Complaints inflatable about weight-loss programs

It's almost swimsuit weather. And you know what that means.

Dieting.

Eat less and exercise more.

And forget the weight-loss schemes that pop out this time of year as predictably as spring buds.

The Better Business Bureau says that the crooks are out there and growing in number as we grow in girth.

The BBB says that complaints against weight-loss services have ballooned more than 40 percent in the past five years.

Here are some of the things to look out for, said Zach Vander Meeden, the public relations director for the BBB serving Santa Clara, San Benito, Santa Cruz and Monterey counties:

Fraudulent Clinical Trials: Metacor - also known as Progenics Inc. - is advertising on the Internet, asking people to sign up for their program, pay $144 upfront and then take a special new weight-loss pill every day for two years.

The company promises to refund the $144 after the first month and compensate consumers $319.73 each month. Victims paid the money, received pills, and never heard from the company again.

The BBB has received complaints of similar weight-loss scams from six states.

Weight-Loss Tea: The BBB has received complaints from 19 states for Wu-Yi Source - a company that maintains a Billings, Mont., drop-box address.

Wu-Yi Source offers a 100 percent "iron-clad" refund for their weight-loss tea.

But dozens of consumers say that when seeking a refund, company reps refuse.

Hypnosis: The BBB has received complaints from eight states for Changes International Inc. , which promises "quit smoking and lose weight" in one brief hypnosis session and offers a 100 percent money back 10-year guarantee if the hypnosis doesn't work.

The company falsely claimed that they were "the only organization of our kind endorsed by the Better Business Bureau."

Complainants report paying more than $250 for the hypnosis seminar and a set of CDs, and allege that the hypnosis is ineffective and that the company doesn't honor its refund policy.

Fat-Dissolving Injections: The BBB has received more than 350 complaints and reports about a company called Go Fig Inc. doing business as Advanced Lipo Dissolve Center - a company that administered fat-dissolving micro-injections for upward of $10,000.

Victims say the injections were ineffective and caused extensive swelling and pain.

Reports to the BBB also reveal improper billing practices and difficulty obtaining refunds.

The St. Louis-based company went out of business suddenly in December citing "economic conditions" and shut 17 of its 18 offices nationwide.

However, many other companies across the country currently offer similar procedures, the BBB said.

"Given alarming levels, and increasing rates of fraud associated with the weight-loss industry, the BBB is advising consumers to research the reputation of companies offering weight-loss solutions before making a purchasing decision," the BBB said.