Random Common Placebo Products That Don't Actually Do Anything (12 items)

(#1) Skechers Shape-ups

Skechers advertised that its "Shape-ups shoes would help people lose weight, and strengthen and tone their buttocks, legs, and abdominal muscles,” and their ads featured celebs Kim Kardashian and Brooke Burke. Yet they had to pay out a $40 million lawsuit to angry customers because the shoes didn't work as advertised.

None of Skechers's claims about the benefits of Shape-ups were supported by scientific evidence.
(#4) Weight Loss Wraps

You've likely seen ads for these pop up at some point while scrolling through Instagram. But save your money, because it's all in the fine print: "These claims have not been clinically proven or evaluated by the FDA." That means there haven't been any clinical trials which support the claims these products make.

To be fair, there haven't been any clinical trials that disprove their claims, either, but many experts believe that any weight loss resulting from a body wrap is temporary.
(#6) Shea and Cocoa Butter Creams for Stretch Marks

There's no such thing as reducing the appearance of stretch marks with cocoa or shea butter, either in oil or lotion form. A double-blind study found no difference in the appearance of stretch marks on women who used cocoa butter lotion and those who used a placebo. Laser therapy and a prescription topical cream called Tretinoin have shown early signs of possible stretch mark improvement, but there is not enough scientific evidence yet to conclusively prove either method reduces their appearance.
The single most effective way to reduce the appearance of stretch marks? Let them fade with time.
(#2) The Shake Weight

Not only does the Shake Weight look more than slightly NSFW, it's also ineffective. You're better off saving yourself the embarrassment and just using a regular dumbbell. In a 2012 study published in the Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, a regular dumbbell was found to be much more effective than the Shake Weight.

Those outrageous claims that the Shake Weight is "seven times more effective" are pure nonsense.
(#5) Sports Drinks

A study published in the BMJ (British Medical Journal) explored the claims many sports drink manufacturers make about the constant need to stay hydrated. They found that there is actually no need to "stay ahead of your thirst." In fact, the study concluded that overhydration can be far worse for you than dehydration. It also called out the hypocrisy of the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI), a Gatorade-owned research facility. Here's how GSSI describes itself:
"GSSI scientists study the effects of nutrition on the human body before, during and after exercise. For more than two decades, hundreds of amateur, elite and professional athletes have participated in testing with GSSI and in studies with university research partners around the world. GSSI’s headquarter lab, mobile and satellite laboratories and on the field testing enable GSSI to do leading research with the aim to provide athletes with advice and products that help their performance and achieve their goals."
But don't believe their benevolent claims. The Center for Food Safety reports, "With this sophisticated operation, Gatorade is seeking to legitimize its products as a necessary component to sports and for athletes, whether pro or amateur. It’s probably one of the most successful examples of marketing-driven science, given how prevalent Gatorade products are in sports."
So next time a sports drink advertisement tries to tell you that you need to immediately replace all the electrolytes you sweat out when you exercise, don't believe it.
(#11) PC or Mac 'Cleaning'
Don't be fooled by these cleaning downloads that claim to make your computer run faster; both Mac and Windows already come with all the necessary cleaning tools. Don't click that download button - it's the opposite of smart!