What would you say if we told you the 'before and after' photos that regularly grace the pages of your favourite magazines could easily be faked?
Yep, according to BuzzFeed's latest video, showing off your 'weight loss' in a photograph is as easy as adding a few shadows and changing your posture.
The result: a totally different body. Or so it would seem...
Four people were asked to take part in faking a 'before and after' shot.
The participants were photographed standing with their arms down by their sides, with their muscles relaxed. Flat lighting was used resulting in a lack of shadow and, as a result, an unflattering shot.
The foursome were then asked to adopt a 'power pose'. Photographers also changed the lighting to add shadows which defined the subjects' muscle tone.
After seeing the before and after shots, one participant said: "It kind of makes me want to do the power pose everywhere I go."
She added: "It makes me question all of the before and after weight loss pictures I've seen out there."
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Fitness trainer Andrew Dixon says that many companies will promote their miracle weight loss programs or products with a few simple manipulation techniques.
"The transformations are manipulated with Photoshop, professional lighting, postures to degrade or enhance their look, pro tans, sucking in or pushing out a bloated belly or flexing muscles vs. not flexing to obtain an optimal look.
"In my opinion, these photos are selling false or exaggerated promises of what 90 days, etc., of their program can achieve.
"Long-lasting results take years of consistency, hard work and dedication. Results that happen quickly are often temporary, and this is another factor that needs to be taken into account when looking at these transformations," he blogged on Huffington Post.