If you are on social media, you probably have at least one friend peddling some kind of weight loss supplement, shake, program, plan, or device. The Direct Sales approach through social media outlets is genius in that it reaches a large audience, but it can also be a bit of an annoyance, especially when you are a health and fitness professional–which, by the way, the people selling the products are most likely not.

Have you ever noticed this? Why do untrained individuals get to call themselves a Health and Fitness Coach because they sell people fitness DVDs or shakes? I appreciate the term coach, here – helping someone through their journey can be considered coaching. But the fact of the matter is, at the end of the day these are salespeople, and their goal is to make money off of you (and ultimately make more money for the bigger part of the pyramid). My issue is not so much in the sales – I get it, we’re all trying to make a living – but more so in the misguided information that gets put out there in efforts of landing new or motivating current customers.

For example:

These types of claims come from a “good” place – out of motivation, encouragement, and support. I can get behind that, but I don’t like when misinformation is being spread. This is the “danger” of having salespeople as ‘coaches’. I use the term danger pretty loosely, it’s not necessarily a risk to you to believe the claims you see, but at some point, it may actually become dangerous. What if someone pushes too hard, because they weren’t also encouraged to listen to their body?

When these sales of shakes, wraps, pills, etc. make a lifestyle seem easy, they are also making my job as a health coach that much harder. This is a task I’m willing {and excited} to take on, because I care about helping people truly change — but it also makes your job as a client harder, too, because you’re now coming from a place of “I’ve tried it all, and can’t keep it off” or “I feel like this is too hard, can’t I just try the quick-fixes?” My job as your trainer or coach is to help you on this journey, but if you are demotivated, it can feel like pushing water up hill for both of us.

Okay, I know I mentioned earlier that the sales part didn’t bother me, but at the end of the day, it bothers me when people make money off of vulnerable people. And many people looking to lose weight are, in some way, vulnerable or perhaps even desperate in that it’s most likely not the first attempt, and will probably not be the last. The “health and fitness industry” makes millions off of the fact that yo-yo diets, exercise fads, and supplements do not actually lead to lifelong, sustainable, change. The industry is actually banking on your eventual failure, so you’ll come back and spend more money. Aren’t you tired of being preyed on?

So, be wary of what you see out there. It can be overwhelming to comb through all the claims, but a good rule of thumb is: “If it sounds or seems to good to be true (or too easy), then it probably is.” Your coach (read: trained coach) or trainer should also there to help you educate the right way, to empower you with sound advice, and to encourage you through your lifestyle transformation.