before and after pictures, are they fake

From what I have seen a lot of them are real. The thing to consider though, is all of the background stuff that they will never tell you. For example, the new miracle diet will either neglect to mention, or else put it in the fine print, that Jill lost 50 lbs by following the new miracle diet AND by putting in 2 hours at the gym everyday for 3 months. Also, they are only going to put their absolute best results up, so maybe everybody else did the exact same as Jill and they all lost only 15 lbs. Another thing to consider is that when they take the before pic (even if it is a neutral party taking the pic) it will likely be lower quality and made to look bad. The after pic will be a lot nicer pic and the subject will probably be very proud of what they have accomplished and will be showing off a little more (flexing, striking a pose, etc).

There was a weight loss product a couple of years ago that was outed for using pics of women right after they delivered babies and then a few months later. They failed to state in their ads that the before pictures were of baby weight.

I think the before and after pics for the "P90X" program are real. Other programs are questionable though. I figure they show an artificial body with the person's head on it photoshopped, and then show the real after picture.

Some are photoshopped, some are faked in other ways (such as the participant engaging in other diet and exercise habits that will get you into shape with or without the product), some are selectively chosen from the few examples of people for whom the product works, and some are legitimately showing the results of a fitness product that works for everyone. I think the second and third categories are probably the most common.

Incredibly difficult to trust now adays, have you watched an informercial lately? 99 lbs. gone in 7 seconds....

Just like in the make money niche, you gotta take a look at the owner of the product and how much integrity they have in the market place.

If they dont have a good reputation, I'm not saying they are faking, but it is more likely.

Always give it a good minute to simmer over in your brain before you make a buying decision. Sleeping on it is always good.

Hope that helps.

A lot of the time, fitness vendors will go to ripped and fit people... and pay them to stop working out and following their diet for a while.

It doesn't take long for them to get kind of dumpy and fat, so they take a "before" picture. Then they go back on their diet and workout regimen, and badabing they end up fit and ripped in no time at all for the "after" picture.

It's still a legitimate "before" and "after." They just haven't told you the whole story.

One word, Photoshop.

Perhaps the 'after' pic is the one taken when the person was 30, and the 'before' pic is one taken ten years later at the age of 40. Marketing at it's finest. Just a thought. (:>)

I think there are some with are real and some are "photoshopped". Sad to say it's rather easier to do, there are tons of youtubes teaching you how to do that. Just wondering about the integrity of the product makers...

Most are real; FTC is cracking down on fitness industry so don't even think about using the fake before and after or fake reviews.

don't be fooled by the pictures. we don't really know whats the real behind that picture. We can just prove it when we try their product.

I have worked in production since I was 16. I worked on a weight loss commercial a few years back in Phoenix and the girl they used was a model, she had been purchased a subscription to the product so they could say she used the product. Her before and after pictures were done under certain kinds of lighting, like shading and other tricks of the trade.
Some companies just outright lie and photoshop. Some photos are real, but that's the exception, not the rule.

Most are real, I have a friend that promoting a fitness products and he use his own pics for that.

LOL this gives me a good idea for my Photoshop Youtube channel

Just like that fighter Chuck Liddell pushing his 'magic jack' B.S.

thanks for the information guys... some of these pictures are just to funny.

There are other things to consider with the weight loss testimonials. They could have taken the product during that time, but obviously changing their diet and exercising habits had a huge impact. Their testimonial isn't going to say "take product x, exercise 4 times a week, eat healthier, and 10 lbs of it was water weight."

I know in the past when I've tried to lose weight, that if I have a big meal and drink a litre of water before weighing myself, I not only weigh more, but I look bloated and heavier than I already am.

I'm guessing these models/test subjects do the same thing. Some of them might even spend loads of time at the gym anyway, and be given £XXXX to gain 2 stone of fat or something, over the course of a month, then have their "Before" photos taken. Then because they're already a gym fanatic, they don't struggle adapting back to their old ways of hitting the gym and resuming where they left off.

Also, it's a common fact that a tan enhances all definition, regardless, anyway, which is why Bodybuilders bronze up before going on stage at a competition. You'll not find many of these success stories without people who've got a fake tan. Plus, other optical illusions such as position of your arms. The further back they are, on a side body shot, the bigger your stomach looks. Even a hairstyle might make you look fatter and more worn out. You'll notice a lot of the after people have a complete make over and image change once they've done it.

Photoshop will do the work for you

I have abs, yet I can push my stomach out quite easily to make it look like I've got a huge gut.

Anyone can, its not rocket science.

I have lost over 40 lbs at one time, but over a year. Not in one week as some of these insane methods teach.

I lost the weight by legit, daily excercise and healthy eating.

There will always be a market for the people who want the "instant, get skinny quick with no work, magic pill in a bottle". The reason they are overweight is because they don't want to do any work.