖ Rebounds and gains back the lost weight. Feels guilty for “falling off the wagon."

➖ Gets back on the shake regimen OR buys deeper into the “detox programs” such as the “3-day refresh” the same company offers (this is the first sign of pathologic dieting behavior)

Can you see how these shake regimens are designed to set you up for failure and make you dependent on the company for more short-term fixes? In order to feel successful, you either have to be reliant on drinking the shakes for the rest of your life or buy deeper into their programs.

Not to mention, from a food-science standpoint, these shakes and supplements are not formulated well. Often full of filler ingredients labeled as superfoods just so they can charge you a premium price for watered-down protein powder.

I am looking at you, Shakeology!

Anyone suggesting a dietary supplement without having helped you to set up a sound nutrition foundation FIRST is not a health coach. They’re a supplement salesperson. You shouldn’t be placing the future of your health in the hands of a salesperson.You deserve better than that.

How can you spot an MLM Scheme?

Sometimes, these MLM distributors try to hide the company they work for or are just damn convincing. How can you spot an MLM weight loss scheme? Keep an eye out for these tell-tale signs:

1. Your friend loves a product so much that she has started selling it.

MLMs always start off so innocently and maybe you noticed this happening to her over the course of a few months- she started a new weight loss program, saw some temporary results, and then, all a sudden she was calling herself a health coach without having any nutrition or fitness credentials, running weight loss challenges, and selling the same products that “changed her life.”

She was recruited into a downline. Since the primary focus of an MLM is recruitment, you can bet that she is involved with an MLM and if you buy into her programs you are being set up for the same fate.

2. You can only get the products advertised through an independent distributor- the products are not found in stores anywhere.

MLM companies do not sell their products on store shelves because that would eliminate the opportunity for distributors to recruit. This is because MLMs /direct sales/network marketing companies get most of their profit from recruiting new distributors, not from selling their products.

If you can’t find the product for sale on a store shelf and you either have to buy through a distributor or get assigned to one during the online purchase process (Beachbody does this) then it is an MLM.

3. The products are overhyped

If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Is the product's advertising overstated or unrealistic? Are they drawing simple conclusions from a complicated study in order to promote a product? Learn to tell hype from evidence-based science.

Be wary of anecdotal information from people who have no nutritional training or personal testimonies (such as those provided by store employees, friends, or internet chat rooms and message boards) about amazing benefits or accomplishments obtained through the use of their product. Always verify these people's nutrition or medical expertise.

The FTC and FDA both warn against MLM distributors attaching health claims to dietary supplement products but you will often see them claim that their product cured them of an ailment. 

Common claims include being cured of PCOS, hormonal imbalances, weight loss (YES - they are not supposed to claim weight loss!), infertility, fatigue, migraines, and more. A few companies recently got in hot water recently for claiming to prevent or cure the novel coronavirus. Yikes, this is just another example of MLM companies preying on vulnerable populations!

4. You are offered a discount on products for signing up. Maybe you’re promised that you don’t have to sell anything.

Again, this circles back to recruitment being the primary driver for MLM companies. They know most people don’t want to be recruited into selling. Instead of overtly asking if you’re interested in their new MLM business opportunities, they’ll offer incentives like discounts on products to gain recruitment. 

Some companies require you to purchase a minimum amount of product a month, recruit a minimum number of new distributors, or both to retain your distributor status. This begs the question- are you the business owner, or are you still the consumer but now being leeched for money on a recurring basis?

5. There are no qualifications to join.

Almost every employment position requires certain qualification criteria - whether that is formal education, training, or experience. However, there are no qualifications to join an MLM. It is a pay-to-play game. Anyone who can afford to purchase the product can sign up to resell it.

While this may be a legitimate practice in other business models such as drop shipping, you have to remember that MLMs are different in the way that distributors do not buy products at wholesale prices. Therefore, they are required to recruit people from within their social networks to profit off the business. Without any formal nutrition or even business training, distributors have to rely on manipulation and misinformation to be successful and this is what is harmful.

6. The distributor is being very vague about what the company or product name is. 

Blurring out the label, vague-posting, telling you to DM for more details, and refusing to answer questions about the company unless you show explicit interest are all MLM recruiting tactics.

If they truly owned a business or were employed by a supplement company, wouldn’t they want everyone to know the name? Withholding basic information like the name of the product is a manipulative tactic to pique people’s interest while preventing them from researching too much into the company. Run FAR away!

7. Using their social network to sell.

If you got a random DM from a long-lost Facebook acquaintance promoting their new hustle or asking you to join a weight loss program with them, it is likely an MLM. Because direct selling relies so heavily on recruitment, they encourage distributors to exploit their social network to hit recruitment milestones.

This is why MLM companies are also called network marketing companies. The goal is not to sell the product, it is to sell just enough product to convince their friends and family to join the company under them and improve their MLM rankings.

8. You get “love bombed”.

Love bombing is an attempt to influence or manipulate a person through demonstrations of attention and affection. This is a coordinated attempt to shower potential recruits with praise and “good vibes only” to hype up excitement and the illusion of success. This sounds really nice! What could be wrong with your friends giving you compliments?

Unfortunately, this technique is identified by psychologists as being a part of the cycle of abuse and is the primary manipulation tactic used by cult leaders to unify their group. Love bombing is short-lived as the cycle of abuse transforms into guilt, shame, and fear being used to manipulate distributors into performing despite losing money.

9. Training and compensation are minimal if they exist at all.

Distributors do not get paid for the time spent working for the company. Being an MLM distributor is a commission-only position and the cost of the product is taken out of the profits of their commissions… leaving them with little to no pay for actually selling a product.

The only way MLM distributors can turn a profit is if they beat the odds and become one of the 1% that are able to recruit enough distributors to earn a commission for them. Even then, turning a profit is not the same as making a livable wage. The chances of making a livable wage off of an MLM are lower than 1%.

10. If you still aren’t sure, check MLM directories.

With new MLM schemes popping up every day, it is difficult to keep track! These websites keep a running list of all the known current and past companies that operate under an MLM structure:

• Reddit’s anti-MLM mega-thread

• MLM Truth’smaster list of MLMs

How Can You Avoid an MLM Scheme?

Now that you are privy to the predatory nature and dangers of MLM weight loss schemes, how do you decline the unavoidable sales pitches and recruitment efforts from their reps? 

It depends on who is pitching their MLM to you.

If you don’t know the person, or if they are a long-lost Facebook friend that you haven’t spoken to in years, you don’t need to respond at all. You’ve likely received a copy and paste message from their upline, and you don’t need to waste your time and energy trying to figure out what to say. They might not even notice you didn’t respond as that same copy and paste message went out to hundreds of people on their Friend’s list.

If they’re a friend or a family member, you’ll need to take a more direct approach. But be cautious! MLM reps are given sales objection statements from their upline to push through about every natural response you could think of- this is how your friend got pressured into it themselves!

• Start with a firm decline. Always start with a no, it is up to you whether you want to add a “thank you” after that.

• Give a vague reason. The key here is to keep it vague and personal to you so they have few options to push back on. A simple statement like “I am not interested” is a firm boundary that you can keep repeating as many times as you need to without having to give an excuse or any further reasoning.

• Quickly change the subject. Take control of the conversation and redirect it back onto your relationship with the person to remind them who you are (a friend, not a target!). A question like “how is your kid/ house/ job?” Will pull the pressure off the sales pitch.

• Reiterate your boundaries as needed. Don’t forget that establishing boundaries will maintain the health of your relationship with this person. A statement like “I am not interested and I am not going to change my mind” will reaffirm your boundaries.

Altogether, this might look like: “No, thank you. I am not interested. How has Brady been doing in soccer?”

If you truly want to be honest, try your best to reaffirm that not supporting MLMs doesn’t mean you don’t care about or don’t support the person that has reached out. Start with a firm decline and state your honest reason, but be prepared to back it up with facts!

This might look like: “No, thank you. I am not interested. I support you as an individual but MLM structured companies are problematic and go against my values, this is not something I want to get involved in and lose money on as 99% of people do.” Then back it up - send them articles like this study by the FTC, or this evaluation by AARP, or this article I wrote on how MLMs hurt women, or all three!

The key is to try and keep the focus on yourself and your values. Avoid placing shame or guilt onto your friend. Remember, they are being exploited and victimized by this company. In time, they may need to lean on you as their friend to get out when they come to the realization that it isn’t working out as they were promised it would.

If you are in an MLM and want to separate, there are steps you can take to file the appropriate claims and potentially recoup some of your financial losses.

Here is a link to the FTC’s guide on the actions you can take to separate, recover losses, deprogram loved ones, protect oneself, and warn others of MLM fraud.

• References

  AARP Study of Multilevel Marketing: Profiling Participants and their Experiences in Direct Sales. AARP. (n.d.). https://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/aarp_foundation/2018/pdf/AARP%20Foundation%20MLM%20Research%20Study%20Report%2010.8.18.pdf.

  Business Guidance Concerning Multi-Level Marketing. Federal Trade Commission. (2020, October 22). https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/business-guidance-concerning-multi-level-marketing.

  Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. (n.d.). Information for Consumers on Using Dietary Supplements. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/food/dietary-supplements/information-consumers-using-dietary-supplements.

  Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. (n.d.). Questions and Answers on Dietary Supplements. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/food/information-consumers-using-dietary-supplements/questions-and-answers-dietary-supplements.

  FTC. (n.d.). Chapter 7: MLM’s ABYSMAL NUMBERS. The Case (for and) against Multi-level Marketing By Jon M. Taylor, MBA, Ph.D., Consumer Awareness Institute. https://www.ftc.gov/sites/default/files/documents/public_comments/trade-regulation-rule-disclosure-requirements-and-prohibitions-concerning-business-opportunities-ftc.r511993-00008%C2%A0/00008-57281.pdf.

  FTC. (n.d.). Chapter 12: ACTIONS NEEDED – What MLM victims can do to recover losses – How families can deprogram loved ones who come under the spell of an MLM promoter – What actions can be taken to protect oneself and one’s family, and to warn others of MLM fraud. The Case (for and) against Multi-level Marketing By Jon M. Taylor, MBA, Ph.D., Consumer Awareness Institute. https://www.ftc.gov/sites/default/files/documents/public_comments/trade-regulation-rule-disclosure-requirements-and-prohibitions-concerning-business-opportunities-ftc.r511993-00016%C2%A0/00016-57320.pdf.

  LS;, S. C. M. C. M. E. (n.d.). The spectrum of eating disturbances. The International journal of eating disorders. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8556017/.

  Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Crash Diet. Merriam-Webster. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crash%20diet.

  The MLM Master List. The Anti-MLM Coalition. (2021, June 30). https://mlmtruth.org/master-list/.

  Morgon, B. (2021, June 27). MLM Companies Are Holding Women Back. Coach Brittany Morgon. https://www.brittanymorgon.com/blog/mlm-companies-are-holding-women-back.

  NEDA. (n.d.). What Are Eating Disorders? National Eating Disorders. https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/sites/default/files/ResourceHandouts/GeneralStatistics.pdf.

  Noble, L. (n.d.). Want To Lose Weight Quickly? Here Are 7 Reasons Why Crash Diets Probably Won't Work. Penn Medicine. https://www.pennmedicine.org/updates/blogs/health-and-wellness/2018/june/crash-diets-and-weight-loss.

  Orthorexia. National Eating Disorders Association. (2019, December 13). https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn/by-eating-disorder/other/orthorexia.

  Reddit. r/antiMLM - IS ___ AN MLM? CHECK HERE. (MEGA THREAD LIST). reddit. (n.d.). https://www.reddit.com/r/antiMLM/comments/9aolhe/is_an_mlm_check_here_mega_thread_list/.

  Search For Company: DSA. Direct Selling Association. (n.d.). https://www.dsa.org/forms/CompanyFormPublicMembers/.

  Taylor, J. M. (n.d.). The Case (for and) against Multi-level Marketing. FTC. https://www.ftc.gov/sites/default/files/documents/public_comments/trade-regulation-rule-disclosure-requirements-and-prohibitions-concerning-business-opportunities-ftc.r511993-00017%C2%A0/00017-57317.pdf.