I worked for the company, and they are so un-ethical it is sick, I was laid off last year, the owner of the store I worked at told our clients I was off because I had back surgery, however the real reason accourding to the paper I was given was due to a decline in sales, I do believe it is called a recession! I had lost over 100lbs on my own, and when I was hired they wanted me to put up a before and after picture of me, to imply that I did it through HM, when clients asked me if I did the program I was honest with them and told them I didn't. Not only that the owner wanted us to do the program, we didn't have to pay for the program but they did want us to pay for the WM2000 at a discount of course. As for the other manditory product Chrom, you can by that at any pharmacy. I actually knew of clients who gained weight on the progam, because they were so desperate to lose weight that some of the staff would feed off this and recommend all these other herbs, so clients would think that they could eat whatever and lose weight as long as I talk this and this and this and this it was endless, I felt bad for some of the clients because they spent so much money. Too put it simply I know of one person who lost 30 lbs at the cost of around $4500.00 in a year that is $150.00 a pound, and she gained it back. The only way to lose weight and keep it off is to watch what you eat, and exercise it is that simple.

Yes, I lost almost 40 pounds, but also lost 30% of my hair and my teeth, previously beautiful and healthy, began to crumble. I am a someone who always cares for my appearance, and these side effects have been devastating. If you must 'do' HM, please, please consider the best bone health/calcium supplements you can afford while on the program. In sharing my story, I met a woman who worked at a centre, apparently hair loss is very common in those who follow the program, yet according to this woman, most people are not too concerned about the side effects, and are just happy to be shedding pounds!

The silence of the company to my questions is deafening. Notice that when the program aired, the company and all its franchisees and staff wrote in about how unbalanced the reporting was. But notice now, when asked very clear questions to help set the record straight, they have all conveniently gone silent. Why do you all think that they are silent? What are they afraid of? They cant claim that this would be unfairly edited as only they will be able to post an unedited response.
In my opinion, if they are so afraid to answer these simple, yet extremely important questions, this is not a company that is up front or honoust.
I congratulate Marketplace for exposing this company and showing their true colours.

Don't waste your money... All they care about is the amount of money that goes into their bank account at the end of the day. They even have an internal newsletter that goes around the company bragging about how much money each centre brings in every month and give kudos to the top sellers.

hmmm... where was the CEO Steve Hudson during this taping? He must be scared of ruining his reputation...

It is clear that Herbal Magic is not an honoust and reputable company. On the one hand, the company, its franchisees and their staff were encouraged to write in to complain how (supposedly) biased the Marketplace segment was. Yet, on another site's posting, the company was asked a series of straight forward questions that they could answer without any editing from Marketplace or anyone else. As you can guess, the company chose not to answer those questions. Why would they not want to respond and set the record straight? Makes one wonder what they have to hide. Here are the questions asked of the company. Let's see if they,their franchisees or staff have the guts to be honoust and answer these fundamental questions. My guess is that they will sound off about the Marketplace segment but conveniently ignore these legitimate questions.
1. What does their name, Herbal Magic, imply?

2. Why wont they publish their prices for their supplements?

3. Why werent 100% of their supplements approved for sale?

4. What % of their clients hit their goal?

5. What are the professional credentials of their "coaches"

6. Do they give a full refund for any reason that someone doesnt hit their goal. This is what they are trying to give the impression they do, but I'd love to hear them state their refund policy in clear and unambigous words.

I was a former employee of Herbal Magic. We were told to never give any potential client the price of our program and supplements when they called in for information. I was disgusted by this desire to hide things and I eventually left the company. Imagine, a company that would not tell you the price of what they were selling until you actually showed up and then were subjected to high pressure sales. If you dont believe me, I urge anyone interested in Herbal Magic, to call them and demand that they tell you the price of their program and supplements that you will have to pay. If they wont give you a clear answer, then my advice is to not trust them and dont go there. Why would any company want to hide their price? This Marketplace segment has already shown you lots of reasons not to trust this company, and not disclosing to you their price would just be another reason not to trust them. Buyer beware.

I'm on HM. I've lost 28 lbs since January 2nd and feel great. The pills are expensive and I'm the first person to say they might be junk science. But, in the end, it's a great program that makes me feel great and positive about my life. It's too bad that reports like this scare people away for taking a proactive leap to bettering their own health.

I am not a HM customer, but I know of someone who is on the HM diet. What I can say is I totally think it's a scam, for the money your paying is rediculous. This person I know is obsessed with weighing her portions of food, she became very cranky and have crazy mood swings. I've noticed lately she feels more unwell then well and more stressed. HM also told her she is allergic to wheat and said that it was causing her to feel bloated. I couldn't help but do my research today. I found more bad reviews and complaints than sucess stories. Maybe she should have done her research first. People are way too gullable and probably should research these kind of things or your going to be dissapointed in the amount of money you spend.

For all of you talking about fraud, Did you happen to look on the Health Canada website?

Wow and here I was going to try this to burn off some winter fat, turns out this is for life or you gain it back!

After watching Marketplace, it's clear to me that Herbal Magic uses vile practices on the unsuspecting public.Bravo to CBC for exposing this. Even the name Herbal "Magic" should make everyone skeptical. Losing weight has nothing to do with magic or hocus pocus like this company would like you to believe. They pretend that the supplements have some magical qualities because they want you to spend thousands of dollars on them. Marketplace showed that there is no scientific support for these supplements doing what Herbal Magic says they do. What other reason would this company even call itself Magic if they weren't trying to deceive the public? Losing weight is about changing your eating behaviours and not about swallowing useless supplements that have no benefit. There is no magic to the process, despite what this company may want you to believe. Dont be a sucker. Watch the program, read the name of the company, and head for the hills.

I have been a client for a couple of years. I have paid for the services and products and have found the products to work extremely well and the support staff to be awesome. For me the most success part of my story is I have kept the weight off and feel great . Happy to finally be able to do that at any cost. We certainly pay to put our selfs in bad health so why are we afraid to pay for good health? The story here is HM works they are embracing the Health Canada regulations unlike others (U Weight Loss, LA Weight Loss). Erica what are others within this industry doing to meet Health Canada Regulations. Your inference that HM is selling placebos may have you in hot water with the Company, no scientific evidence to support that from what I saw. Everybody will have an expert who will say whatever you pay them to or what ever is in their best interest. Your experts are no different. Story is way to one sided to be credible. My research would show HM has been in business for 15 +yrs helped 1000's anybody talk to anyone who was satisfied?

I was disappointed in the one-sided journalism on this program...I expect better from CBC.

I have used the HM program, and it's a balanced approach to weightloss. It works if you are committed, but there is no silver bullet...or magic pill. I admit that I was surprised to see the approach of the HM Employees on hidden camera, as I have NEVER been pressured to buy additional products and I was told clearly up front what the costs would be.

As for those who were criticizing the program...yes, they gained weight because they did not follow it. No surprise to anyone.

I suggest that CBC either retract their criticism or balance their reporting by speaking to some satisfied clients.

I too spent 1000.00 joining when it was advertised loss 20 lbs for $20 but it was the suppliments that they kept adding to my master card every week that bugs me now they added 45.00 for stuff I never picked up and wont credit my account because there not allowed to give credits I wrote a letter and still they wont do it I threated to get a doctors note and still nothing can you help its my 45. dollars plus Ihave suppliments at home that I havent even touched I dont know whats in them !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I too was sucked in January 09, When I curtailed my life so I wouldn't suffer from head aches. Poof there it was, head aches each day do to the portion size, and my blood pressure was sky rocketing. I now am on blood pressure pills because it became out of control. My daughter swears by it, but has not noticed her own mood swings, I think because her food consumption is so limited she consitantly cranky!!

These comments concern me. I have been on the program for a year and have lost a total of 112 lbs. Do I think that the herbs actually do anything, probably not, could I have lost the weight without a supportive program, definitely not. I think people are slamming the wrong thing here, yes people may have gained weight back but the right question to ask was did the stick to the eating plan? Or did they revert to their old lifestyle habits? When you have finished loosing weight if you eat like you used to then OF COURSE you will gain the weight back! This isn't rocket science. And really, do you need someone to tell you that? Before slamming a great program, that has worked for many people, maybe CBC should ask more than one person for their experience. Don't rely on only half the story, because that is exactly what it is......

we all need to grow up,Herbal Magic brought me back from the edge, even if the Wm 2000 and the chromagic pills arn't exactly what they say they are, mind over matter it must be, I have been on the program for a year, and have gone from 226lb down to 165lb, i just had a physical and my doctor said I am in the best shape of my life, my blood work and cholestoral came back perfect, nothing in life is free and if it works and you are happy never mind what other sceptics that tried it and could't curb thier junk food cravings say apparently they are weak in nature, if you want to make anything work it requires dedication, some of us have it and some don't, thats why Herbal Magic works for some and does't for others

After watching your program I was appauled that this can be considered "good" journalism. Your facts were incredibly one sided and factually incorrect. As a current member of the program I would recomend Herbal Magic to anyone of my friends or family. To begin with only one centre was shown in this segment and only 3 employees, two of which were from cet locationa and the third was an ex-employee who had been let go. Now tell me how many of us have ever been fired from anywhere and not left with a grudge? The show also implied that these employees spoke for all centres and they don't. I was given a complete breakdown of my plan, I knew exactly what each and every penny was paying for. Also while calculating the expenses you neglected to factor in the fact that you only take these supplements while on the weight loss phase wich is only one third of the program, therefore, no you do not purchase these supplements each week for a whole year. Secondly, very little emphasis was given to the diet which you are to follow. There was a mention of a meal plan of around 900 cals a day but I wonder wich plan you got that number from as the centre offers plans to accomodate everyone for teens to 50+ and diabetics. This OBVIOUSLY affects the daily calorie intake.
As for the woman poled about her experience with Herbal Magic no one asked her if she kept up with the eating habits she would have used during her plan. If she returned to her old eating habits that made her overweight in the first place, then it stands to reason that she would gain the weight back by no fault of Herbal Magic.
Finally, not once was I approached with a "silver bullet" notion that simply taking these suplements would cause me to loose weight. They are taken as tools in combination with diet and exercise. In the end you have to be accountable for yourself and before slamming a perfectly good company, whom by the way is chosen by the consumer and not the other way around, one might want to take a good look in the mirror and own up to the fact that the reason they are overwieght in the first place is beacuse of what they have been doing to themselves.

Excellent piece of work.
Another case of a national firm ripping people off.
It's about time this scam is stopped, they only have been doing it for 15 years.

Good job, Marketplace!!!!!!!!!!!!

Talk about one sided interviews. Maybe you should have found some happy customers out there, which there are many. Those women you interviewed could not have stayed on their new healthy eating plan, pills or not. I live in the Okanagan and have lost 48 pounds, 62 inches and still going down. I have not felt this healthy in a very long time and yes I believe the supplements work. They have been doing this for 15 years. Why now? Do all those herbal vitamins people buy do what they say. The centre I deal with in Penticton has never forced anything on me or never was I told I had to buy this or that for any reason what so ever. I wish your cameras went under cover there, because they are awesome. I knew it would cost me between $3500. to $4000. That also entitles you to approx. 3 years of weighing in as long as you stay within your maintaining weight. I am worth it, you can't put a price tag on you life. I have another 40 lbs to go. My personal coaches Heather, Tanya and Theresa are the best and they are right there for me anytime. They keep me positive and cheering me on. I need that and when I don't lose weight. I know its me cheating, not the supplements. There are alot of simialar companies out there. Let's get going and bring them all down, because people who can't cope want there money back.

I have not tryed HM but am on a similar program. Interesting how the "poor losers" are the ones with all the complaints! There is no magic pill, but supplements to HELP YOU. You are still responsible for eating correctly! Shame on Marketplace for their scare tactics and miliant approach to issues! Lets hear from some success stories!

If there was ever a case of someone looking like a "deer caught in the headlights", then the poster boy for that must be Fraser Clark. I've never seen a spokesperson for a company come off as bad as he did. His responses were egregious and an insult to the intelligent viewer. I would never join a company that treats the public with such contempt and attempts to pull the wool over our eyes with his feeble responses.

After seeing the Marketplace segment, it would seem to me that the only way you'll lose weight in a safe and healthy way at Herbal Magic is by suffering from indigestion from ordering their main course of Scam with a side dish of Rip Off. You'll need Rolaids after listening to the stomach churning false claims they make. Kudos to CBC for bringing hidden cameras in to expose these horrible practises which try and take advantage of the most vulnerable. Keep up the good work.

I joined Herbal Magic as a client last week. Then I saw the CBC program and became alarmed. I contacted my Doctor to ask what she thought and she advised me to quit the program because she didnt want me to put my health at risk but taking phoney supplements that are extremely expensive but have no scientific support. I was outraged when I learned that the claims I was told when they were selling me the program were totally false. Based on my Dr's advice, I went back to Herbal Magic and cancelled my program. This is not a company I want to be associated with in any way.

Really? I would just like to ask is there anything that market place has not bashed? So just because one has to pay for a service does it automatically become a scam? lets face it losing weight is a huge problem in todays society and with the way our lives are these days taking the top off the muffin is less then easy. So what is the big deal that these different companies charge for a service that these people cannot do for them selves. Last time I checked I did pay for my hair cut, the restaurant I ate in and not to mention some prescription from my doctor that I had abbsolutly no idea what it was.. Lets be realistic here and take some responsibilty if you are willing to pay the price for a service if you belive or hope it will work then that is on you.

I was very surprised at how much food was allowed on the plan. I did lose my weight, but realized after I stopped taking the WM2000s and Chromagic I lost just as quickly following the food plan. It is basically Canada's Food Guide, a balanced diet with reasonable portions. My lifestyle coaches were very large women themselves, and I realized it was a lot like going to a hairstylist who had very bad hair. You can do this yourself, when did we start needing coaches for everything? Respect yourself, you're worth it, and save the $$ for your new wardrobe! Good luck.

I agree that HM is a farce. I joined a few years ago with a couple of friends, thinking we were about to get an "individualized" plan, and we all got the same plan and supplements (which made one of us sick). And I don't know if I was being particularly oblivious at the time, but I too remember getting a bit of sticker shock over the additional prices for the supplements.

I lost a bit of weight on the program, but I would chalk that up to the restrictive calorie count than anything. Which, btw, was so restrictive that they actively discouraged you from exercising, which didn't make sense to me.

The program in general? SO not worth the money. The location I visited? The staff were clueless, and the fact that any of them had ever had a weight problem or did the program,as was supposedly a requirement, was highly suspect. They didn't know what half the foods in my diary were and therefore could answer no questions about anything. I got tired of hearing "what's that?" about everything. The way they spoke about weight gain/loss gave an insight into how very little they knew about any of it. With the too-frequent weigh-ins, things like a 1/4 pound pre-period weight fluctuation would be chalked up to you having perhaps eaten one too many carrots the day before.

Between those reasons and the incessant calling, calling, calling if you do NOT get in for a weigh-in (up to five times plus a day-even with good reason eg.a funeral), I ditched the program. They spent the next couple of years actively trying to bring me back to the program, despite my having clearly outlined why I left. E-mails, phone calls, letters...basically spamming. I had to formally request a few times to finally get it to stop.

I tried this program last year and found it to be one of the worst experiences I've ever had. All they did was push expensive supplements all the time. I didnt lose weight at all and felt crushed every time I went in because I knew they were going to try and push me to spend more. Now that I've learned that the supplments are all phoney, I'm really appalled at the tactics of the company. Stay away and save your hard earned money.

Talk about the elephant in the room. This company actually calls itself Herbal "Magic". In other words, the herbs are presented to have some magical quality. What other definition of magic is there? I'd like Herbal Magic to explain why they even call themsevles Herbal Magic. If it smells like a scam, talks like a scam, walks like a scam, then its probably a scam.

Well, I am very pleased to see that Herbal Magic was in the spot light.. I feel your show was very interesting, and quite true (why)? Because I joined Herbal Magic two years ago and spent $1000.00 + dollars with no success.. Fianlly with no weight loss sucess and refusing to purchase more of their products ~ I just wanted to continue with the remaining year I had already paid for consulting etc with no more purchasing their additional product line ~~ just remain on the "Necessary"~ WM2000 and Chromagic~~ I was politly asked to stop coming in and perhaps within the same year before my so called membership expired, I could come back for yet ANOTHER additional FEE of $99.00 to renew (sort of speak).. Not only did I already pay for the services ~~ I could come back in a few months once I regained some cash and to start buying more product for $99.00 for their service... YIKES !!! I had enough.. I am glad you were able to let other viewers see the inside truth...

I am very familiar with this diet. I've tried the diet alone a few times, just to drop a few pounds. It does work, but it's a VERY slow process without the supplements. This place teaches you how to eat properly and maintain your weight. It's a lifestyle change, not just a place to lose weight. You need to have someone other than yourself to feel accountable towards as well. So many overweight people are already disappointed in themselves, so what's another disappointment? They've got a habit of letting themselves down. But it's really hard to look at another person and have them know that you've been letting yourself down. You want to make them proud, and happy for you. I noticed that nobody has mentioned the other supplements they give you... And that whole "weekly weigh-in" is a crock. You can go every single day if you want to. At your own convenience. No appointments. I've learned ALOT about weight loss, stability, and maintenance, and I wouldn't trade this knowledge for anything. This woman must have had nothing better to write about. Or maybe she's pissed that she didn't stick to an incredibly simple program, and got fat again.

As with every story both sides will have their respective experts they use to back up their weight loss program points. As for the CBC loss expert, Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, where are his weight loss clinics, his costs, basis of his program etc. Would seem, at least to me, that there is somewhat of vested interest here.

I am a current client at HM and it works for my body. I did HM about 7 years ago and after a miscarriage and a normal pregnancy, I have gained some of the weight back. So..I went back to HM as some of the other "diets" do not work for my body. When I went in this time, I told them I would prefer not to be on any product - and they said that was fine. I follow a diet plan and purchase meal replacement bars/shakes...but I take NO pills. When I started to plateau a little, we just adjusted my food (when I ate certain foods, etc) - NO pills. Pills have never been pushed on me and I have never been told I can't exercise...I go to the gym 4 times a week, and walk daily. I realize it may not work for everybody or every body type...but it does work for me.

I went through Herbal Magic back in 2008. I lost my 1st. 20 pounds and was so excited. Than, however I stalled and could not for the life of lose anymore weight. They told me to try CLA and another product which I did and neither helped. I finally had to give it up because it was getting too expensive and I was not seeing the results. Has long as you were paying for the supplements they supported you...when you could no longer afford it, that was it, they did not want to deal with me anymore. I honestly wish this had come out before I took the progranm, I would have saved myself over $2,000!!!!! And I did not get no meal plan from them either.

I'm greatly disappointed in CBC for allowing such a negatively biased show on Herbal Magic. Isn't an investigative journalist supposed to find both satisfied, successful clients and unsatisfied, unsuccessful clients? Then find out the reasons for each group, and then produce a balanced and fair program? I personally know many very happy and successful Herbal Magic clients. The scales and these clients personal assessments of how they feel do not lie! CBC and Erica Johnson please get more professional!! Please write me

The show was so unfair .
Who says that the clients should eat 900 calories a day, I was a client and based on my weight , they put me on a different program , I was eating 1500 calories a day and was losing 3 lbs a week.

As far as I know, they have around 7-8 programs.
They should have talked to happy clients too.

Sandy

Of course the defenders coming out use poor critical-thinking skills. Success at losing weight does not mean that Herbal Magic products are effective! The problem is not whether one can lose weight or not, it is whether charging $250 for useless "supplements" is ethical.

Most diet programs cause weight loss from very low calorie diets. They need a gimmick to separate themselves from the others. The weight loss will return unless the lower calorie eating habits can be sustained.

Wow this is like presenting the results of a poll that was conducted with a handful of respondents, how accurate would that be? I'm sure there are thousands and thousands of happy Herbal Magic customers who lost their weight and have kept it off due to the programme. I lost 30 lbs four years ago and have manage to maintain my weight through permanent eating habit changes that Herbal Magic taught me. Yes it did cost a lot of money but because of that I was determined to succeed and I did and would recommend it to anybody who's serious about losing weight and keeping it off.

Well, first of all, I was appauled by the show last night and the "former" clients that where on it. When I first walked in the doors of Herbal Magic and did my consulatioin, the price of the program and the supplements where clear as day to which how much it was going to cost me. So I was well aware of everything. So you defineitly know what you are getting yourself into when you do your consultation, which let me remind you, is FREE and NO OBLIGATION. If the price is to high, then dont join. For me yes, its a little pricey, but that is what I needed to do to keep me accountable and have that extra support and motivation with me. Without going into the centre 3 times a week I could have easily fallen off, but I didnt because I knew I had to weigh in and keep going. I lost over 50 LBS and 70 Inches and have mainited my weight loss for over a few years now. AS well when I first joined the program I did a few weeks with the herbs and then a few weeks without, just to see for myself if the herbs really do work, and what do you know I hardly lost any weight when I didnt take the herbs. So I strongly beleive that the herbs HELP with weight loss, they are not going to work on there own, as a "MAGIC PILL" it takes hard work, dedication and healthy eating as well as proper portion control.
As for the "former clients" I am sorry to hear that you had a bad experience, but if you never gave it 100% and followed the program you have no one to blame but yourself. Escpecially the one lady said she didnt even follow it 100%.. HELLO...
As well, during the show at no time did they mention any success or stories on how it has helped peoples lives, and making them ,become more healthy and happy.
And Come on "let go employee" commission is just a bonus to your wage as is,in many jobs. And which by what I've been told isnt a huge percentage anyways, and employees do not know about this until they have been in their job for a while.
With that being said, HERBAL MAGIC IS NO SCAM. They helped change my life

The show on Herbal Magic was a real eye opener for me. I have been on every diet imaginable. I have had succes on all of them with Weight Loss but never with maintaining. So I joined U Weight Loss last January because they not only gauranteed weight loss but offered a 6 month Maintance plan. When I joined I had to sign a guarantee that I would lose a minimum of 2 pounds per week if I came into the clinic 3 times a week and took all the manatory herbal, vitamin and mineral suppplements as recommended by U Weight Loss and follow the food menus they supplied. It was really hard to get a number for how much all the mandatory things would cost. My intial cost was $1311.24 which gave me a starter package, the 13 weeks I would need to lose the weight with a weight loss consultant, 6 months of Maintenace consulting and few products. Now over the rest of the year I have since spent $7763.77 on the products. I am ashamed to tell this to anyone. I want to lose 6 more pounds but it will cost me another $600.00. I have been afraid if I don't use the products I will gain all the weight back. I have not gone on the Maintain Plan because the same issues of not being able to keep the weight off are making me afriad to try it. I reached the goal that was set for me last May and by following the AR phase of the plan which is 1300 calories a day have managed to Maintain my weight now since May with a few minor ups and downs. Is U Weight Loss the same as Herbal Magic? They have a vitamin book they pull out stating they have the best vitimans in Canada. They say they are a Canadian based program run by Doctors and Nutritionists. If I have any problems they always ask me if they can call the Doctors or nutritionists for help. I have had great success so far on this program but I really don't want to spend anymore money on the supplements. The number you say that needs to be on the products I can not find on any of the products. So am I just peeing away my money on these supplements? Help!

My there seems some bitter people about, I watched marketplace and what trash tabloid 1 sided journalism. I expected a BBC Panaorama style slide on the topic, not to be.

They had a competitor on slagging of HM - wow what a shock, they said the pills arent magic - wow what a shock! Anyone who thinks weight loss can be fixed by a pill is deluding themselves. A fired employee and 2 overweight people who admitted on the show they didnt stick to the HM plan say it didnt work for them - wow what a shock, while I dont think HM will work for me having read up on it before (I need to lose 20 lbs again now Im in my mid 30's) its clear it works for a lot of people if like any plan or diet regime you stick to the plan. Its clear HM dont just have magic pills, the pills are just a small part of the equation. The thing Erica Johnson failed to point out is no weightloss is magic, a balanced show would clearly of stated find what weightloss works for you, whether HM, Jenny Craig or self control and excersice the old fashioned way - good luck to all on their weight loss journey whatever way they find works for them.

Herbal Magic's products do not help people lose weight, they are meant to simply create residual ongoing revenue to the company from each client.

U Weight Loss is a spin off of Herbal Magic and they do the exact same thing. None of their products have been proven to work and if you don't follow their strict menu plan and you take the products you will NOT lose any weight. Alternatively, if you follow the strict menu plan and take no supplements at all you will lose some weight, albeit, temporarily.

To have permanent weight loss the changes you make must become lifestyle changes rather than dieting, as dieting only creates temporary results.

I know all this as I was involved in the weight loss industry for 10 years and saw first hand how these franchise companies work.

I've been a HM customer since october 2009. Before i started this program yes i was overwieght. i had tried every diet plan (wieght watchers,slim fast,atkins, even joined curves for over a year, which i didn't loose anything till i started watching what i put in my mouth>.I even for a time i ate what i wanted but got rid of it by either throwing it up or taking laxatives to get it out. I was at the end of the line. My friend and her daughter and my sister and my daughter friend were all success storys of herbal majic. So i decided to join. At the center i joined, the cost of the program was explained to me in detail, including the monthly mandatory herbs.(wm2000 and chromagic). At no time and even currently pressured to purchase extras. I believe with the help of my consultants that is a part reason for my success so far. We discuss meal planning.And as far as if i might be meeting a challange by going out to dinner at a resturant. I truly believe that i did get that ahha moment. That you are what you eat. With the help of HM and there consultants I'm now at the realization that "I'm eating to live not living to eat". As for the daily herbs. I do believe they help with the suppressing of you appetite.I now even eat more than i ever did.I'm just eating the right foods. Now for all those who critizied HM nothing is majic. WAKE UP You put it in you mouth where do you think its going to go!!!My success story is not over yet, I'm still going to HM and i will complete my contract. After that with the help of my consultants i believe i will be ready to face the rest of the world on my own. You know why!!! because at HM they helped me get it.....Thanks HM. I believe.....

Hi there!
Weight loss magic in a bottle?? Absolutely not.
I worked at Herbal Magic for over 3 years and have not only used the weight management products myself and know how well they work (it's not a placebo; you can FEEL the difference!), but also helped hundreds of people lose weight and improve their lives.
When it comes to money, one can bash this program, along with any other program, retail outlet, or even a car dealership for that matter as well -- because when it comes down to it, people pay money for things they hold as a high priority. Be it getting gel nails filled, purchasing jewelery or buying a new car, the mark up on ANYTHING you purchase can be ridiculed.
Obviously CBC did not do a very thorough investigation as they left out the over 40,000 clients who have found success and happiness with Herbal Magic.
I should also note that HM has programs that DO NOT UTILIZE HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS. It IS the food plan and support that works. The supplements HELP. For anyone who gains their weight back, it is not because it was a sham program, or because they stopped taking supplements; it is because they reverted back to old habits that brought them into HM in the first place.
Amen to Kirsten's post of February 5t, 2010. We could not agree more with the 3rd paragraph in her comment!
So yes, it is expensive -- but - if you chose to eat out four times a week at around $15 per meal (which is pretty cheap, considering), and hit up the the local coffee shop every morning at two bucks a pop, you will be spending about $296 per month -- to KEEP YOURSELF OVERWEIGHT. And that wasn't including the extra portions at supper that show up on your grocery bill, believe it or not.
So it's a choice -- and Herbal Magic works. :):) Have fun spending your money where you see fit!

Three thousand dollars later, I'm back to where I started. In my heart of hearts I knew I was being scammed. What made last night even more upsetting for me was the worker who was fired from her job at Herbal Magic. She was the one that kept harassing me because I was taking those suppliments daily and so she wasnt getting her commission. Where was her compassion thenÉ

Three thousand dollars later, I'm back to where I started. In my heart of hearts I knew I was being scammed. What made last night even more upsetting for me was the worker who was fired from her job at Herbal Magic. She was the one that kept harassing me because I was taking those suppliments daily and so she wasnt getting her commission. Where was her compassion thenÉ

Erica Johnson I am in shock that you call yourself a journalist! In my opinion your story lost ALL credibility when you quickly commented that the "unsuccessful" client did NOT follow program , yet felt ripped off because she didn't lose the weight. Well you know success only comes before work in the dictionary. You get what you put into it. I personally know several people that have gone to Herbal Magic over the years and when they fell off track, they knew it was their own doing. The support, encouragement and knowledge of healthy eating helped each of my friends successfully lose their weight, one of which has maintained her weightloss for 7 years, one had gained some back after her mom passed away, she went back for a refresher program and was welcomed with loving arms. She has now maintained that weightloss for two and a half years. I have a best friend currently on program who has lost almost 100 pounds , she's almost to her goal. She was on the path to all kinds of health problems that follow obesity. cbc you should be ashamed of yourselves, journalism is to provide all the information, seems to me, you have neglected the most important piece of information; Herbal Magic is canada's #1 choice for proven weight loss with a 91% success rate. hmmmm how do suppose that happens if the complete program is not successful. With all the dangerous weight loss gimics out there, you would think a canadian journalist would support acompany that works off the canada's food guide! you dropped the ball on this one!

I'm glad a program like this has exposed these kinds of scams. Steve Hudson should not be making money by preying on vulnerable people who are willing to try any snake oil that is peddled. If Herbal Magic wants to peddle snake oil, they should be forced by the Government to substantiate their claims. If they are false claims, then charges should be brought against the Directors and Officers of the company.

Could you not have found a current employee willing to speak on the condition of annominity? I love my job and the company i work for but if i was let go i would gladly talk sh*t about them to anyone who listened? Secondly the former clients who quit both said at the end "i have put my weight back on" so clearly they were losing weight on the program and put it back on after they quit. Congratulations Erica you put a price on good health and spent a half hour talking to two people who think that price is too high.

First of all, for all you un happy ladies/men out there that have tried Herbal Magic and have regrets, let me tell you. Probably the only regret you should have is that you couldn't stick to the program and now you want to blame someone.
As a former health councellor with Herbal Magic, I can assure you it is a great program and IT WORKS. Like any weight loss program, the client has to do their part. and that is to FOLLOW the recommendations. From my own experience as a councellor, I would have clients come in for their visits and tell me that they are following the program 100 % and get angry because they say it's not working. Well HELLO, you have to follow it to work. I have run into clients before out at greasy burger joints filling their faces with greasy hamburgers not knowing I saw them and come into the centre the next day and report a healthy food journal from the day before and whine because they think it's not working for them. Time to get real with yourselves people and STOP trying the put the blame on a program that does work because you youself couldn't stick to it. And Stacy, the former Herbal Magic client that was interviewed on Marketplace...ask yourself, can you say in all honesty you followed the program 100 % or are you just a angry client who regrets spending the money because you couldn't stick with the program. I CAN ASSURE YOU AS A FORMER CONSULTANT AND CLIENT MYSELF THAT THE PROGRAM WORKS AND THAT YOU THE CLIENT ARE ONLY GOING TO GET OUT OF IT WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT. GET REAL PEOPLE AND STOP BLAMING HERBAL MAGIC BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T SEE RESULTS. MAYBE TRY FOLLOWING THE PROGRAM NEXT TIME !It's pretty hard to jusitfy spending money on something that you CAN'T stick too.

I am very happy that CBC is shining a light on this. If you want to lose weight eat right and exercise. If you're too lazy to do that you will continue to be overweight even if you go out and spend thousands of dollars on "magic pills".

Pretty biased reporting. Anyone who has any knowledge of Weight Loss Industry knows that nothing works for everyone. There is no weight loss program that can claim perfect success rates with every person on their program. And of course, when someone fails it has to be the fault of someone else. Stacy is a joke. "The worst experience of my life" give me a break. This has been some charmed life Stacy - I hope you never buy a car that has a stuck accelerator or a DVD that skips - you'll probably commit suicide !

I do like the concept of the show marketplace because from time to time they bring into light negative aspects of organizations that people should be aware of. However I was surprised they would pick a relatively new and successful canadian company like herbal magic that sells natural herbs and tries to help people lose weight. The reason I say this is becuase Herbal magic is not hurting anyone, in fact they are helping people (Not everyone obviously)to lose weight. Everyone has thier own idea of weight lose and most ideas do work ... as does herbal magic. Sure, many of the herbs are not FDA approved but neither are many other herbs and drugs out there that many people believe do work. I am now wondering if marketplace has crossed the fine line between bringing the public into light on an important issue with an organization, and picking on a company becuase they feel they might be able to twist a story out ot it.

Weight loss in a bottle?
Listen folks - calories in - calories burned (exercise) = weight loss.
For those who think they can take pills, lose weight AND stay healthy, you are living in a silly fantasy world.

I guess there are a lot of mixed feelings about this program but the same comments can be made about every diet center out there. They cannot guarantee you weight loss. They can only coach and guide you which is a very important piece to the program. It is not easy to lose weight on our own and that is why the weight-ins and coaching sessions are so important. It is far easier to cheat when you only answer to yourself. I have been on the HM program for a little over 3 months now and I am very pleased with the results so far. I tried for a year to lose weight on my own with no luck. Now I have lost 20 pounds and over 10 inches. I am half way to my goal. Yes, the pills are expensive and I am not completely convinced that they are needed but they were completely upfront with me about the cost of the pills before I joined the program. I calculated that I would spend at least $3000 for a year on the program and then it was up to me to decide that it was worth it. I could have decided not to join. We always have a choice. Even when it comes to all the additional pills that they recommend. You don't have to take them, it is your choice.

Bottom Line: Is this an expensive program? Yes, but I haven't met or heard from one person who said they didn't lose weight. Once the program is done, it is completely up to me to keep the weight off. No one including HM can do that for you.

Alright, health canada has entries for 91 products with "homeopathic" in their name.

Homeopathy is well known as junk science, there is absolutely no evidence that homeopathy works and there is not a single competent scientist on the planet who thinks it's anything but a placebo.

What this essentially means is that all health canada is doing is making sure these natural products contain what they claim they do and aren't actually harmful (containing arsenic or something).

If Herbal Magic is so sloppy they can't even manage this level of certification I can't imagine their products are anything but random grounds up plants.

There's lots of money in fat.

I think you need to do a further investigation when it comes to companies like Herbal Magic. Like how many men and women end up in the hospital emergency departments after using these pills with heart attack like symptoms, heart palpatations, blood pressure sky rocketing. These people should be held accountable for the damage and harm they do giving false hopes to desperate people trying to make a healthy change in their lives.

I did Herbal Magic 2 years ago and I lost 65 pounds with them. I followed the 3 steps to there program and have been maintaining my weight ever since. When I started program I had 3 other friends start at the same time, 2 of them never finished program because they said it was too hard, no it was because they weren't willing to make the changes they needed to in there eating habits to be able to lose the weight. You can't expect to eat like crap and be thin. what do you think made us all over weight in the first place. Like the girls at the center told me, IT IS A LIFE STYLE CHANGE. Sorry if your not wiling to make the changes to your eating and not willing to stick to them. But lets place all of the blame on Herbal Magic, and that it was expensive, and you felt pushed into purchasing extra product. Well aren't we all adults here, can't we just say no??? The girls at my center never pushed me into products. And for the mandatory products yes they did work. because before Herbal Magic, I had tried other food plans with reduced calories and I was starving, the product did help to control my appetite and give me more energy. And really what weight loss program does not cost money???? Are you telling me Jenny Craig and LA Weight Loss is free? Herbal Magic does work and I believe in them 100%. CBC market place did an unfair story on Herbal Magic, you didn't see them interviewing anyone that had success with the program. I am sorry for the lades that didn't see results with Herbal Magic, but I did and the reason I did was because I visited my center, kept my diary, took my product and followed the food plan like they told me too. And I had a consultation when I enrolled on Herbal Magic and they told my product was going to cost me roughly $250 dollars per month and that my program cost was the food plan plus my 3 stage program broken down cost. I don't know where those ladies enrolled but I was made well aware of all the costs. So please give Herbal Magic a chance, they gave me my life back!!!
VERY HAPPY HERBAL MAGIC CLIENT

Ok, I usually never comment but I want to make something clear to people; Losing weight is directly related to calorie intake and how many you burn in a day. Burning calories is based on your heart rate, the faster it beats the more calories you burn. Cardiovascular exercise 4 times a week is the easiest and cheapest way to lose weight. Follow that up with a diet and it's a match made in heaven. Even if you don't diet you will still lose weight. Pills are just a way for company's to get rich from people's ignorance.

Shame on you Marketplace!! You selected the lowest calorie food in the meal plan! You can eat up to 1500 calories and not 900 and still lose weight!

Also, the supplements work! You selected 2 unhappy clients, why dont you talk to the 40,000 happy ones who have had success. Sorry that your 2 bad clients did not follow the program and keep their weight off!

As for the supplements, I'm walking proof they work! I lost 40 lbs 2 years ago and have kept it off because of the coaching and the supplements! Why dont you people go and talk to GNC who sold ephedra that actually killed people! If you asked me if I would pay 2500 dollars to lose and keep my weight off for an extended period of time, my answer would be YES!!

I can't beleive that your show is so pathetic to attack to such great Canadian companies that help people! Really?? Perhaps you should go after the Canadian Cancer Society next! You've already attacked Canada's number one weight loss company and the Heart and Stroke foundation! Why don't you tell people that your experts have their own weight loss companies and that it benefits them to try to bring down the best weight loss company in Canada??

I think your show is one sided and Ericka, I can not wait untill you hit menopause and have to lose the extra weight you never had to worry about before!! Because believe me, Herbal Magic saved my life and I'm appalled that the CBC would do such a one-sided show just for ratings!! I won't watch CBC again anytime soon ! You people should be ashamed of yourselves!!!!

Pretty biased reporting. Anyone who has any knowledge of Weight Loss Industry knows that nothing works for everyone. There is no weight loss program that can claim perfect success rates with every person on their program. And of course, when someone fails it has to be the fault of someone else. Stacy is a joke. "The worst experience of my life" give me a break. This has been some charmed life Stacy - I hope you never buy a car that has a stuck accelerator or a DVD that skips - you'll probably commit suicide !

Everyone's story is different, yet everyone who has been, or is, an Herbal Magic client, walked through their doors for a reason. Perhaps a great deal of the initial motivation is looking for help, recognizing one is overweight, with all the social and physiological issues that may accompany that.
Tied to the motivation one might have for wanting to join, at the outset, lie some underpinnings inherent in our society that need to be addressed. The Fast Food Industry, and the billions of dollars spent on advertising in that industry, are constant influences on our diet and the manner in which one eats. Sometimes, and in certain work environments, the limitations of time during meals requires one speed things up with fast food fixes. Reactive medicine, rather than proactive medicine, may have some bearing on the obesity development in our society. Buying into modern technology often inhibits active lifestyles. Alternative medicines and self-help industries are popping up all over the place. Look at the rise in work-out gyms(that cost money), and multiple homeopathic and other health practitioners that offer alternative solutions,(that cost money, often outside of people's health care benefits, if they have them). The problem would seem to be much larger. The world of retail and commercial in our capitalistic society has changed and branched out, is ever evolving to provide jobs and evaluate what people will spend money on, especially so in countries where the industrial base has changed, downsized, and/or emigrated to other places. With this weight loss issue, among others, we need to be asking, "why and how did we get to this point to begin with," and begin the quest for change, from there.

Wow CBC, I thought you guys would be a little less bias than that. It's easy to get a favorable result if you only research one side of the story. What ever happened to personal accountability, they're program did exactly what it proposed to do, it helped people lose weight. Now, if that person decides to stop using the program, isn't the onus on them to keep the weight off. As for the one who was let go, nobody ever asked her why... Maybe, it was because she was horrible at her job...
CBC, if it wasn't for Hockey Night in Canada, i would stop watching you.

I was suckered in back in 2006. I lost over 35 lbs. & felt & looked really good. Problem is that I had 2 jobs at the time & had a car to make all the trips 3 times a wk. for weigh ins & to purchase the pills. I'm watching this right now on CBC & all I can do is shake my head. I did waste thousands of dollars. I never sat down to calculate how much exactly but $3000.00 is very accurate. Oh, when I think about it I was eating very healthy & minimal. So, it was never the $50 WM2000 pills or the
Chromemagic. It was simply portion control and real food. WHAT A DISCOVERY! Like that woman said "I feel defeated", because I gained all my weight back & I am still not mentally ready to do it again without the pills.

I agree with Kirsten. Personal accountability, hello? If you are desperate enough and foolish enough to think you can purchase a "quick fix" to your weight loss that is your problem. The world is full of worse companies and people than Herbal Magic that will take your money if you give it to them. Key point you gave it to them, didn't ask questions, do the research or use common sense. I hope Market Place doesn't bore me with further silly investigative reports. Get some real content.

I am well aware that a better body does not come in a bottle.
However, I am surprised by CBC's bias approach to their recent expose on HM.
There are people out there who I am sure have experienced success on HM, otherwise there is no way the company would have lasted - as business for 15 years.
CBC interviewed a former employee who had been "let go", and two unhappy customers - one of the ladies didn't even follow the recommended food program. There was never any mention or interview of any customer who had been successful on the HM program. Obviously, this would not or could not be a favourable piece for HM.
Despite HM's shortcomings, it was lack of journalistic integrity that I found bothersome.
According to MarketPlace when it comes to Herbal Magic it is "buy beware" - that may be true, but when it comes to the CBC, I say "viewer beware."

Thank you for your show tonight. I was going through my paper and flyers while watching and in the flyers was an Herbal Magic full-page ad with this claim "lose up to 20 lbs by April 1st (No foolin'!). Of course there's 2 pictures of "Lesley" - "Lesley lost 29 pounds & 36 inches. I too was an Herbal Magic "success", not really, I was starving and I have now gained back almost 1/2 of the weight I lost. I was also employed by Herbal Magic & that was a disaster. Thank you for your investigation - I wish I had seen this show 5 years ago.

I actually lost all of the weight that I wanted to lose....30 lbs. in 5 months. I then was able to get a "free" year due to the fact that I kept the weight off for a year. I kept the weight off for 2 years and thought that I had truly licked the weight problem. Then I gained it all back...but I know exactly how. I ran into an "ex" consultant from Herbal Magic who no longer worked for them. I told her how I really missed the WM2000. She told me not to worry about that. It was really the diet that was the cause of their success in clients' weight loss. So, I'm trying to follow it to see if it might re-start my weight loss success. Do I regret the money I spent? No. It is water under the bridge.

I am just beside my self .Watching your program was so interesting .It was ME in those shoes. I remember the night I joined ,so happy to finilly make it through those doors . I mad a commitment to my self to get help.When I got home and looked at what I just paid I cried And cried and cried all night .It had to do with a NO REFUND line on the bottom of the page.So now I had to continue with what I just done to me and my family.All the money. Then I still wasn't done.had to get weiged every day , buy more pills ,& pills. This didn't account for the fuel I spent.They were always trying to sell new products.This went on an on .I lost 50 pounds ,this is what I wanted .Then I was to start matnance. That was some thing else the weight started up a bit then loss again.At this time there was a sickness in the family and I couldn't mantain my weight .All I got was look how far I came and the inches I lost .I believe that went hand in hand.There was a lot of dollars handit out to Herbal Magic by my self and others and its ashame they can have a straight face and say there plane and pills are safe.I want to say THANK YOU for making me understand it wasn't just me . To the lady's who helped you and spoke out Thank You also . The Best to All of You. I now fell good about myself still heavy but I'm fine Diane

Herbal Magic should be put out of business and the same applies to other diet programs that do not work and push pills that do nothing. I was a
client of Herbal Magic a few years ago, spend a few thousand dollars only to be told the reason I could not lose weight was because I used Pam cooking spray. That was the final straw

I too, was snowed by Herbal Magic. I went into a storefront in Moncton, NB, and about $2000 later, I left with supplements and felt happy about finally doing something about my weight. Ok, so I lost some weight but of course, that's because my calorie count went way, way down. The supplements were costing me an absolute fortune every month. They had me on 3 different supplements so costs were huge monthly. I finally got to a time where I couldn't afford to pay for the supplements because I just didn't have enough money coming in. They told me that I couldn't come in anymore if I didn't follow the program and following the program meant that I HAD to take the supplements. I couldn't and so I had to stop. They would not give me any money back but I did ask. About 6 months later, I went back because things changed for me financially and I would be able to afford the supplements again, and lo and behold, I come to find that they tell me that I can't restart the program without paying a $200 restart fee. Of course I was furious and questioned why I should have to pay for that when they still had my money from the initial contract. I went directly to the Owner of the Store I went to and asked her for a refund or to allow me to restart without paying the $200 and she was adamant and said absolutely not. Needless to say, I was livid and fought with her regarding this trying to explain why I felt she should let me rejoin without paying the $200 but no matter what I said, she was not going to let me restart without the $200. I refused and walked away from Herbal Magic with a VERY bad taste in my mouth. Was it the supplements.....or was it the service.....take your pick!!!!

As a former client I can tell you that the mandatory herbal supplements you mention above had two very noticeable impacts on me: decrease in appetite, increase in energy. This was not in my head. I know myself and my body. I can also tell you that the eating plan is lean protein, low-fat dairy, whole grains and tons of veggies and fruit. Healthy natural non-processed food. Lots of people I know with medical problems like diabetes and high blood pressure were able to get off their medication after following this plan. The year-long counselling and support is key. If people could easily do this on their own then no one would be overweight. As we all know, obesity is now an epidemic and kills people everyday.

I must ask a question about your downtrodden consumer, Stacy. Does she live in the real world? "They write the numbers down but they don't give you a breakdown of the cost." Do you know basic math? Do you have a calculator in your possession? If you couldn't figure that one out on your own then I would highly recommend never making ANY consumer purchase over $100 without parental guidance. They're very clear about the program fee and cost per bottle for the supplements. It does not take a math genius.

No surprise Stacy gained back the weight, considering the subject's lack of personal accountability. They give you a clear and simple plan on how to lose weight that is extremely effective. They give you a clear and simple plan on how to maintain it for the long-term. They hold your hand, give you encouragement, give you advice, and yes constructive criticism when you need it. For a WHOLE YEAR. If, after all that, you gain your weight back, you have no one to blame BUT YOURSELF. If you shove sugar, salt and fat into your body you will gain it back.

Is there such a thing as personal responsibility and accountablity anymore? Is it okay to constantly blame others for your own shortcomings and lack of self control? And who else but the CBC would be there to molly coddle this woman along. Anything for contraversy.

Glad to see someone got to the bottom of this. Kudos for that. As for Stacey, don't feel selfish. You were doing this for your self.