Diet Patches - Do They Work?

Patches can help you quit smoking, but can they work on another unhealthy habit -- your addiction to junk food? Makers of diet patch products want you to think so -- they'll promise that you can lose your appetite, your cravings, and most importantly, those extra pounds and inches if you just wear their all-natural patch on a daily basis (preferably where someone can see it so that they can score some free advertising.) It all seems so simple -- but does it work?

Not surprisingly, most people are skeptical. According to the LA Times, the FTC has warned people not to trust any sort of weight loss product that can be applied to the skin. And Dr. Martin Binks of the Duke Diet and Fitness Center advises that while these patches are often developed with natural ingredients linked to weight-loss -- such as green tea -- there's virtually no evidence that would suggest that diet patches work.

Need more evidence that these don't work? It seems even the people behind the patches don't believe they alone can change your waistline. "Many companies make claims that they can't support. You have to change your eating habits to really lose weight." Nick Jerch, the owner of Bell Lifestyle Products that makes Ezee Slimming Diet Patches, told the LA Times. And at around $30 for a 30-day supply of patches, it seems that money could be better spent on a gym membership.

What does work quickly when it comes to slimming down? Fasting might work.