Why gamble your health on TikTok’s dubious, pricey weight-loss supplements?

When 27-year-old Vo Thi Ngoc Ngan, also known as Ngan 98, was detained earlier this week for allegedly selling counterfeit weight loss supplements, colleagues at my company began to discuss past scandalous videos on hot-loss drugs, and dietary candies that have entangled other influencers in similar investigations.

Vo Thi Ngoc Ngan, also known as Ngan 98, poses for a photo. Photo from DJ Ngan 98's Facebook page

How many more alarms must ring to awaken those who, out of naivety or blind faith, have risked their health for quick weight-loss promises?

I have counseled many relatives and friends to exercise and jog instead of trusting "rapid weight loss pills," but they often ignore my advice.

The rapid weight loss schemes have captured the attention of many in recent years. The appeal of a perfect physique, coupled with a desire for instant beauty and aversion to exercise, has transformed dubious pills into a "miracle" that many gamble their health to believe in.

The legal repercussions for these fake products are unsurprising: merely a matter of when, not if.

In the case of Ngan, the critical question is: how can people place trust in someone without medical qualifications to buy weight-loss supplement packages priced up to VND1.1 million each?

Many, fearing obesity, place faith in "vegetable collagen" claimed to burn fat or in images of a beautiful woman flaunting an hourglass waist via TikTok filters, forgetting that weight loss demands discipline, not miracles from pills.

With walking shoes costing under VND1 million and daily commitment, safe and lasting weight-loss results are possible without pills. Yet, in today’s social media age, trust is swayed by beautiful faces.

In truth, weight loss is not hard. The real challenge is people’s resistance to lifestyle changes. They opt for pills over new habits, choosing weight-loss regimens and unchanged diets instead of 30 minutes of daily walks.

To lose weight, step away from phone screens and disregard weight loss ads. Put on walking shoes, go outside, exercise, and stay disciplined. Why do so many fail to do this?

*This opinion was translated into English with the assistance of AI. Readers’ views are personal and do not necessarily match VnExpress’ viewpoints.