Quality - Is the product made from high quality ingredients? Have they been clinically tested for this particular application? How long has it been around? Have people had adverse side effects? Many of the companies offering health supplements or plans make outrageous claims and offer studies to back them up. Be sure to look at the source of the information. If it's coming from a well know institution like a university or medical group, it's likely to be viable. Supplements are not regulated by any governing agency, so it's hard to know if they're actually going to do what they claim. Many will say that they are clinically tested, but they may not be tested for that particular use. Ask lots of questions and do your research outside of the person or group offering you the product. Try to find a third party who has no financial interest in whether you purchase or not. Beware of side effects! Remember the chips that were made to not cause you to gain weight, but also created leaky bowels? Yuck!! Other popular meal replacements are filled with soy which can alter estrogen levels and result in a whole host of other issues. IF it has zero everything, it has to be made of something, so find out what that something is and does to your body.

Cost - Any network marketing company is going to have highly priced merchandise because it needs to pay distributors up the line. Usually you can reduce the cost by signing up as a distributor, but that usually also comes with a fee. Read the labels and decide for yourself if that product is really unique and offers something that you would not be able to purchase at a grocery or health food store. Healthy doesn't have to be expensive. There are great meal supplements offered at retailers that don't break the bank and do offer what you need. There are also products from these companies that are worth the premium price. Whether it's the quality of ingredients or the combination of ingredients into one product, just be aware of what you're consuming and why.

Lifestyle - This one is EVERYTHING. If you are looking for a quick fix, you'll find it in almost any shake, bar, vitamin, powder or system. The question is, will you use that forever? What happens after you loose the weight? Does the program encourage you to transition back to eating real food? If it doesn't, you're going to gain it all back eventually. Loosing weight is the smallest part of the battle. Keeping it off is the largest part. Learning how to live a healthy lifestyle, for life, is what is most important. You shouldn't have to commit to being a life-long customer of any company or product. Your body is always changing, your lifestyle is always changing. You need to be able to adjust along the way using actual food that is grown or produced from the earth.

Amazing transformation stories - Every product has a bunch of incredible testimonials of why it's the one miracle product that will help you achieve what they did. Remember loosing the weight is only a small part of the battle. Look for testimonials from people who lost the weight and kept it off for years. Read the stories and pay attention to the mental shifts the participants made. Once you commit to changing your life, most any program will work. The mental shift and commitment to yourself is what really created the change. If you want change like you see in the before and after pictures, you're going to need to make a mental shift like they did.

Bottom line, educate yourself. Be your own advocate. Don't believe the hype. Look for the truth and read the labels. If you need help deciphering what is in the product, that should be an indication that further research, on your part, is needed. Your friends have the best of intentions and are proud of their own success, so don't fault them for possibly not knowing all about the product. While supplements aren't regulated, many other aspects of business are, so you should be able to find truthful answers to your questions. Don't be afraid to ask medical professionals for their input as well. Go with your gut, if it sounds too good to be true, i.e. "Eat as much as you want and loose 50 lbs in a week!". It's probably not true or healthy.