Everyone is talking about the foods that reverse the calories and fight fat. There is loads of information available on the Internet, on television and in your mail about people who have become thin in a short period of time by just eating these food supplements. The advertisements are designed to tap into your need to look good and at the same time offers a cure which is effortless. Most of the ads carry before and after pictures of men and women, we are likely to meet on the street, exhibiting their recently acquired toned bodies. Though one questions the veracity of these statements, there is always the niggling doubt that it could be true. So how does one verify these claims?

The fat burning supplements are often compared to fake cures that crooks used to market in early 20th century as an answer to all ills including hair loss and laziness.

What then is body fat? A small study about what is body fat will ensure that you don't lose money and will also tell you whether you will burn fat or not.

Fat contained in the food gets stored in the body as energy and an excess of this becomes fat unless this energy is used up by the body. Your body begins to store this excess body fat in primary areas starting with the stomach, legs, arms and buttocks. It gets distributed in these areas and once these areas get full up, it starts to store it, dangerously, in the secondary areas like the organs. Once these areas are also full, it goes back to storing in the stomach area and the cycle continues.

So you have to decide what the fat fighters will do for you. The marketing of these supplements is based on a variety of claims. Some of them are said to be nourishing while others cut your hunger pangs? Some others give you vim or resilience?

The first thing to do is to find out if the supplement is not harmful. A thumb rule is to avoid the supplements which tell you that you can eat whatever you want, whether it is chocolate, ice creams or fatty foods, and lose weight at the same time. It does not work quite that way. Even the herbal or natural supplements are not quite safe as an excess intake of a particular herb.

One cardinal rule: Fat reducer supplements are no magic wand. There is no substitute for a proper diet and exercise. Remember - no pain, no gain. You may combine the fat reducing supplements with a healthy diet and good exercise to be effective. Should you decide to do away with the fat reducing supplements, try to find a fat burning guide online? These give you structured instructions on how to reduce body fat. They are safer, more effective and you save a lot of money.