The Bogus
Let's start off with the most bogus-infested part - supplements. Always assume that the company is trying to rip you off, and the more they preach about the amazing effects, the more suspicious you should be. Before and after pics doesn't mean squat. Neither should you pay any attention to the grinning bodybuilder who credits his late success to three different companies in different ads within the same mag. Diagrams, men in lab coats and gung-ho enthusiasm means little. What you SHOULD pay attention to is what the cans and jars really contain! One brand of Ion-Exchange whey protein which tested OK in an independent lab test isn't the least inferior to the next company who spent $2 million on hyping theirs, and therefore charges $25 more a can. You should also be suspicious about a manufacturer who puts every imaginable popular supplement into their protein powder, claiming that it will eliminate the need for anything else - when the dosages are close to nothing. And the biggest warning sign of all should be when the magazine itself starts focusing on a particular "upcoming, hot" supplement that is assumed to rock the world - by a specific brand, coincidently owned by the same people who own the magazine. Beware! If there really were something revolutionary coming through, it would be reported in several mags, not just that one! And keep a close look on the layout of an article regarding a certain supplement.
If you find a tiny stripe saying "Advertisement" at the top or bottom, a certain company has just tried to take you for a ride. They assume that 9 out of 10 will read it as a plain article - as it looks the same, complete with signatures, photos and refferals to studies - and just soak all the hype up as a scientific FACT. Simply put: They're playing you for a fool. And it better be a damn GOOD product if you choose to still buy their stuff after having tried to take you for a ride like that.
