Forget The Thigh Gap: How Informercials Fake Weight Loss Without Having To Use Photoshop [PHOTO]

Over the past few weeks, the "thigh gap" trend has gotten plenty of attention, with women feeling as though they are overweight if their upper thighs touch. Women are going to great lengths to achieve this gap, which is often unattainable for the average woman. There is really no way to fake a thigh gap -- either you have it, or you do not. But one thing that can be faked -- and often is -- revolves around weight loss in infomercials.

If you ever wondered how men and women look so fantastic in the "after" photos of fitness infomercials, you are not alone. Within thirty days, and sometimes even thirty minutes, fitness professionals show themselves and their clients going from drab to fab. Suddenly, they have ripped muscles, bulging biceps and a tanned physique. So how is that possible? And more importantly, is it real?

The creative team at PsychGuides is exposing the deception behind the infomercial industry. Often, consumers are deceived into thinking that losing weight and attaining an ideal body is possible in a matter of days, or hours. If some people are not able to look just like the professional in the "after" picture, they may think that something is wrong with them -- even though the people in the ads, quite often, make false claims and use tricks to make themselves appear more fit than they actually are.

In a project called "Weight Loss Fakers: Don't Believe Everything That You See," the PsychGuides team has gathered fitness pros to show how weight loss can easily be faked without having to use Photoshop.

Here is one fitness expert, Furious Pete, who took part in the project, clearly looking different in the ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos, which were taken five hours apart.

According to ‘Weight Loss Fakers,’ the way Furious Pete “lost” the weight is quite simple. In preparation of the ‘before’ photo, he ate a large quantity of food high in sodium, such as potato chips, in order to retain fluid. He also drank a 2-liter bottle of diet soda and chocolate milk afterward to cause extra bloating. Finally, in addition to sticking out his gut, he took the "before" photo in an unflattering light.

For the new and improved Furious Pete, he went to the gym, doing sets of bicep curls, triceps push-downs, and chest presses to increase his vascularity and make his veins pop. He also tanned himself to increase the definition of his muscles, and he put oil on his body to create a sheen before taking the photo in a more flattering light.

Personal trainer Melanie Ventura also showed how she can go from unfit to slim and trim in 15 minutes.

For additional examples of how infomercials can be deceiving, click here.

The pressure to lose weight is a constant in today’s society. Have you ever been misled by infomercials promoting weight loss? Take Psychguide's quiz on which people lost their weight legitimately and which are faking it here.