Herbalife is a worldwide nutrition, weight-loss and skincare company founded in 1980 by entrepreneur Mark Hughes. What began as a small door-to-door business run from the boot of his car grew into a multi-level marketing company—Los Angeles, Calfornia-based Herbalife Industries.

The company reported more than £2.5 billion in earnings for 2009.

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Pros of Taking Herbalife Products

Herbalife products are intended to help people maintain healthier lifestyles. The weight-loss plans are fairly simple to follow and offer a variety of shakes and meal replacements to cater to each individual's taste. The shakes, protein bars, snacks and supplements are easy to take with you on the go. The careful monitoring of your fat and caloric intake help retrain you on how to eat and live better.

  • Herbalife products are intended to help people maintain healthier lifestyles.
  • The weight-loss plans are fairly simple to follow and offer a variety of shakes and meal replacements to cater to each individual's taste.
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Cons of Taking Products

Herbalife weight-loss supplements have not been scientifically proven to cause weight loss.

The products sold by Herbalife International representatives can be very expensive. Products with the same ingredients may be purchased at significantly lower prices at health food stores.

While the weight-loss program plans provide healthy alternatives to unhealthy eating patterns, there simply isn't enough scientific evidence to support the claims that taking Herbalife will make you lose weight.

  • The products sold by Herbalife International representatives can be very expensive.
  • While the weight-loss program plans provide healthy alternatives to unhealthy eating patterns, there simply isn't enough scientific evidence to support the claims that taking Herbalife will make you lose weight.

In the past, some Herbalife weight-loss supplements contained the dangerous appetite suppressant ephedrine. Although the products no longer contain this ingredient, a scientific study was started in 2007 by doctors at the University Hospital of Bern in Switzerland and the liver unit of the Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center in Israel to determine if a correlation exists between use of Herbalife products and development hepatitis.

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Pros of Selling Herbalife Products

Starting your own Herbalife company is a relatively easy feat. With low start-up costs around £70 for the standard opportunity pack or £50 or so for the mini-pack, the initial venture into the organisation represents minimal risks. Herbalife allows you to sell at your own pace and set your own hours. The opportunity to work from home may allow you to spend more time with family and friends.

  • Starting your own Herbalife company is a relatively easy feat.
  • With low start-up costs around £70 for the standard opportunity pack or £50 or so for the mini-pack, the initial venture into the organisation represents minimal risks.

No prior sales experience is required to become a successful advocate for the company.

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Cons of selling Herbalife Products

Many people claim that Herbalife is a scam and that very few people can make a sustainable living by selling the products. While the initial start-up fee is low, critics assert that sponsors exert exorbitant pressure to purchase a large quantity of costly merchandise—under the illusion that your business will be so profitable over the next two or three months that the products you purchase for thousands of dollars will be flying off your shelves.

In 2004, a lawsuit seeking class action status—filed on behalf of 8,700 former and current distributors as of that time—alleged that the company was merely a pyramid scheme. In the settlement that was reached, Herbalife International Inc. and a group of its top-earning distributors agreed—without admitting wrongdoing—to pay £3 million to the plaintiffs.

  • Many people claim that Herbalife is a scam and that very few people can make a sustainable living by selling the products.
  • In 2004, a lawsuit seeking class action status—filed on behalf of 8,700 former and current distributors as of that time—alleged that the company was merely a pyramid scheme.
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Conclusion

There are risks involved in taking any type of supplement or dietary product and risk in starting your own home-based business. Always read the fine print and be sure that you are fully informed before making these big decisions.