Chicago, Illinois, March 25, 2008. Recently, the federal government levied $25,000,000 in fines against 3 weight loss supplement manufacturers, including the highly publicized TrimSpa, featuring celebrity spokesperson, Anna Nicole Smith.

This shouldn't be a surprise.

Ms. Smith, who provided visible, physical evidence of the product's ability to help shed pounds, admitted to reporters over a year ago, that she lost much of the weight in ways other than ingestion of the TrimSpa product (Don't ask how she did it. It's not pleasant).

Beyond the appearance of results provided by Ms. Smith, the federal government looked deeper and found that little or no clinical evidence existed to support the TrimSpas weight loss claims.

TrimSpa, apparently, was a successful marketing ploy, rather than good science applied to an age old problem of excess weight.

Fortunately, there are companies out there that spend more on research, science and good weight loss product development, than on empty celebrity endorsements.

But, you need to know how to find them, and what to look for. Here are some guidelines for finding effective weight loss supplements:

#1 Look for a Product with claims substantiated by hard science

Many weight loss supplement manufacturers claim to be clinically-proven", to have documented results or to be backed by scientific research to sell their products. But you need to see the research yourself. If a manufacturer is unwilling to provide substantiation, run like the wind.

#2 Not all Clinical Research is the same

Look closely at the clinical studies provided by weight loss manufacturers. Was it conducted by a reputable, recognized institution, such as Georgetown University Medical Center, Harvard or other known organization? If the manufacturer provides study results that were conducted by unspecified persons, under vague conditions, question their product claims

#3 What happens in the manufacturing plant

This can be murky. While a manufacturer may have scientific studies, conducted at reputable institutions that substantiate their product claims, they may not be putting the right ingredient purity, quality grade or dosage to help you realize the same results achieve in clinical studies.

Effective weight loss ingredients are expensive. One way a manufacturer can goose profits, is to lower the amount of active ingredients, while benefiting from legitimate result claims.

To make sure you'll be getting the same product as used in clinical testing, is to look for quality manufacturing verification from independent organizations, such as USP (US Pharmacopoeia), NF or Consumer Labs. Look for one or more of their symbols on weight loss packaging. If it's missing, avoid buying the product.

Getting beyond the hype of questionable, but often convincing celebrity endorsements requires some homework on the consumers part. But by following these three guidelines, it is possible to find a weight loss supplement that actually works.