Lisa Mullins works hard to stay in shape, but there was a time when the Avondale woman tried to take a shortcut.

"I think it is enticing. It's the microwave effect -- you want to have instant results," Mullins said.

Diet pills and weight loss products are a billion dollar business, and the ads are everywhere: "Lose weight the Australian way;" "Money back guarantee;" "More admiring looks."

But dieters shouldn't believe everything they read.

"It's not regulated by the FDA," said Nancee Vander Pluym, a nutritionist at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center.

Vander Pluym said there's no such thing as a magic pill to lose weight, and users need to know they're playing Russian roulette with their health.

"It is a myth that you can take something for a couple of days and it's going to increase your metabolism by 5 percent," she said.

"The only thing that tends to be lightened with people taking these types of products is their wallet," Vander Pluym said.

Medical awareness Web site WebMD.com lists the top five diet scams.

The first is metabolism-boosting or calorie-burning pills. The herbal ingredients promise to help burn fat faster, but experts say what they really do is raise blood pressure and increase chances of heart attack or stroke.

The second scam is fat and carbohydrate-blocking pills. The pills often make it difficult for the body to break down important nutrients, leading to diarrhea, bloating and gas.

The third top diet scam is herbal weight loss teas. The main ingredient in the teas is caffeine, which is a diuretic and leads to water loss. Dieticians say losing water is not the same as losing weight.

The fourth top scam, according to WebMD, is body wraps or slim suits, which are designed to lock body heat in and melt pounds away. Researchers say the only weight loss comes from sweating and it'll be gained back with the first drink.

The fifth top diet scam is the diet patch. Patches have become a popular means of helping people quit smoking, but experts say no effective weight loss drugs can be delivered through the skin. The patches contain the same ineffective herbs found in dietary supplements.

Mullins said she's determined to stay in shape the old-fashioned way: eating right with lots of exercise.

"I'm going to take the hard road, so we'll see what happens," Mullins said.