Diet Dilemma Summary

As I have researched the draw of the "miracle diet", my intentions were to focus on what draws people into believing the sometimes insane advertisements and sales pitches promising five pounds a week or more of weight loss, lose weight with no exercise, eat all your favorite foods and still lose weight, drink this powder or take these drops.  As I researched I found an article claiming that there have been cases of prescription drugs found in some of these diet products.  This discovery led me to the safety of the products and further to question how the  manufacturers and products are monitored.  I have found there are regulations in place for the safe manufacturing of these products. At the same time,  I  found that the safety  and testing is left up to the manufacturer. In fact, from what I have found, there is little intervention from the regulating agencies unless there is dire consequences from use of the product (people becoming sick or worse).  

My original question was, "Why is it people find the miracle diet so believable?" I was also questioning "How does celebrity influence and advertising schemes contribute to the sales and believability of these products?"  I did not find answers to these original questions.  I found more questions that are to me far more important.  I would like to explore further on the safety of these products as well as integrating my original questions into the safety of these products.

I now find myself wondering why these products are not monitored and tested by the FDA before being allowed onto the market for consumer use.  There is more than one governmental agency or division of those agencies that have consumer protection regulations and laws in place.  Why does it seem the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing?  It seems that the agencies are going around expecting another agency to do what is necessary to stop the fraudulent advertising, to ensure the safe manufacturing, accurate product labeling, as well as expanding consumer knowledge of these products.