So, MMOzians, I have a quandary that I seek your expert experience in!
My partner has started to take a homeopathic solution to assist with weight loss. The program has her taking 10 drops a day of this substance and keeping her calorie intake down to 500 per day. Now, being a scientist, I know this means its basically a starvation diet. This is not a thread about whether or not homeopathy works (it doesn't - the solution she's drinking is simply ionized water, and every scientific trial in history will show you homeopathy has a treatment success rate at or below the level of the placebo effect).
My quandary is simply whether I should let her continue in blissful ignorance and let the starvation diet do its work? I kind of want to explain to her the solution is doing nothing except costing me $150 a month, and that she can diet without it, but am acutely aware that if she becomes disillusioned with it she may not go through with the diet.
On the other hand, she has high expectations of the diet because a bunch of women at her work "swear by it" and each week compare how much they say the program helped them lose (although, honestly, looking exactly the same size they did a month ago). I've gently introduced her to the fact that different peoples bodies metabolize differently, etc, so not to be concerned if she doesn't drastically shed the pounds through her magic potion. However if the starvation diet really doesn't do anything for her then at some point I'm going to have to tell her why the miracle water isn't doing anything and then she might feel angry or foolish that I let her continue on it.
Finally, is it fair to let someone starve themselves under false pretenses? She's already convinced herself that the solution will stop her from feeling hungry however it won't. Shall I let her continue on the current path without knowledge and count on the diet and associated placebo effects to help her, or should I convince her that there are no shortcuts and healthier ways to lose weight (ie, moderate diet and exercise)?
UPDATE: For anyone new discovering the thread, I did talk to her - problem solved.