Hi, there -

This is my first post. I'm writing a story for a national magazine: I'm investigating the fraudulent claims made by diet and diet product ads (often seen in the back of women's magazines) - the ones that make absolutely unrealistic claims (e.g., "Lose 30 Pounds in 30 Days!"). Some of these products are just plain rip-offs; some may pose health risks. I'd like to speak with anyone out there who may have, at one time, bought and used such products, and to know what your experience was like. I think this would be useful and compelling to readers of the story who struggle to lose weight, to know what to look out for, and also not to feel ashamed if they themselves have, in fact, used such "magical" products at one time or another. Your name need not be used for the piece (unless you want it to), and all material would be corroborated for accuracy.

If you have a story you'd like to tell, or know of someone with such a story who'd like to tell it, please email me at andyp@onebox.com.

Thank you so much.

Not to sound rude, but:
who are you, for which magazine are you writing, what are your credentials etc.?
Please realize that it is unwise to respond to someone who is "claiming" to be interested when there is no background of any sort.
Thank you.

Runner,

Not rude at all. Here's my info:

My name is Andrew Postman, I'm a freelance writer/journalist, and have been for more than 15 years. The story I'm doing is for Self Magazine, a national publication with more than 1 million in circulation. My work has appeared in numerous publications over the years, including in the NY Times, Washington Post, Men's Health, Glamour, GQ and numerous others. I'm the author of 4 published books. The investigative feature story I'm doing is meant to help expose, if not uncover, the various reasons why absurd, physiologically impossible advertising claims re: dieting products (e.g., lose 30 pounds in 30 days; eat anything you want and still lose weight; lose weight while you're sleeping, never exercising, etc.) are allowed to go unchecked. While the easy answer is that it's due to a combination of lax regulations on the part of numerous organizations, I believe the story would best be told through the voices of those dieters who have tried such products, most likely have had them fail (though, if they haven't, I'm certainly open-minded enough to report that; I'm not looking to predjudge), and who are, for obvious reasons, not eager to talk about the experience. Yet I think it would be useful to shine a light on these marketers who exploit desperate dieters, and I think it would be helpful for dieters who might potentially fall into the same trap.

I appreciate your asking me to clarify my query. I hope this is satisfactory. If you have a story to tell (or know someone who does), please have them email me at andyp@onebox.com. If there are further questions I can clarify for you re: the story or my credentials, I'd be happy to do so, too.

Sincerely,

Andrew Postman

Thank you Andrew for responding.

I'm sorry that I have nothing to offer you as far as info, however perhaps now others who may have experienced such fraud will share their experiences.

Looking forward to your article, please let us know what issue it will be in.

Take care,
Runner