Obvi

Are you looking to lose a lot of weight in a short period of time? Then you might think Obvi is the obvious choice.

In ads for the company’s Collagenic Burn Elite supplement like the one above, satisfied customers give glowing testimonials on how they have lost weight thanks to the product. One happy customer said she is “down 51 pounds, and, like, a million inches, like, tons of inches,” thanks to Obvi. The company’s website also features numerous testimonials complete with impressive before-and-after images:

Obvi also claims its Collagenic Burn Elite supplement is “clinically proven to lower BMI and waist circumference” and that it will help you lose an average of 30 pounds in just 90 days. Not to mention, it even suggests that you can see results without a change in diet.

And if you’re skeptical that the product can help with your weight-loss goals, Obvi also offers a “90-day satisfaction guarantee” so you seemingly have nothing to lose (except for the weight, of course).

But you may be wondering, how does Obvi back up its weight-loss claims?

The ‘science’

Obvi claims its product is “science backed” but finding the purported science takes some digging as it is only available on its website through a small hyperlink buried on an offer page full of information.

There, Obvi links to a 2009 study testing just one of the Collagenic Burn Elite’s ingredients, GreenSelect Phytosome. Studies examining individual ingredients may not be adequate in terms of substantiation. Certain ingredients may not be as effective when mixed with other ingredients than they are on their own. And the dosage or delivery method of an ingredient tested in an ingredient study may not be the same as the dosage or delivery method of the ingredient in the advertised product. For example, Obvi’s ingredient label doesn’t specify how much GreenSelect Phytosome it contains, so it’s impossible to know if it’s the same dosage that was used in the study.

But even if the study did examine Obvi’s supplement, as opposed to just one of the ingredients in the product, there would be additional issues with Obvi using the study to substantiate its weight-loss claims.

For starters, each of the 100 participants involved in the study were put on a strict diet — 1,850 calories a day for men and 1,350 calories a day for women. For reference, the average American diet is around 3,864 calories a day. But Obvi claims the supplement can make your body an “efficient calorie burning machine without changing your diet.” Of note, according to the FTC’s “gut check” guidance on deceptive weight-loss claims, any marketer that says you will lose two pounds or more a week for a month or more without dieting or exercise – which is what Obvi’s claim of 30 pounds in 90 days breaks down to – is not being truthful.

Another issue? Despite the vast majority of Obvi’s testimonials featuring women, the research the company relies on only observed waistline reduction in men.

What about the other ingredients in the supplement?

According to Obvi, its product also contains “metabolism-boosting ingredients,” including five types of collagen and MCT oils. But the company doesn’t provide any studies regarding these ingredients (or how they interact with GreenSelect Phytosome), and sources report that more research is needed to determine if these ingredients can lead to weight loss.

Fake reviews

There are many impressive weight-loss stories showcased on Obvi’s website, but one of the most striking is a customer testimonial claiming the supplement helped them lose over 150 pounds. However, TINA.org found that the same woman appears in another section of the website – with a different name and a different weight-loss story.

So which one is the real review? Or are they both fakes?

The ‘guarantee’

If you find yourself down some money, but not any weight, you may be looking to make use of Obvi’s advertised 90-day satisfaction guarantee. However, the company discloses in fine print during checkout that all refunds must be pre-approved by calling the company, are subject to a 20 percent restocking fee, do not include any shipping costs and aren’t available to any customers outside of the U.S. A lot of caveats for a “no questions asked” policy.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, these refund restrictions have led to lots of frustrated consumers, according to reviews on TrustPilot (where the company has a 3.3 rating, despite advertising a 4.6 one), with some reporting not being able to get a refund at all:

Obvi did not respond to TINA.org’s request for comment.

The bottom line

Unfortunately, weight loss is often a hard and slow process. As the FTC has said, “Even for the most effective products, services, or programs, weight loss of more than a pound a week over a long period is unusual.” That means consumers should be wary of any products that claim you can lose a lot of weight in a short amount of time.

Consumers should also be careful when viewing claims made by a collagen supplement company, as the industry has faced allegations of misleading consumers on multiple fronts.

Find more of our coverage on weight-loss products.