Tea as a magical weight-loss drink?

Over the years, many different types of teas have been purported to do the trick. Black teas, moldy teas, green & white teas, and now, oolong and Wuyi Mountain teas. Maybe it does work for a variety of reasons, and maybe it's just a bunch of lies along the same lines as the slimming/lengthening/strengthening supplements sold on late-night TV.

But I do have a friend that has a great explanation, and he would know because he imports tons of weight-loss tea. His explanation is simple: the tea has little if any effect, the Pomelo leaves that are added to it do. Pomelo leaves and their extract have been used as a natural laxative for a long time. He jokingly said to me that people who drink that tea and don't lose weight have a serious problem, as the more tea you drink, the more you potty and the more weight you lose.  It's quite simple.  The ingredients are even listed right there on the box!

You can check the package of dieter's tea in your local store and see what additives they've put in.  I can't comment on whether or not plain old black, green or oolong tea has any significant, lab-proven effect on weight-loss, but Pomelo leaves sure do.