eight Loss uackery and Fads

Frances M. Berg Healthy Weight Journal

• Bee Pollen • Herbal Tea • Infomercials • Thigh Cream • "Fat Burning'' pill • Illegal Drug Claims • Voice of the Quack • Chromium Picolinate • Manchurian Mushroom Tea • How to Identify and Report Fraud CONTENTS

Guidelines for identification of quackery ...... 2

1. Voice of the Quack ...... 3

2. Creams, Patches and Aids ...... 7 Creams and lotions; Appetite patches; Appetite spray; Fiber cookies; Herbal teas

3. Gadgets ...... 10 CMP tables; Acupressure; Belts; Vacuuming fat; Body wraps; Heat 'melts fat'; Historic devices

4. Diet Pills ...... 13 Herbals as hoaxes?; Anti-cellulite; Bee pollen; Blockers; Fiber pills; Ephedrine; Chromium Picolinate

5. Themes, Schemes & Combos ...... 18 Herbal and "all natural"; Cellulite concepts; Spot reduction; Detoxifying the body; Lean people differ; Targeting the wlnerable; Combinations; Easy money; Pyramid schemes; Hit and run; Wealth building; Infomercials; Hypnosis

6. Slim Chance Awards ...... 25 Banned nonprescription drugs ...... 29 How to report fraud ...... 30 References ...... 31 Index ...... 32

WeightLoas Quackery and Fads. Second edition. Copyright 1994 1995. ISBN 0-918532-60-4. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part prohibited without publisher's written permission. Published by Healthy Weight Jouma~ 402 South 14th Street, Hettinger, ND 58639. TE: 701-567-2646; FAX: 701-567-2602. WEIGHT LOSS QUACKERYAND FRAUD Guidelines for identification FrancesM. Berg, M. S.

Fraudulent weight loss products and programs dentials. (Nutrition educators and registered dieti­ often rely on unscrupulous but persuasive combina­ tians are preferred. The science of nutrition is tions of message, program, ingredients, mystique taught only through college Home Economics and and method of availability. A weight loss product or related departments.) program may be fraudulent if it does one or more of • Fails to state risks or recommend a medical exam. the following: Ingredients Message • Uses unproven, bogus or potentially dangerous • Claims or implies a large, fast weight loss - often ingredients such as: dinitrophenol, spirulina, amino promised as easy, effortless, guaranteed or per­ acid supplements, glucomannan, human chorionic manent. (Recommended loss for most people is gonadotrophin hormone (HCG), diuretics, slim­ no more than two pounds per week.) ming teas, echinacia root, bee pollen, fennel, • Implies weight can be lost without restricting calo­ chickweed and starch blockers. (When its review ries or exercising, and discounts the benefits of process is complete, FDA is expected to approve exercise. only phenylpropanolamine, PPA.) • Uses typical quackery terms such as: miraculous, • Claims ingredients will block digestion or surround breakthrough, exclusive, secret, unique, ancient, calories, starches, carbohydrates or fats, and re­ accidental discovery, doctor developed. move them from the body. • Oaims to get rid of "cellulite." (Cellulite does not exist and reference to it is a red flag warning of Mystique fraud or misinformation.) • Encourages reliance on a guru figure who has the • Relies heavily on undocumented case histories, "ultimate answers." before and after photos, and testimonials by "sat­ • Grants mystical properties to certain foods or isfied customers" (who are often paid for ingredients. testimony which is written by the advertiser). • Bases plan on faddish ideas, such as food allergies, • Misuses medical or technical terms, refers to stud­ forbidden foods or "magic combinations" of foods. ies without giving complete references, claims • Declares that the established medical community is government approval. against this discovery and refuses to accept its • Professes to be a treatment for a wide range of miraculous benefits. ailments and nutritional deficiencies as well as for Method of availability weight loss. • Is sold by self-proclaimed health advisors or "nutri­ • Makes claims which are not stated on the label. tionists," often door-to-door, in "health food" Program stores, or a chiropractor's office. • Promotes a medically unsupervised diet of less • Distributes through hard-sell mail order advertise­ than 1000 calories per day. ments, television informericals, or ads which list • Diagnoses nutrient deficiencies with computer­ only an 800 number without an address, indicating scored questionnaire and prescribes vitamins and possible Postal Service action against the com­ supplements (rather than a balanced diet). Rec­ pany. ommends them in excess of 100% of • Demands large advance payments or long-term Recommended Dietary Allowance. contracts. (Payment should be pay-as-you-go, or • Requires special foods purchased from the com­ refundable.) pany rather than conventional foods. • Uses high pressure sales tactics, one-time-only • Promotes aids and devices such as: body wraps, deals, or recruitment for a pyramid sales organiza­ sauna belts, electronic muscle stimulators, passive tion. Displays prominent money-back guarantee. motion tables, ear stapling, aromatherapy, appe­ (A common complaint against these companies is tite patches and acupuncture. that they do not honor their guarantees). • Promotes a nutritional plan without relying on at Berg F, Weight Loss Fraud and Quackery. Healthy least one author or counselor with nutrition ere- Weight Journal/Obesity & Health 1990;4:9:71.

2 WEIGHT Loss QUACKERY .AND FADS HEALTHY WEIGHT JOURNAL 1. Voice of the quack

he voice of the quack is seductive, smoothly eliminate fat and calories from the system in a short time. pitched to charm money out of vulnerable men, Weight loss fraud covers the spectrum in a surprisingly T women and children. 1 broad field. Because of our First Amendment rights, con What counts is not the product, but the illusion cre­ artists are free to give false testimony against science, ated around the product. The strong advertising message medicine and reason. They take full advantage of this is beamed out to customers through newspapers, maga­ freedom, and today are challenging regulation and truth­ zines, radio, television and through the mails. Radio and ful disclosure at every federal level, in Congress, the Food television talk show hosts willingly provide free and lu­ and Drug Administration FDA and the National Insti­ crative publicity for interesting new fads. tutes of Health which has a new division called the Office The tainted genius in this is the huckster's ability to of Alternative Medicine that gives much credibility to write copy that sells, not the talent to design a product questionable claims. that delivers. In many cases, it's been shown that the Thus, it is naive to believe, as many do, that, "If it's in advertising copy is written first, with the product created . a book or magazine, it must be true." Or, "The govern­ later to fit the ad, or even no product at all. ment wouldn't let it be sold if it could be harmful." Or, Fraud thrives most when there is no good medical cure "If its expensive, it must be good." for a health problem. Science has yet to come up with an The voice of the quack is amazingly successful in its easy answer for weight loss, so obesity, like arthritis, can­ seduction. Money flows so fast that federal and state in­ cer and AIDS, is an ideal subject for quackery. vestigators can't keep up. For instance, in the 1989 Cho low Tea scam by Aus­ It works! tralian Peter Foster, the first five days of full-page news­ Weight loss appeals to the fringe industry because al­ paper advertising brought in $215,000, a figure known most anything works - or at least, it seems to work. only because authorities intercepted the mail. A unique property of weight is that, because of water "Weight loss fraud costs Americans between $10 bil­ loss, almost any change in eating shows up on the scale lion and $40 billion a year," estimates Ray Johnson, an as a weight change. Even without a planned decrease in assistant attorney general in Iowa's consumer protection eating, the person who is excited about a new weight loss division. effort tends to eat In a single nation- less sugar and starch. wide mailing out of i The voice of the quack is seductive, This drop in carbohy­ Iowa, Johnson found drate intake releases the pronioters of the smoothly pitched to charm money water from the cells, Nutralizer GH diet pill out of vulnerable men, women and children and the person "loses brought in $1.7 mil­ amazingly successful in its seduction. , weight." lion. Another company The explanation netted $250,000 from is that 1 gram of gly­ Iowans alone in six cogen a storage form of glucose binds 3 to 4 grams of months with diet pills costing $30 a bottle. water in the cells. This water is freed and excreted in the Con artists can simply place an ad and wait for the urine if the glycogen store is reduced. checks to roll in. With a return to normal eating, the cells rehydrate and weight returns to normal. Anything goes But, fortunately for the quack, this return to normal Getting into this market with a high-profit weight loss weight is easily blamed on the customer, and he or she scam is easy. Almost anything goes. The quack can choose is usually willing to accept the blame. So, because of this from teas, pills, wraps, gadgets and complex combina­ classic blame-the-victim scenario, people who are cheated tions, and promise they'll bum, block, flush, or otherwise in weight loss schemes seldom complain, even over the

flEAL771Y WEIGHT JOURNAL WEIGHT Loss QUACKERY AND F,ws 3 most outrageous and injury-causing scmns. On the talk show circuit Con artists promote themselves and their wares daily Who is vulnerable? in the media, often through free publicity on "news Who are the people who send these millions of dollars shows."3 to con artists? They're ordinary Americans who for one Modem quacks can be hard to spot They have a slick reason or another are unhappy with themselves or their image, professional, or guru-like. They use scientific jar­ appearance. gon, have glib answers for all questions and problems, Disproportionately, they may be poorly educated or and use high tech advertising methods. living in low-income communities. The elderly are often Favorite turf is the TV talk show. targeted. People who can least afford it are the most Talk show hosts often play to the ratings and right into widely exploited. the hands of quacks, giving credibility to ridiculous claims, Yet, it's a mistake to think only the unsophisticated and using their power in irresponsible ways. will fall for fraud. Ev- Preposterous eryone is vulnerable at claims are treated seri­ times. . i Weight loss appeals to the fringe industry ously, especially if they "Men and women in because almost anything works - are "new," startling, every part of the coun­ alarming and amusing. try, of all ages, back­ or at least it seems to work. , Skillfully the con grounds and educa- artist stirs the listener's tional levels, fall for the fears, egged on by the clever pitches of the health hucksters," writes syndicated talk show host: Ordinaryfood is dangerous,filled with columnist Syliva Porter. "All of us want to look better chemicals and pollutants. You can't trust your money-hun­ and younger, relieve a chronic ailment . . . or cure an gry doctor. The feds, especiallyFDA, are tryingto take away untreatable disease. "2 your freedom to buy the natural herbalproducts which hold The Mayo Clinic Health Letter in 1988 reported a the real secretto good health. Scientists are involvedin this study that showed people with college educations were vast conspiracy.So are hospitals,drug companiesand news even more likely to use unproven treatments than people reporters! with less education. Where else can a subject as dull as nutrition be such Because of the tremendous numbers of people want­ downright fun? The show pulls a passionate audience; ing to lose weight, the business of weight loss is extremely TV ratings soar. No one flips the channel. lucrative for the con artist. Nearly 65 million U.S. adults Then you are shown the magical solution and proof are trying to lose weight, ac.cording to the Calorie Con­ that your health or beauty problems can be easily solved trol Council, including perhaps 60 percent of all Ameri­ - just by sending in $39.95. can women. Both Phil Donahue and Oprah Wmfrey, as well as About one-third of Americans are overweight ac.cord­ most 1V talk show hosts of the sensational genre, have ing to the national NHANES III report, with obesity tar­ done their share in encouraging purveyors of geted as a serious health problem. pseudoscience on their shows, without balancing them Beyond this, thin is in. Our cultural ideals are cur­ with responsible authorities. rently so thin that many people of healthy weight are "Americans love hogwash," says Dr. Edward H. trying hard to lose. Many are so desperate they will try Rynerson, recently retired from Mayo Clinic. any extreme method they see advertised, "just in case" it is the· miracle they've been waiting for. And the ad as­ One step ahead of the law sures them that it is. Con artists have learned to stay one step ahead of the "People don't get immuni7.ed to weight loss gimmicks," law by moving from state to state, changing corporate saysJohn Renner, M.D., director of the National Coun­ names, or shuffling ownership to relatives or friends. cil Against Health Fraud Resource Center in Kansas City, Three federal agencies are responsible for policing Mo. "Some people have [tried] over 30 such programs." health fraud: the FDA, the Federal Trade Commission Fraudulent and questionable weight loss products are FI'C, and the U.S. Postal Service. Under the Federal widely available in health food stores and many chiro­ Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, the FDA is responsible practors' offices, by mail and toll-free response to televi­ for dealing with drugs or devices that have been mar­ sion ads, infomercials and direct mail, and in door-to­ keted with false or misleading labels or exaggerated door sales by neighbors and friends. Unfortunately, ques­ medical claims. tionable weight loss products with deceptive claims are Advertis~g falls under FI'C regulation. Under FfC increasingly being sold also through chain drug stores law, marketers must have a reasonable basis for claiming and groceries. a product or plan will cause weight loss; any scientific support for the claims must be competently done and 4 WEIGHT Loss QUACKERY AND F.ADS HEALTHY WEIGHT JOURNAL fully support the claim; and testimonials must not falsely The entrepreneurial nature of vitamin and supplement represent that any particular weight loss reflects a typical sales works to discourage complaints. Sales persons are experience. often friends and neighbors who are drawn into get-rich­ The Postal Service regulates false advertisements and quick schemes. money marketers which operate through the mails. Pyramid plans abound, promoted through motivational Individual states also fight fraud through consumer sales meetings and high pressure tactics. Customers may fraud divisions in the attorney general's office. Among progress quickly from victim to "true believer" to pro­ the most active are California, Missouri, Texas, and Iowa. moter. "There is a plethora of what we believe are phony Food faddism and nutrition fraud are increasingly diet products on the market today," says Missouri Attor­ prevalent in the United States, says the 1988 Surgeon ney General William L. Webster. General's Nutrition and Health Report. Although there Because each state regulates its own deceptive prac­ are no reliable statistics, the report Says, "The practice of tices and advertising laws, fighting quacks state by state quackery now invades nearly every aspect of our lives." is a long, slow battle. "Every state has to re-invent the wheel by bringing its Quasi-religious own case against a product," says North Dakota assistant Curiously, the public mood seems oddly tuned in to a attorney general Tom Englehart. wider acceptance of the nutrition quackery message to­ But, "the No. 1 missing problem in regulation is. the day. Pseudoscience is having a come-back, some scien­ lack of consumer complaints. People are afraid, or tists warn. Newsweek reported in June 1995 that fully ashamed or say they don't have time," says John Renner, one-third of all Americans pursue some kind of alterna­ MD, director of the National Council Against Health tive care each year, in a Harvard study.4 Fraud Resource Center in Kansas City. Consumer com­ David G. Bromley of Virginia Commonwealth Univer­ plaints alert the agencies or states to problems and pro­ sity describes the multilevel marketing organizations also vide a reason to take action. called pyramid or network marketing as "quasi-religious." Most professionals are far too complacent about quack­ "Personal commitment and belief in the cause are more ery. They don't complain, and they don't encourage oth­ important than specific skills or prior experience . . . ers to complain, adds Renner. Once recruited, distributors form tight-knit networks of Evidently alarmed at the increase in nutrition quack­ true believers who are on a mission and who seek to ery, the American Dietetic Association in June 1995 is­ enlist others to their cause. Quasi-religious corporates sued a position paper on Food and Nutrition Misinfor­ usually have charismatic leaders, minimal bureaucracy, mation in which the group recogniz.es its responsibility to few rules and little hierarchy of authority. Their allure is take action. the promise to restore a naturally ordained order of "Misinformation about the role of nutrition in health prosperity and unity of life." abounds in our society. In this climate of misinformation, These companies encourage, and feed on, faith and nutrition-related misbeliefs, health fraud and quackery simplism, says Jack Raso in Nutrition Forum.' flourish," says the paper. It is ironic that their staunchest defenders, the true "It is the position of The American Dietetic Associa­ believers, are their victims. There is a small army of tion that food and nutrition misinformation has harmful people enmeshed in pyramid schemes, selling and pro­ effects on the health and economic status of consumers. moting worthless products, small-time entrepreneurs who Qualified nutrition practitioners in health care, academia, have a lot invested in keeping up their beliefs in the public health, and the food industry will ... actively con­ product and company. front food and nutrition misinformation." ADA urges members to get involved and help "expose Conspiracy theories emerging misinformation, misbeliefs, frauds, and quack­ The view that the medical community is persecuting ery before they are widely accepted." vitamin and supplement dealers is promoted by Julian Advertising is the key to the success of quackery. M. Whitaker, M.D., who bills himself as "America's #1 Every person who thinks an advertisement is deceptive Health Advocate" in the tabloid Health & Wellness To­ should contact the television station or newspaper and day. ask them to remove it, says Don Aird, FDA regional "Drug companies and the FDA conspire against your consumer affairs officer in Minneapolis. They should also health! Natural vitamins never hurt anyone. But the FDA contact their state attorney general's office and the re­ forbids vitamin makers and health food stores to tell you gional FDA about them. When they've tried, FDA storm troopers "It's important to get these products out of the media have broken down their doors, confiscated their products - off the TV and out of the newspapers and magazines," and put them out of business," writes Whitaker. he says. "[We'll] never get rid of all these products, but "The government may be your worst enemy of all. they'll die without advertising." Congress and the FDA have actually tried to make it a HEALTHY WEIGHT JOURNAL WEIGHT Loss QUACKERY AND FADS 5 crime for vitamin makers and health food stores to tell or exercising, and discounts the benefits of exercise. you the truth about these amazing new therapies. "6 • Uses typical quackery terms such as: miraculous, Many questionable weight loss remedies are labelled breakthrough, exclusive, secret, uni.que, ancient, acci­ as homeopathic and marketed through the mail and health dental discovery, doctor developed. food stores. • Claims to get rid of "cellulite." Cellulite does not Curiously, in a political sense, the new high-tech nutri­ exist and reference to it is a red flag warning of fraud tion misinformation is firmly rooted both in the far right or misinformation. with its paranoia about government conspiracies, and the • Relies heavily on undocumented case histories, be­ educated liberal left with its New Age "holistic" mind fore and after photos, and testimonials by "satisfied set.' customers" who are often paid for testimony written by the advertiser . Definitions • Misuses medical or technical terms, refers to studies Nutrition misinformation is defined by the American without giving complete references, claims govern­ Dietetics Association as "erroneous facts or misinterpre­ ment approval. tation of nutrition food and science ... [often) used to • Professes treatment is for a wide range of ailments fuel food faddism, quackery, or health fraud." and nutritional deficiencies as well as for weight loss. Food fads involve "unreasonable and exaggerated be­ • Diagnoses nutrient deficiencies with computer-scored liefs that special attnbutes of a particular food may cure questionnaire and prescribes vitamins and supple­ disease, that certain foods should be eliminated from the ments rather than a balanced diet . Recommends diet because they are harmful, and that certain foods supplements in excess of 100 percent of Recommended convey unique health benefits." Dietary Allowances. Food quackery is "the promotion for profit of special • Promotes aids and devices such as: body wraps, sauna foods, products, processes, or appliances with false or belts, electronic muscle stimulators, passive motion misleading health or therapeutic claims." tables, ear stapling, aromatherapy, appetite patches Healthfraud involves both food faddism and quackery, and acupuncture. but it is always deliberate and done for gain. • Uses unproven, bogus or potentially dangerous ingre­ A quack is the person who pretends to have medical or dients such as: dinitrophenol, spirulina, amino acid nutritional knowledge and special foods, products, pro­ supplements, glucomannan, human chorionic gona­ cesses, or appliances with false or misleading claims, dotrophin hormone HCG , diuretics, slimming teas, usually for personal gain, according to the Surgeon echinacia root, bee pollen, fennel and chickweed. General's Report on Nutrition and Health. When its review process is complete, FDA is ex­ In this report, con artists are regarded as the kingpins, pected to approve only phenylpropanolamine, PPA. the quacks who instigate fraudulent schemes and gain the most from them. Quacks may be at any level - as • Claims ingredients will block digestion or surround high level con artists, or as lowly foot soldiers who sell calories, starches, carbohydrates or fats, and remove the product door-to-door, drawn into the network by a them from the body. desire to go into business for themselves. At the lowest • Encourages reliance on a guru figure who alone has levels, quacks are often true believers- believers in their the true answers. own quack messages - both victimizers and victims, much • Grants mystical properties to certain foods or ingre­ like their own best customers. 8 dients. • Bases plan on faddish ideas, such as food allergies, Identifying fraud and quackery forbidden foods or "magic combinations" of foods. How can fraud be identified? • Declares that the established medical community and Often the label is a key. If claims made for the regulatory agencies are against this discovery and product are not listed on its label they are probably rejects its miraculous benefits. untrue or illegal. • Is sold by self-proclaimed health advisors, nonlicensed Fraudulent weight loss products and programs can "nutritionists" or "nutrition counsellors" through often be identified by their unscrupulous but persuasive health· food stores, chiropractor offices, infomercials, combinations of message, program, ingredients, mys­ or door-to-door sales. Degrees from diploma mills tique and method of availability. Claimed credentials are further evidence of quackery. are often meaningless in this milieu where "nutrition­ • Markets through hard-sell mail order ads, or ads ists" are self-appointed and "doctorates" purchased by which list an 800 number without address, indicating mail-order from diploma mills. possible U.S. Postal Service action against the com­ A weight loss product or program may be fraudulent pany. if it uses one or more of the following techniques: • Uses high pressure sales tactics, one-time-only deals, • Implies weight can be lost without restricting calories or recruitment for a pyramid sales organiz.ation.9

6 WEIGHT Loss QUACKERY AND FADS EfEALTHY WEIGHT JOURNAL 2. Creams, patches& aids

reams, gels, toning lotions, and liquids for the areas where cellulite appears." FfC charged Revlon and bath touted to dissolve fat and "cellulite" are Charles Revson with unsubstantiated claims. always popular items in the con artist's medi­ C cine show. A recent addition to this bag of Thigh cream tricks is "thigh cream," which was given an aura of re­ "No more thunder thighs," says one ad for Dream spectability when it was introduced at a scientific meet­ Cream. "This new patented fat reduction cream ing.1 Aminophyllin is AWESOME!" Thigh cream is an unfortunate story from a scientific point of view, but perhaps a marketer's dream. Creamsand lotions News about the a thigh-reducing miracle cream made ~ntially these are the same as common toiletry prod­ headlines when reported at the annual meeting of the ucts, says the FDA; most contain water, emollients, emul­ North American Association for the Study of Obesity sifying agents, preservatives, colors and fragrances. Some NAASO in the fall of 1993. also contain hot pepper capsicum which can cause the George A Bray, M.D., of Louisiana State University, skin to redden and tingle, helping to convince users this and Frank Greenway, M.D., of UCLA astounded col­ is no ordinary lotion, says the agency. Thigh cream con­ leagues with a study in which a teaspoon of the cream, tains a prescription medicine, but is being sold as a food containing a prescription asthma medication, used daily supplement to escape drug regulation. over a six-week period, reduced the thighs of 11 women A typical cellulite-reducing scheme is Faja Fantastica, by about half an inch. combining cream with a six-inch nylon-covered rubber Within hours, it seemed, "thigh cream" was a house­ belt. Purchasers could remove fat without cutting calo­ hold term across America. The media splash was quickly ries or exercising. All they had to do, was rub the cream followed by ready newspaper and magazine advertise­ in vigorously and wear the belt. Spanish Telemarketing ments, promising thinner thighs and smoother skin in a of Los Angeles was charged by the FfC for making these matter of weeks - no diet, no exercise needed. false and misleading claims in Spanish language televi­ The women in the study lost no weight, but their thigh sion commercials. fat was said to shift to other parts of the body. Fringe quackery with its steady haranguing of women This appears to be a leap of faith in view of the curious about their "unsightly thighs," paved the way for main­ fact that the Bray-Greenway report does not seem to line cosmetics companies to enter this market. provide any evidence of fat loss. The minimal thigh re­ Elizabeth Arden's New Cellulite Very Intensive Beauty ductions could as well have been water loss or due to Treatment is touted to "combat cellulite's 'spongy' ap­ other factors. pearance." It works to "help tone, firm the look of skin Most researchers couch their conclusions in probabil­ and help diminish the appearance of cellulite," and "help ity terms. But Greenway and Bray expressed no such smooth out the look of cellulite." qualms. Remarkably, they stated flatly in an abstract of Lancome's Body Expose, Cellulite "Relief' System, "vis­ the study published in the October 1993 edition of Obe­ ibly firms,tightens and tones cellulite-prone areas," "helps sity Research of which Bray is editor , that "2 percent tone-down the look of cellulite," and is "clinically proven aminophylline cream applied topically causes regional fat to provide visible results after just 30 days." loss from the thighs of women." But claims at the cosmetics counters can be hard-sell. Their four to six week studies are so brief as to be The New York City Consumer Affairs office says prod­ almost meaningless, and the half-inch difference in thigh ucts were misrepresented 36 percent of the time at the 14 size so slight as to be almost impossible to detect, accord­ cosmetic counters they investigated. A Lancome sales­ ing to Tufts UniversityDiet & Nutrition Letter.3 person informed them Durable Minceur would "flush cel­ Safety is another a question. While the two research­ lulite away." At Elizabeth Arden, sales people claimed ers claim safety and say the drug hasn't shown up in the their gel would firm and tighten fat, and at Emo Laszlo, bloodstream, pharmacologists warn that if the drug were "Exercise just reduces the fat but the fat cells stay here, absorbed into the blood, it could have a number of toxic so you need this to break them up and take them away." effects, including heart problems and convulsions. Revlon's UltimaII ProCollagenAnti-Cellulitebody com­ The asthma drug aminophylline relaxes smooth muscles plex was widely advertised to "reduce cellulite," reduce and is used to relieve constricted bronchial tubes in asthma the "skin's bumpy texture, ripples or slackness caused by attacks. Greenway and Bray say the drug relaxes muscles cellulite," and help "disperse toxins and excess water from by stimulating cells' beta receptors, which in tum causes

HEALTHY WEIGHT JOURNAL WEIGHT Loss QUACKERY AND FADS 7 them to release fat into the blood stream - to be stored The Appetoff diet patch kits sold for $30 each, a healthy elsewhere. mark-up on an estimated production cost of $3 per kit, In 1985, Bray and Greenway patented the idea for said FDA agents who investigated Meditrend Interna­ their topical cream. In 1987, after experimenting both tional of San Diego. Each kit contained 30 adhesive ban­ with a cream and injections of the asthma drug, they dage skin patches and a liquid promoted as suppressing published a study in Clinical Therapeutics that concluded hunger. "local fat reduction from the thigh can be safely accom­ One marketer declared the diet drops were to be placed plished." on the pericardium-6 acupuncture point "two finger Six months before the NAASO conference the two men breadths above the junction of your wrist and palm on sold the concept of their "thigh-reducing" cream to the palm side of your arm." Herbalife, according to Tufts. Herbalife jumped into the In their first five months Meditrend International of market with Thermojetics Body Toning Cream $34.75 San Diego, Calif., reportedly grossed $13 million on ap­ for a 4.2 ounce tube to add to their popular Thermojetics petite patches alone. line. The Meditrend Appetoff scheme was foiled when $26 The two also licensed their own formula to be mar­ million worth of kits and related products were seiz.ed keted under the name "Smooth Contours." Nutri/System and destroyed from the firm and its suppliers by FDA is the exclusivedistributor of Smooth Contours and claims Another appetite patch plan, the MLM treatment, of - but doesn't provide evidence - that tests were done on Pocahontas, Ark., actively recruited salespeople through 70 women, says the Tufts letter. Tufts reports that Smooth low-priced investments. Kits were sold to customers for Contours contains only one-half percent aminophylline, $33 a month, but a distributor's kit cost only $43. not the 2 percent used in the research, and is sold as a FDA classified diet patches as drugs, stated they had cosmetic to avoid regulatory attention. not been approved for any use, and removed most from "It's disappointing that two well-respected and well­ the market.4 known researchers seem to have joined the snake oil caravan. And it's disillusioning that they used NAASO as Appetite spray their launching pad," wrote Kendra Rosencrans in the Appetite sprays are another herbal item designed to May/June 1994 issue of Healthy Weight Journal. seduce the would-be dieter. These sprays are often sold NAASO apologiz.edto its members, noting that at least in the slick, colorful mail-order catalogs from food supple­ the report should have included a disclosure of the scien­ ment companies, particularly those which are notable for tists' financial interest in their study. the great variety of questionable products and misinfor­ mation contained. 5 Appetite patches Using the slogan, '~ breath of fresh care," promoters of Place a drop or two of "appetite control solution" on Life Way's Slender-Mist assure buyers, "just a quick spray a bit of ga\17.e,affix it to your wrist at an "acupuncture" and the natural appetite suppressant ingredients of Slen­ point, and the appetite center of your brain will be der-Mist go to work immediately." biolelectrically depressed so you'll want less, you'll eat The five-inch spray tube, similar to a breath freshener, less, you'll lose weight. Or so the promoters of appetite comes in four flavors: chocolate, mint, lemon-lime and patches and diet patches claim. berry supreme. Snake-Oil on a Band-Aid is what the National Council The dieter is instructed to spray 15 minutes before Against Health Fraud calls this item. It's equal to putting each meal, and "any time you feel the urge to snack." "nothing on no place," since acupuncture points have not Claimed to be fast and effective, the liquid contains argi­ been found to exist, says NCAHF. nine, ornithine, lysine, glycine and phenylalanine. These A variety of skin patch kits for weight loss were a re­ ingredients are often claimed by food supplement pro­ cent fad. Most used an herbal or "100% natural" liquid moters to reduce hunger, promote vitality and rejuvenate to make the so-called contact with the accupuncture point. metabolism. Some of these were banned by FDA in 1992. Michael Regan, President Reagan's older son, made "The chocolate flavored spray just reminded me to headlines by advertising Eurotrym Diet Patches, by want a chocolate bar," says one purchaser. AmEuro Services International of Phoenix, in a 30-minute Appetite suppressant sprays containing PPA are also talk-show style television infomercial. Reagan wore a sold legally as an over-the-counter drug. Whether they patch on the show, but when told they were being mar­ are any more effective is an open question, while FDA keted illegally, he said he was hired as an actor and does continues to review the safety and effectiveness of PPA not use the patches. Dr. Keith Kenyon, a San Fernando Valley doctor, Fiber cookies claims to be the appetite control patch inventor. He says Fiber cookies as meal replacements soared briefly as they contain only a mix of natural substances and stimu­ the answer to a dieter's dilemma, or at least, the late the body. marketer's insatiable quest for cash. Many of these cook­ 8 WEIGHT Loss QlM.CKERY AND FADS HEALTHY WEIGHT JOURNAL ies make false and misleading claims, and some have · tional materials which make therapeutic claims, and to been faulted for the pyramid schemes involved in their withdraw and relabel subject to FDA review any exist­ sales.6 ing cookie stock. The company, which claimed 387 pri­ A Lifestyles cookie with two glasses of water is to mary distributors and 50,000 sub-distributors, said it will substitute for a meal. The cookies can "promote a fuller, introduce a new cookie with a new formulation. more satisfied feeling so that the hunger pangs often associated with dieting are, in many cases, avoided or Herbal teas minimired," according to ads for Lifestyles cookies. The Herbal diet teas, widely advertised for weight loss, often theme "The taste of success," by Lifestyles Diet Products contain large doses of stimulant laxatives which can cause suggests not only success for the dieter, but for the new severe reactions and even death due to chronic diarrhea salesperson, as well. Lifestyles cookies are actually high and electrolyte loss, warned the FDA Food Advisory in fat and sugar. Committee in June 1995. It recommended herbal teas be The Delta Fabulous Fiber Cookie from Delta Interna­ labeled with several warnings. tional of Southfield, Mich., is to be eaten along with the Of particular concern to FDA were reports of at least Delta Enhanced Formula pills. Dieters are instructed to four deaths in women who drank Laci Le Beau Super take three cookies a day with three glasses of water or Dieter's Tea. All died suddenly, and three of the four diet soda. Claims are that fewer calories from any food had cardiac effects. All used the tea at least several times the person does eat will be absorbed. Also "fiber purges a week. toxins from the body, gives a fuller feeling." While the Similar teas FDA studied were Trim-Maxx, 24-Hour literature suggests a menu plan, this is vague, and a risk Diet Tea, Ultra Slim Tea and Select Senna Leaf Tea. is that many dieters, notorious for going to extremes, Doz.ens of severe reactions to these herbal diet teas were may eat nothing but cookies. reported by California state health officials. Adverse ef­ Some companies call for new salespersons along with fects range from diarrhea, cramps, fainting and perma­ their promotions to customers. Delta cookie fliers say, nent loss of bowel function to death. "If you would like to set up a local sales route, see your The diet teas frequently contain the herbs senna, cas­ consultant to purchase at wholesale." Information is of­ cara, castor oil, buckthorn, aloe and rhubarb root, alone fered on becoming an "Independent Consultant." or in combination. These herbs are stimulant laxatives Another advertisement reads, "There are several other and are often used in over-the-counter laxatives - in even appetite suppressant cookies, but none can compare in smaller amounts, said FDA delicious taste and appetite control to the Sylvan Slim­ Since the teas are sold as foods, the exact amounts of mer ... two cookies take the place of one meal. Flavors: laxative in each tea is unknown, as are the effects of oatmeal raisin, chocolate, almond, peanut butter, coco­ mixing different laxative herbs. Dosage can vary widely nut, spice." with the amount of herb and the length of steeping time. The Phoenix International Marketing Corporation of Overdosing is all too easy. 7 Sparks, Nev., was ordered by the FDA to stop distribut­ ing its Phoenix Fiber Cookie, Phoenix Fizzie, Phoenix Mushroom tea . Nutritious Beverage and Phoenix Vitamins and Capsules. Manchurian or Kombucha mushroom tea is one of the FDA had notified the company that their products latest slimming schemes to hit the market. Advertised as violated federal laws and regulations because their pro­ a virtual cure-all for everything from weight loss to de­ motional materials made unsubstantiated medical claims toxification, to treating AIDS, cancer, arthritis, aging, that the products were useful for weight control, cardio­ cataracts, diabetes and headache, the homemade brew is vascular disease, colon cancer, diabetes and diverticulitis. not really made from a mushroom, but rather from the "Use of these products in lieu of medication prescribed fermentation of various yeasts and bacteria. The recipe by a physician could present serious adverse health con­ calls for a "starter" product similar to sourdough yeast sequences for some individuals," FDA said. starter to be mixed with tea and sugar and allowed to Tests conducted by the Mississippi attorney general's ferment in a warm place for one to two weeks. office found that the Phoenix cookie, part of a diet pro­ When a woman in northwest Iowa died and another gram in which dieters could "lose up to 14 pounds in 14 became sick after sipping the brew in April 1995, the days," contained twice the claimed 120 calories and five Iowa state health department issued a warning not to times the claimed amount of fat. drink the tea until a definite cause could be identified. 8 In addition, promotional leaflets claim the cookie "de­ The FDA investigated several other cases and added creases the amount of calories, fats, sugars, etc., that are a warning that mushroom tea may be harmful. 9 They normally absorbed" because it "speeds the elimination of noted that potential problems might come from toxins in digested foods" because of its fiber content. FDA said the starter fungus "mushroom" , or food spoilage in bac­ this is "contrary to fact." . terial growth such as staphylococcus or salmonella , or Phoenix International also agreed to recall all promo- the leaching of lead from the container.

HEALTHY WEIGHT JOURNAL WEIGHT Loss QUACKERY AND FADS 9 3. Gadgets

t may be tempting to believe one can reduce fat and CMP tables inches, build muscles, lose weight, or increase cardio­ Continuous passive motion CMP tables are another Ivascular fitness by using a modem mechanical device example of a legitimate therapeutic tool misapplied to­ that does the work.1 ward weight loss. But effortless exercise does no~ give exercise benefits, Developed in the 1940s to aid polio victims, passive according to FTC. The agency finds all such claims false. motion tables help increase joint flexibility and are useful Gadgets include muscle stimulators, passive motion following orthopedic surgery for joint replacement or liga­ tables, belts, body wraps, acupuncture, acupressure, and ment construction. heating and vacuum devices. The FTC defines a passive exercise machine as any motoriz.ed table, equipment or device that supports body Stimulating the flab weight and is capable of continuously moving isolated Health spas are promoting electrical devices for weight groups of muscles through a range of motion in a manner control, spot reducing, wrinkle removal and. "cellulite" requiring little or no effort. This includes toning tables removal, with no evidence that they are safe or effective, and motorized calisthenics tables. according to the FDA Cited are two Texas machines The agency says passive exercise machines operated called Body Trimmer and Total Control Potential hazards with little or no effort by the user do not reduce body fat include electrical shocks and bums, and FDA cautions in general or in any specific area, do not result in the loss that these devices should never be used over the heart or of inches, do not reduce body weight, do not help to tone brain, by pregnant women, or by people with heart prob­ or firm muscles, do not contribute to the breakdown or lems.2 removal of "cellulite," do not rid the body of fat inducing Another electric stimulator, Cell-U-Loss Body Toner, acid or other body wastes, and do not provide health or which looks like a small radio strapped over the offend­ physical fitness benefits comparable to benefits of rigor­ ing area, is said to massage away unsightly cellulite lumps, ous physical exercise. trim flabby bulges, and firm and tone curves: "Hundreds Here .are some of the claims commonly made about of vibrating fingers help dissolve cellulite ... all you do is CPM tables: relax!" ■ Lose inches. Spot reducing targets certain areas for Louise Fenner of FDA says the agency routinely or­ weight loss, such as thighs or arms and then concen­ ders the destruction of imported cellulite-reducing de­ trating movement on that area to lose inches. This is vices. Two seiz.ed Italian machines combined heating pad, impossible. "A CPM operator might measure a dozen stimulator and an iontophoresis device, and were claimed or so areas on your body and add up the inches lost," to help destroy thick fat deposits, reproportion the body, the Mayo Letter says. But the measurements could be and provide muscle benefits equal to nine hours of exer­ inaccurate. A tape measure held too tight or too loose cise. around your body can yield strikingly different results, The use of electrical muscle stimulators EMS in resulting in "inches lost." quackery is another instance in which a legitimate thera­ ■ Increase circulation. Studies show CPM cannot improve peutic tool is misapplied toward weight loss. circulation, the Mayo Letter says. Only active move­ An electrical muscle stimulator is a prescription medi­ ment increases circulation. It also is not an effective cal device, approved and regulated by FDA 3 way to lower blood pressure, nor to improve the efficie­ In an EMS therapy program, a dozen or more elec­ ncy of the heart or lungs. Aerobic exercise is the key trodes are attached to the skin over various muscle to cardiovascular conditioning. groups. A machine delivers a weak electrical current that ■ Remove cellulite. Cellulite is quack term for the fat on duplicates the nerve impulses that cause muscle contrac­ the hips, buttocks and thighs that "puckers like an tions. It is legitimately used in physical therapy to relax orange peel." This is simply fat, is no different from severe muscle spasms, increase the range of motion in fat anywhere else on the body. injured limbs, and re-educate muscles after periods of The idea of effort-free exercise has spawned a brisk disuse, such as after a cast is removed. business and in recent years the tables have gained great Any claims that an EMS can increase muscle, decrease popularity at health clubs, spas, tanning salons and weight fat, or add health benefits for the general public are false. loss and fitness centers. The FTC charged makers of Slender You passive exer­ cise tables, with making false and deceptive claims that

10 WEIGHT Loss QUACKERY AND FADS HEALTHY WEIGHT JOURNAL the tables remove or eliminate "cellulite" or any other · ach muscles. form of subcutaneous body fat, and that it flushes out or The appeal is to an easy exercise solution: "Our inch contributes to the removal of toxic waste or any other loss program is reshaping old ideas about exercise. You know bodily waste. All such claims are false and misleading, traditional forms of exercise leave you tired, aching and says the FfC, and it ordered Slender You to cease and fatigued. But the Slender You program actually energizes desist.4 your body and leaves you feeling great! . .. No sweat. No Slender You claims called false and misleading by FfC strain. No kidding!" are that it: In marketing to centers and spas Slender You has a ■ Reduces or helps reduce overall body fat or body fat strong appeal in profitability: "Most Slender You Figure in any particular body area; Salons report a full return on investment within six months. ■ Results in or contributes to inch loss, weight loss or the And more than double their money in profit by the end of reduction of any particular part of the body; the first year. The machines assure your success ... Work(s) ■ Tones or firms human tissue including muscle; wonders for your cash flow, because it works wonders for ■ Removes or eliminates cellulite or any other form of your customers. Each machine can handle six customers subcutaneous body fat; per hour, 12 or more hours a day. " ■ Flushes out or contributes to the removal of fat induc­ Other health claims for CMP tables - refuted in the ing acid waste, toxic waste or any other bodily waste Mayo Clinic Nutrition Letter - are that they improve from an individual's body system; circulation, lower blood pressure and increase the effi­ ■ Provides health or physical fitness benefits similar or ciency of the heart and lungs. Aerobic exercise is the key superior to rigorous forms of exercise. to cardiovascular conditioning, says the Letter. 5• 6 All such claims are false and unsubstantiated, says FfC. Further, the cease and desist order prohibits Slender Acupressure You from representing consumer testimonials and en­ Acupressure devices for the ear are claimed to reduce dorsements as being typical when this is not true. appetite. One such is Acu-Stop 2000, a clear, teardrop­ Slender You made false and misleading claims on ra­ shaped plastic object, about the size of a hearing aid dio and television, and in newspapers and magazines dis­ $39.99. Instructions are to insert it in the right ear with tributed thorough the mail and across state lines, accord­ the "bumps" inside, apply "with light wiggling pressure ing to FfC. Typical of these statements are: for about 90 seconds," and wear it for 15 to 20 minutes • "Best of all, everyone loses inches!" six times a day or more "as necessary" to control appe­ • "Nearly everyone loses at least 10 inches in 13 weeks tite. The ads claim it will "control your hunger in a re- through repetition, markable new way, positive energy exer- without dieting, with­ cise." i Any claims that an EMS can increase out exercise . . . Lose • "Reduces excess fat mucsle, decrease fat, or add health benefits 30 pounds in 30 days!" on upper arms, mid­ for the general public are false. , Then comes the tan­ riff, waist." talizing clincher: "If • "It pumps surplus you lose too much oxygen into your system and rids the body of fat-in­ weight, discontinue use immediately." ducing acid waste." • "Each 60 minute Slender You workout approximates seven Belts hours of traditional exercise. " Gut Buster is a spring tension exercise device, sold Slender You advises twice-weekly sessions of 10 min­ through direct mail and print ads, including Parade Maga­ utes on each of six motorized tables. zine. The ads claimed the Gut Buster would "burn" stom­ A similar program, Inches Aweigh, claims benefits from ach fat, tone stomach muscles, flatten and trim the stom­ ten motorized tables in its "exercise room," ach, and was better than sit-ups in strengthening stomach Each table supposedly tones or reduces a specific part muscles. The FfC said these were false and unsubstan­ of the body. For example, the Waist, Tummy, Hip Table tiated claims, and they failed to disclose the spring-ten­ is said to gently raise and lower legs, helping to trim sion mechanism might break and injure the user. inches from the waist, stomach and hips, and giving ben­ efits equal to 900 back kicks. Similarly, the Leg Table, Vacuuming fat worth "a two-mile walk," moves legs in a circular motion A vacuum cleaner-type device, Jet Trim is popular in claimed to slim the entire leg area, especially inner thighs beauty salons and spas. It includes a 20-minute treatment and "saddle bag" outer thighs. The Sandbag Table is ad­ with hose and nozzle which supposedly moves cellulite vertised as a gentle, rhythmic action that "breaks down beneath the skin, dispersing and "sloughing it off' the 'cellulite' on hips and thighs for tighter, smoother skin tone," body. The Oklahoma City Jet Trim Cellulite program as well as firming flabby buttocks, and strengthening stom- includes 10 massage sessions. HEALTHY WEIGHT JOURNAL WEIGHT Loss QUACKERY AND FADS 11 Body wraps invented by a Little Rock, Ark, optometrist named Dr. John Miller. The two-toned glasses, with one blue lens, Body wraps are also popular in weight loss centers and spas. Some are simply plastic wrap; others incorporate one brown lens, claimed that these tinted lenses created "a very low-level confusion in the subconscious" causing seaweed, spices or aroma therapy. Inches Aweigh centers use a weekly body wrap treat­ the wearer to reject food. Sold for $19.95, the glasses were to be worn two hours a day, in the morning and ment on their clients. Dressed in a two-piece bathing suit, the person is first measured and rubbed with anti­ afternoon but, strangely enough, not during meals. cellulite lotion, then wrapped tightly from toe to chin Labeling them unapproved medical devices, the FDA with six-inch wide plastic wrap, similar to kitchen wrap. seized 652 pairs of the glasses in 1982. After an hour the wrap is removed, and smaller mea­ The Relaxacisor, circa 1955, is one of a long series of surements "prove" that fat has already begun to move gadgets promoted to tone up the body and trim off bulges. out of the system. The person is shown to be inches Nemectron, seized by the FDA in 1959, was claimed to smaller, after adding up losses from 18 sites, perhaps in be effective in toning the body, removing deposits of fat, the same way a rubber band around the wrist makes a and rejuvenating the body - plus effecting many other temporary indentation. benefits for nerves, glands and brains. Among other remedies for reducing fat are loofah The Slimnonics ElectroBody Toner is a "Doctor-proven sponges, cactus fiber washcloths, horsehair mitts, brushes, reducer for people who claim they can never lose weight rollers, massagers and rubberized pants. with diets! Average loss in clinical obesity study is 26 pounds, in just 30 days!" To use it, simply attach the pads, turn up the pulse, adjust the controls for rhythm Heat 'melts fat' and intensity, and read, sleep, visit or watch TV. The heat from sauna beds, belts and suits is said to Another toner is the Cell-U-LossBody Toner, in which melt away offending cellulite. One hot air device "emits hundreds of vibrating fingers are purported to "dissolve a controlled flow of high pressure warm air through a cellulite and flabby muscle on tummy, thighs, rear and special nozzle. Air is expertly applied to areas of the hips." Worn like a belt, the Cell-U-Loss Body Toner is body containing excess cellules (sic). The technique harm­ placed over the spot you want to tone and can be ad­ lessly dissolves unwanted fat from the tissues for subse­ justed up to 2,000 pulses per minute .. quent elimination through natural bodily functions ... The 1953 Ozonator imparts electrical discharges to There is also the added advantage of spot reducing spe­ make one more active physically, as well as being effec­ cific areas of the body which are difficult to treat by other tive in "all kinds of ailments and diseases." methods." 7 Charles T. Kuntzleman, EdD, an exercise physiologist F1gure-Tron in Spring Arbor, Mich., likens this gadget to "turning The Figure-Tronbody shaper, for which "electro pulse­ your blow dryer to its hot setting and directing the air to pads" are attached to "any bulging problem area," allows the area of your body where you'd like to lose fat." the wearer to "literally dial in the figure of your dreams." In writing an opinion on Figure-Tronfor the U.S. Postal Historic devices Service in 1983, William McArdle, PhD, of the Labora­ If you want to slenderize the easy way, you might try tory of Applied Physiology, City University of New York, a jolt from the Magnetic Belt, or maybe you'd prefer the said that to achieve the equivalent of eight hours of ex­ "thousand tiny tingles" of a Figure-Tronbody shaper, for ercise in 15 minutes, as claimed, required the equivalent all the benefits of "10 miles of jogging lying flat on your of 32 liters of oxygen per minute. This is impossible, he back." If overeating is a problem, you can change this reported. with the Vision-Dieter two-tone glasses, which turn you In addition, there is "simply no scientific data to sup­ off to your favorite fattening foods.8 port the claim that such localized muscle stimulation can All these devices and more can be found at Robert provide the physiologic equivalent of either high speed McCoy's Museum of Questionable Medical Devices in running or a rather heroic number of sit-ups." As to Minneapolis, Minn. The museum, sponsored in part by weight-loss, McArdle said it would require 117 hours of the Minneapolis and St. Louis Offices of the FDA, fea­ continuous use to use one pound of fat, if the device did tures the collections of McCoy, items from the Bakken increase oxygen consumption; hence 15 minutes a day is Museum, the St. Louis Science Museum, and the Lindan essentially useless. He concluded the claims for Figure­ Historical Collection along with devices seized by FDA Tron were "highly deceptive and without scientific merit." through the years. It has been dubbed the "Quackery Don Aird, consumer affairs officer of the FDA's Min­ Hall of Fame." neapolis office says this is an important collection that will help educate people not to be duped into believing Vision-Dieter glasses in quack devices that promise grandiose cures.9 On display at the museum are Vision-Dieter glasses,

12 WEIGHT Loss QUACKERY AND FADS HEALTHY WEIGHT JOURNAL 4. Diet Pills

Eye of newt, and toe of frog crease appetite, improve function of thyroid and pituitary Wool of bat and tongue of dog. glands, help remove toxins and cleanse the system, and - from Shakespeare'sMacbeth energize a sluggish body chickweed, chia, fennel, iet pills, especially so-called "natural" and herbal seawrack, hawthorn, dandelion, kelp, burdock, licorice remedies sold as food supplements, make up the and enchinacea .3 Dbulk of questionable diet products on the market Three weight loss products in another catalog include today. the Grapefruit Diet Plan on which "many people tell us False and misleading drug claims are often made, yet the they generally lose 3 to 5 pounds per week... they still label identifies the pills only as food supplements. Often enjoy three meals a day; Kelp, Lecithin, B-6, "all with herbal products have strong drug or toxic effects, especially Cider Vinegar, Nature's Fat Fighting Ingredients"; and hazardous because they vary in potency. Bromelain,which when "taken at mealtime helps to break down and digest the food we eat ... shown to effectively Herbalsas hoaxes? burn off fat ... without this action the fat is just stored Touted as all natural, or 100% natural, herbals are sold as fatty tissue."4 to the hapless customer in seemingly infinite variations.1• 2 A pill called Diet Systems 2001 is touted as an amazing Natural remedies containing as many as 23 different new diet breakthrough that "helps you lose fat fast." It is herbs, a potent prescription drug, bits of tiger bone, male claimed to dissolve "cellulite" naturally, tum fat into mouse droppings and a dash of lead and cadmium have energy, tone and firm muscle tissue, and lower choles­ been examined by the FDA terol. Ads say there is no need to bother with "torturous FDA says many cases of illness have been reported exercise" or resisting foods; you can eat all you want of from herbal products, and some people have died. How­ favorite foods and "within minutes your body's fat cells ever, the agency takes action against herbals only on a will virtually begin shrinking ... You cannot fail." Claims case-by-casebasis, and usually only after injury complaints. are made for losses of 6 pounds in 24 hours, 9 pounds in "Keeping track of herbs is an impossible task," says 72 hours, 26 pounds in 7 weeks and two dress sires in 7 FDA's Sam Page, natural products chemist. "Herbs are days. sold at a multitude of small outlets." A diet pill called Martrim,widely advertised in maga­ FDA allows herbal products to be sold as foods even zines, is claimed to cause rapid weight loss and keep it though they may have strong drug effects, charges the off permanently, without change of diet or exercise. Ac­ American Medical Association. As foods they evade drug cording to drug claims made, the product alters diges­ requirements for standard quality, effectiveness and safety. tion, blocks the absorption of calories, and blocks the Herbal supplement catalogs are filled with advertise­ absorption of sugar. Eat "all of your favorite foods, as ments not only for weight loss, but also for treatment of much as you wish ... within hours your body's fat cells stomach pain, high cholesterol, hay fever, sinus, bladder will start to shrink as Martrim neutrali7.es the calories in control, sleeplessness, leg cramps, muscle spasms, colds, these foods." hemorrhoids, eye strain, rheumatism, arthritis, constipa­ Ingredients are said to be 100 percent natural plant tion and diseases of the liver, bowel, blood, prostate and sources and herbs. One tablet is to be taken before each immune system. meal, but since it is "so effective," users are warned that It is incredible, say medical specialists, that products they may lose weight too fast. If this happens they are for such purposes, some of which may indeed contain not to allow themselves to become too thin, but to "sim­ potent drugs, can be labeled "foods," and thus avoid regu­ ply skip a day or two of use." lation. Before and after photos and testimonials are provided Among many claims made for herbal treatments for for two women and one man: loss of 87 pounds; 30 pounds weight loss are the following. in 30 days; down from size 12 to sire 5.5 One herbal catalog touts these products: Fenne~ "an Two herbal products, Herbal CelluliteTablets and Herbal excellent obesity fighter," Seawrack bladderwrack , "one Cellulite Cream, promise "thinner legs and a smoother of the best herbs to combat obesity . . . has a splendid behind." The pills are said to work from the inside to effect on glandular afflictions. Very satisfying results are dissolve unattractive fat bubbles and help free the fluid­ found,"_and Nettle Herb, "in combination with Seawrack filled cells; anc, the cream is smoothed on from the out­ will bring splendid results in weight loss." The herbs in­ side on "cellulite" to absorb and burn fat. The formula cluded are claimed to improve the digestive system, de- includes four ingredients the FDA has banned for weight control: Arginine, Methoinine, Choline and Inositol.6

HEALTHY WEIGHT JOURNAL WEIGHT Loss QUACKERY AND FADS 13 Anti-cellulite Bee pollen is called a "natural weight stabilizer." In Pills are a staple in the anti-cellulite industry. Herbalife combination with glucomannan and grapefruit powder it International marketed Cell-U-Loss until ordered by the packs a triple punch which "controls appetite," "regu­ California attorney general to cease claims it can elimi­ lates metabolism" and "bums fat." nate "cellulite," without proof. Herbalife bounced back An FDA paper warns there is no valid scientific or with Diet Disc, a "totally new concept in weight control" medical evidence that grapefruit pills are safe and effec­ which includes the Cell-U-1.oss supplement, but makes a tive for weight loss or any other medical purpose. 10 Simi­ careful claim it reduces inches and "the appearance of larly, there is "no evidence that glucomannan causes cellulite." 7 weight loss, and it is not approved by FDA for such use Promoters of pills often - or any other use." claim anti-cellulite effects Glucomannan is no "great along with numerous other i Often the products have strong drug or Oriental mystery," says miraculous results. Before toxic effects, especially hazardous becaus FDA It is made from a tu­ it was ordered off the mar­ ber plant grown for food they va,y in potency. ~ 11 ket in 1990, CalBan 3000 in Asia. was claimed to mobilize Truck drivers are specifi­ "fat, flab and cellulite," re- cally targeted by the pro­ duce appetite, and block calorie absorption in the small moters of bee pollen and intestine. related products. At truck stops across the country they FTC recently charged that anti-cellulite claims made are served meals on colorful plastic placemats which tout for Synchronal's Anuska products and pills are false and the healing powers of bee pollen. misleading, including that they can reduce or eliminate "Truck drivers and athletes, with their grueling hours cellulite, or the appearance of cellulite; and that through and hard work... buy our products by the thousands " their use thousands of women have reduced or elimi­ claim the brochures of one company, Bee-Sweet ~f nated cellulite. 8 Winston-Salem, NC. Truck stop marketing of bee pollen provides a clear example of how quacks circumvent the law. Bee pollen While bee pollen companies can promote false medi­ Belief in the mystical power of bees and honey can be cal claims in brochures and books, under freedom of the found in Greek mythology. Today bee pollen is promoted press, they cannot make such claims on product labels or as a virtual cure-all for a wide array of afflictions from accompanying literature. So even though truck stop excess weight and acne to cancer. The bee and honey placemats claim bee pollen can cure everything from connection is part of the "all-natural" mystique spun by obesity to atomic radiation, the bottle labels don't even con artists. 9 mention weight loss. The pills are simply labelled as food Bee pollen is claimed to be nature's most perfect food. supplements. Promoters describe over 80 separate afflictions "success­ '!be bee pollen brochures and placemats with drug fully" treated by bee pollen and related products like bee cla1D1sare, as required, placed in a slightly separate area propolis, royal jelly, honey and bee venom. These in­ from the product. clude obesity, colitis, nervous disorders, diarrhea, consti­ Most health food stores appear to be somewhat more pation, skin tumors, stomach ulcers, cancer, sore lips, cautious in stating drug claims close to the product, per­ nasal congestion, bums, infections, acne, herpes, wrinkles, haps because of closer surveillance from enforcement arthritis, allergies, coughs, hypertension, prostate inflam­ agencies. mation, and excessive x-ray and atomic radiation. One bee pollen testimonial says, "Since I've been tak­ Bee pollen is claimed by Dr. Kurt Donsbach in his ing High Desert, I lost 50 pounds, have not had the flu booklet Bee Pollen to "flush out impurities and toxins or even a cold, plus an incredible rejuvenation of body, that constantly pile up in capillaries from stress the tak- ' mind and spirit!" mg. of drugs, and the various pollutants of modem times." Bee Sweet's Grapefruit Diet advertisements urge over­ Says FDA, "There is no valid scientific evidence for w_eighttruck drivers to take one of its large, foul-smelling any therapeutic benefit from bee pollen." pills before each meal to lose weight. While bee pollen promoters claim it is "naturally safe," and "safe for any dieter," FDA warns that bee pollen is Another ad claims, "Our friends want to get started on hazardous for persons with allergies, asthma or hay fe­ your bee pollen as they see how much weight we have ver. lost - 56 pounds and 20 pounds - and how we are full of 12 Apparently bee pollen is just plant pollen, supposedly such energy!" taken from the feet of bees enroute to the hive. This puts Royal jelly, often advertised as a health enhancer or it high on the list of allergens for the 10 to 20 percent of for weight loss, apparently triggered severe asthma at­ people who suffer from allergies. tacks in 10 people, including one that recently killed an 14 WEIGHT Loss QUACKERY AND FADS HEALTHY WEIGHT JOURNAL 11-year-old Australian girl.13 product of this type, claimed to cause "automatic" weight Royal jelly is food for bee larvae secreted by worker loss by blocking fat absorption and decreasing the bees, and stimulates the development of larvae into queen appetite. When swallowed, guar gum was claimed to form bees. a gel in the stomach promoting feelings of fullness and Doctors from Alfred Hospital in Prahran, Victoria, blocking absorption. reported in the Medical Journal of Australia that they had Full page advertisements in newspapers across the linked the product to severe asthma and vomiting that nation claimed that Maxilite Fat Blocker diet pills could killed the 11-year-old girl. Toe attack struck 20 minutes "flush calories right out of the body." Princeton Labs of after she ate 500 milligrams of royal jelly. It also caused Las Vegas· claimed scientific studies had proven its severe asthma attacks in nine other people, the report effectiveness. However, when the U.S. Postal Inspection said. Service submitted the pills to a medical expert, they were The doctors said they tested four of the patients, who determined to be useless and the claims about weight all showed sensitivity to royal jelly in standard skin al­ loss false. Further, the scientific studies quoted had been lergy tests. Two patients who ingested royal jelly capsules conducted on ingredients not contained in the product JJ experienced severe asthma attacks within 30 minutes. "Royal jelly constitutes a major life-threatening risk to Sugar blockers patients with a known history of asthma or allergies re­ Extracts of Gymnema sylvestre, a plant grown in In­ lated to asthma," the Australian doctors warned. dia, are being heavily promoted through health food stores The report has prompted the Washington-based con­ as sugar blockers, claimed to cause weight loss by pre­ sumer group, Center for Science in the Public Interest, to venting sugar from being absorbed into the body. ask FDA to warn asthma sufferers to stay away from bee According to Purdue University's Varro E. Tyler, products. Ph.D., a leading authority on plant medicine, chewing Doctors and the FDA have reported numerous other the plant's leaves can prevent the taste sensation of cases where bee pollen or bee wax have caused asthma sweetness. But there is no reliable evidence that the attacks. chemicals they contain can block the absorption of sugar into the body or produce weight loss. Blockers Pills claimed to block calories or certain nutrients from Fiber pills being absorbed into the body are hardy perennials in the A raw carrot is better and besides fiber, you'll get weight loss fraud marketplace. 14 betacarotene, says Tufts University Diet & Nutrition Letter (Apr 1987) about the fiber pill craze.16 Starch blockers A sampling of these kinds of pills turns up Fibre Trim, During the early 1980s, "starch blockers" led the Fiber Full, Fiber Rich, Fibre Trim, Thinz Grapefruit & Fi­ field. They were said to contain an enzyme extracted from ber, for a start. Supposedly the fiber expands to fill the beans that could block the digestion of significant amounts stomach and intestines, thus curbing the appetite. of starch, so it would pass out of the body undigested. But Tufts points out there is no hard evidence that the it was soon revealed that, concentration of fiber into although the plant enzyme a pill cuts the appetite. may work in the test tube, Ii FDA warns that bee pollen is hazardous What's more, some of the the human body produces for persons with allergies, tablets are made of in­ more starch-digesting en­ soluble fiber found in cel­ asthma or hay fever. ~ zymes than these pills lulose, rather than the could possibly block., ac- soluble fiber believed to be cording to Stephen Barrett, M.D., author of The Health better at curbing the appetite. Also, human appetites are robbers:A Close Look at Quackery in America and other not necessarily affected by how full the stomach is, par­ books on health fraud. ticularly for restrained eaters.17 In 1982, the FDA received more than 100 reports of FfC has challenged the effectiveness of a number of abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting and other adverse fiber pills. A complaint against Fibre Trim says the claims reactions in users of "starch blockers." As the reports that it is an effective weight loss product and a high fiber poured .in, the agency took regulatory action and drove supplement are "false and misleading," most of these products from the marketplace. Also challenged are claims that Fibre Trim is an "ef­ fective appetite suppressant, weight control, weight loss Fat blockers or weight maintenance product," and that it "provides More recently, claims have been made for fat blockers. the health benefits associated with a fiber-rich diet or a One product now banned because of adverse reactions is high intake of dietary fiber from food." guar gum. Cal-Ban 3000 was the most widely advertised The FTC ordered the Schering Corp. to cease and HEALTHY WEIGHT JOURNAL WEIGHT Loss QUACKERY AND FADS 15 desist from claiming that Fiber Trim "provides any appe­ kola nut. The agency received more than 100 reports of tite suppressant, weight loss, weight control or weight illness associated with the product in 1994, as well as maintenance benefit." In addition, the company must stop several deaths. Reported reactions include serious, life­ claims that the "product provides any health benefit as­ threatening conditions such as irregular heartbeat, heart sociated with the intake of fiber." attack, stroke, seizues, hepatitis and psychosis. Also re­ Schering also must stop "misrepresenting, directly or ported are minor temporary conditions such as dizziness, by implication, a the amount of fiber contained in the headache and gastrointestinal distress. 21 product, whether described in quantitative or qualitative FDA and nonagency medical experts determined that terms; and b that the product is a high, rich, excellent or the combination of Ma huang and kola nut a source of superior source of fi- caffeine can cause ber, using those words severe injury to or words of similar • FDA received more than 100 reports people even under meaning." of illness associated with the ephedrine product conditions of usual or recommended in 1994. as well as several deaths.~ Ephedrine use. Ephedrine is sel- Diet pills contain- dom used now for its ing ephedrine can be extremely dangerous, especially when people overdose, as they often do when trying to legal use as a decongestant, says Gary Dewhirst, RPh, Hettinger, N.D. past president and chairman of the board lose weight.1a.19 Ephedrine is an amphetaine-like chemical that acts as of the North Dakota Pharmacy Association. It has too a stimulant. It is not an approved drug for weight loss, many severe reactions and unfortunate side effects, such and cannot be legally advertised or sold for this purpose. as heart damage, stroke or seizures, especially when However, promoters of ephedrine-based diet pills get abused, and it is often abused by "kids who want to feel around this in one of two ways. jumpy and hyper." Products containing ephedrine are often sold as food Dewhirst says the newer decongestant medications are supplements, and thus they escape drug regulation. much better. The new twist is that some diet pills containing ephed­ "Many companies have voluntarily taken their ephed­ rine are sold as decongestants a legal use of the drug rine products off the market because of the undesirable ephedrine, but have names like "Mini Thin," so diet side effects on the heart and the potential for abuse." conscious customers easily recognize them as weight loss The often-large doses taken to lose weight increase products. The promoters make no outright claims for them the risk of heart irregularities and damage. as diet pills, but the suggestion is clear. With ephedrine, serious complications are always pos­ Ephedrine is the main component of the Chinese herb sible. Any overdose is extremely risky and can start the ma huang, for which many illegal drug claims are made, heart racing, cause heart palpations and death. Yet over­ and many adverse effects have been reported to FDA dosing is common with diet pills.22 In March 1994, 10 teenagers were rushed to Texas emergency rooms with severe reactions to diet pills con­ Chromium Picolinate taining ephedrine. Ephedrine in diet pills was also be­ Chromium picolinate is the main ingredient in many lieved responsible for the heart attack death of an Austin weight loss products and muscle-building pills for ath­ woman one month later. letes. It is sold as a food supplement through direct mail, In Wisconsin, the death of a 30-year old woman was magazine ads, door-to-door sales and in fitness centers.23 attributed to cardiac arrythmia or a coronary heart at­ Supposedly, it helps reduce fat, build lean muscle, sup­ tack, brought on by ephedrine in over-the-counter diet press appetite and increase metabolism. pills, according to the toxicology report by the Wood "Lose unwanted fat while reshaping your body to a County Coroner. 20 leaner, trimmer, firmer physique!" is a typical claim. After at least 37 hospitalizations statewide and two Chromium picolinate has been the focus of a remark­ suspected deaths, Texas· Health Commissioner David ably successful, well-orchestrated campaign which began Smith in May 1994, temporarily banned a popular diet over a decade ago when a young chemist named Gary supplement containing ephedrine, Formula One, and pro­ Evans worked on the synthesis of zinc picolinate at the hibited the sale of ephedrine products to people under U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Re­ age 18. Nine states restrict ephedrine sales. search Center in Grand Forks, N.D. Toe synthetic pro­ Toe FDA is currently evaluating the safety of ephed­ cess for metal picolinates was patented by USDA and rine-containing diet products by several companies. leased to Nutrition 21, a California food supplement In May 1995 FDA issued a warning that consumers company. should not buy or ingest Nature's Nutrition Formula One After leaving the research center for Bemidji State products that contain both Ma huang ephedrine and College in Minnesota, Evans began researching and pro- 16 WEJGHT Loss QUACKERY AND FADS HEALTHY WEIGHT JOURNAL moting chromium picolinate as a fat-burner and muscle­ Here are some typical claims: builder, while Nutrition 21 aggressively promoted it to "Chromium Picolinate, along with our special blend of vitamin dealers and weight loss and fitness centers. herbs is a scientific breakthrough that is absolutely revo­ The many unsubstantiated claims for the compound lutionary! ... Originally developed in the nutrition labo­ apparently originate with Nutrition 21 in collaboration ratories of the U.S. Department of Agriculture ... Lose with Evans as "consultant." Ads make much of the fact unwanted fat while reshaping your body to a leaner, trim­ that chromium picolinate was developed in the nutrition mer, firmer physique ... Works by making your body laboratories of the USDA and is patented. Various stud­ more sensitive to the hormone insulin ... This improves ies are cited repeatedly. your metabolism so that your body relies more on using Scientistsat that same USDA research center in Grand stored fat and less on using stored proteins. The result is Forks finally in 1994 examined the claims being made for more muscle and less fat! . . . No dieting, no exercise chromium picolinate, especially that it improves muscle­ required. Just let it happen ... ·Act today. You have building and helps young men lose fat and weight. They nothing to lose except pounds and pounds of fat."27 · concluded it has no effect on building muscle, or reducing "Chromium has been processed out of many of our body fat, or changing body composition, or decreasing foods. And even when it is present, chromium is not easy weight, or incre~ing strength. to assimilate. It requires picolinic acid, to help it through Similar results were found in a study in Massachusetts, the intestinal wall into the bloodstream. Studies have where chromium picolinate supplementation was shown shown that chromium plays a key role in ... reducing fat to be ineffective in changing either body composition or through better appetite control and increased metabolic strength in nine weeks of intensive weight-lifting training rate, and building lean muscle."28 for 38 football players.24 "Unique new product combines chromium picolinate Evidently Nutrition 21 produces the compound and with an odorless garlic. Dramatically reduces body fat, sells it to large and small supplement companies, which lowers cholesterol, lowers elevated blood sugar levels in then bottle and market the pills under their own names. diabetes and builds lean muscle mass ... Metabolic rate Nutrition 21's hype of the product is quoted by compa­ is raised to bum off calories. "29 nies all down the line. Pyramid marketing schemes "University studies have identified CHROMIUM abound. (For information, contact: Nutrition 21, 1010 Tur­ PICOLINATE as a 'trigger' for fat loss _andlean muscle quoise St., San Diego, CA 92109, 1-800-343-3082). enhancement . . . Fat loss was dramatic . . . 200 micro­ Chromium picolinate has not been approved for weight grams taken daily caused a 22 percent fat loss in 6 weeks loss by the FDA, nor has the agency seen any data on the . . . Safe, essential nutrient. "30 claims being made, says Sharon Snider, FDA spokes­ "Controls hunger, especially sugar cravings... Spares woman. It appears the products are being marketed ille­ protein, stimulates metabolism. Chromium Picolinate pro­ gally. No non-prescription drug is currently approved by motes efficient metabolism by aiding the thermogenic FDA for weight loss, Snider points out. Over-the-counter effects of insulin ... Makes other sensible weight control sales of only two products, phenylpropanolamine - PPA efforts more effective . . . Chromium Picolinate more - and benmcaine, are being allowed while they are un­ than doubled the net benefits of exercise alone. Many der current review. people say they didn't get good results until they added Chromium Picolinate ... Lost over 4 pounds of fat [in 60 Like the many such promotions, the claims for chro­ days] ... The effect on men alone was even more strik­ mium picolinate jump from drug-like claims to hook the ing, with an average fat loss of 7.7 pounds." 31 customer, to "this is only a food supplement" claims to Quick Trim with Chromemate combines herbs with fi­ mollify authorities. Labels define the products as food ber and a chromium product and is claimed to stimulate supplements, which go unregulated. insulin to reduce the appetite, curb sugar and carbohy­ The company ads imply that most people lack chro­ drate cravings and enhance the body's capacity to bum mium and, even if they did get enough, it could hardly be calories. The chromium allegedly enhances the fat and assimilatedwithout this particular man-made compound.25 calorie burning effect and spares the loss of lean muscle The safety of using chromium picolinate, particularly mass while dieting, and keeps the emphasis on burning in the large quantities often used by athletes, was ques­ fat. The herbs bladderwrack, fennel and burdock are "well tioned by Robert Lefavi and colleagues in the Interna­ respected dieting herbs which affect the thyroid, kidneys tional Journal of Sport Nutrition.26 They warned about and digestive tract, as well as helping to remove fluid." possible physiological disorders and anemia related to The fiber is claimed to help eliminate fat and wastes use. They charged that Evans' studies were poorly con­ from the body. trolled and the data may be functionally meaningless. The USDA has not answered questions about this Most of his conclusions were called "preposterous." abuse nor why .it doesn't revoke the patent leased by Two books promoting the use of chromium picolinate Nutrition 21. are published by Simon & Schuster, also the publisher of the questionable Earl Mindell's Herb Bible. HEAL771Y WEIGHT JOURNAL WEIGHT Loss QUACKERY AND FADS 17 5. Themes, schemes & combos

immicks sell products. Especially when it's Quacks imply that because herbs are natural, they are the right gimmick, at the right time, heavily safe. This is not true. Many are actually toxic - tobacco, G advertised to the right market. The twisted loco weed, poinsettia leaves and other poisonous plants genius in this is the con artist who wraps his are all herbs. Furthermore, raw, crude herbs vary greatly or her gimmick in a multi-million dollar scheme of ready in strength. cash and slips like quicksand through regulatory loop­ · The American Medical Association says, "Unfortu­ holes. nately the FDA has permitted herbal products to be The winning gimmick can be a single product with a marketed as 'foods' as long as no therapeutic claims are simple theme. Or it can combine an array of quack con­ directly made for them. This ignores the reality that an cepts into a comprehensive and expensive program and herb such as Cascara sagrata is a laxative whether it says even prey long-term on the same customers. so on the label or not. This has led to a brisk market in pharmacologically active herbs sold as over-the-counter medicines. "The over-the-counter OTC herbal business amounts Themes to over $1 billion a year. Regular OTC drugs must be Herbal and "all natural" accurately labeled, standardired, and proved to be safe Most questionable diet pills are sold as food supple­ and effective. Herbal preparations escape such regula­ ments. They are usually billed as "all natural," or "100% tion. Such a double standard is not in the public's best natural," or "herbal," which appeals to the overall theme interest. "1 of folk medicine, naturapathy and heomopathy. Naturals and herbals are the same, but there does seem Nutrition quackery today relies heavily on the exploi­ to be a marketing trent toward calling these products tation of vitamins and supplements. This works because "herbal" today, perhaps in part because of the popularity the FDA allows them to be sold as foods as long as no of the Herbalife company. drug claims are made on the label. Interestingly, the same promoters who boast that their Blatantly false and misleading drug claims are often products are 100% natural and herbal have added the made in hard-sell advertising by salespersons, through synthetic compound Chromium picolinate to their line infomercials or print ads, and in promotional literature without a qualm. sent through the mails. But the product is considered a food if the label identifies it as only a food supplement. These striking differences between advertising claims Celluliteconcepts and label information are a clear indication of fraud. The cellulite theme, with its contrived problems and Legitimate products, such as aspirin, list their claims and cures, is a major concept for quackery in the weight loss uses on the label. When these are missing, it signals a field. clear warning that the claims are likely either untrue or Celluliteis a quack term for ordinary fat that shows up illegal. on many women's hips and thighs as "waffle-like," or The products may have very powerful drug effects. This "puckers like an orange peel." is especially dangeorus because they are unregulated and Supposedly a kind of "fat-gone-wrong," cellulite is unstandardired. They vary greatly in potency, and are claimed to be a combination of fat, water, and toxic wastes sometimes highly toxic. that should have left the body, but have been danger­ It's true that herbs - plants used for their medicinal ously retained. qualities - have a long and honored history in medicine The idea is explained in promotion material from Jet and pharmacology. Herbalism is common to all tradi­ Trim, a vacuum cleaner-like device said to mobili7.e fat: tional folk medicine systems. Many herbs have been the "Cellulite is the malfunction of fat cells, poor blood cir­ source of new drugs. But most have been replaced by culation, improper nutrition of vitamins, and hormonal more effective synthetic compounds. changes. Retained fluid causes swelling and contains toxic "Herbal medicine has, by and large, been turned into wastes. Exercising or dieting is not enough to break up a hoax perpetuated by charlatans whose main concern is cellulite." making a profit at the patient's expense," says Peter H. Cellulite claims like this are common in articles and Gott, MD, a health columnist. "Herbology, as practiced ads in the less reliable women's magazines. by alternative healers, is based on outdated concepts and The concept is itself irrational. folklore." Eleanor Whitney, PhD, RD, author of Understanding 18 WEIGHT Loss QUACKERY AND FADS Er£ALTHY WEIGHT JOURNAL Nutrition, describes cellulite as, "supposedly a lumpy form area, even though it can increase muscle, say research­ of fat; actually a fraud." Fatty areas sometimes seem ers. One study which measured the arms of lumpy as strands of connective tissue pull the skin toward tennis players, found the racquet arm had a larger cir­ underlying structures; these attachment points may pull cumference than the other arm, but fat layers were iden­ tight when the fat is thick, causing a lumpy appearance, tical on both. Fat layers on both arms were also the same she explains. in a control group. Cellulite is "treated" with thigh cream, anti-celulite creams, lotions, machines, body wraps and pills, all of Detoxifying the body them claimed to break up and move the offending fat. Another major quack theme is detoxifying the body of The "cellulite" is then "flushed harmlessly away" from the body. accumulated wastes and toxins. Bowels, colons and body wastes are of great interest to Reportedly coined in France, the term cellulite has in­ con artists, and have become the subject of elaborate stant meaning for the woman who sees dimpling fat on manipulative schemes. her thighs. Long a popular bugaboo in European health The intestines, colon and sometimes the blood are said spas, cellulite became known in the U.S. with the 1973 to be filled with undigested foods and toxins. Environ­ book Cellulite: Those Lumps, Bumps and Bulges You mental pollution and chemicals or additives in foods sup­ coukln't Lose Before, by Nicole Ronsard, the French owner posedly add to toxins lodged in the body. of a New York beauty salon. "They have to invent the idea of toxins," says Peter The book was a hit, and its theme quickly adopted by Fodor, president of the Lipoplasty Society of North the fraudulent fringe of the weight loss industry. America, "because that gives them something to pretend Anyone may be vulnerable, it seems. Cellulite affects they can fIX." "80 to 90 percent of all women," copy writers say. "You People are often persuaded they should detoxify their don't have to be overweight to have cellulite, No matter bodies several times a year with a 3- to 14-day cleansing how thin you are, those ugly bumps just won't go away." program. The concept is now so popular it is being exploited by In the Inches Aweigh detox period the customer fasts mainline cosmetics companies, one of the fastest growing for three days, drinking only a special lemonade and tak­ 2 areas in the cosmetic business. Cosmetics companies were ing three kinds of herbal capsules. This is said to cleanse expectingto pull in $50 million with anti-cellulite creams, the digestive tract of accumulated waste and putrefied lotions and gels in 1992. bacteria, clean out the major organs and blood, and give Nutrition and medical experts say cellulite does not mental clarity due to stopping the mind's bombardment exist. It is not defined in the American Medical by chemicals and food additives. Association's Encyclopedia of Medicine or Webster's Un­ The Sambu Internal Cleansing Program is "Dr. Dunner abridged Dictionary. Many authorities ignore the term to of Switzerland's highly effective weight loss and detoxifi­ avoid giving it credibility. Others warn that the word cel­ cation program." It combines teas, drinks and pills, all lulite is a red flag warning of fraud or misinformation. billed as 100 percent natural. Prime ingredients are el­ Fat storage and its appearance under the skin is influ­ derberries and birch-juniper. How the products work is enced by sex, age and heredity. Two German physicians not made clear, but the program is said to have great found the so-called cellulite effect was a family charac­ success in Europe. Priced from $2.36 for the tea to $33.60 teristic that became more pronounced with age. In one for the Trimmybell abdominal exerciser. 4 familythe effect was evident in four generations of women: Dr. Clayton's Natural Program for Weight Control com­ the great-grandmother, 79; grandmother, 59; mother, 33; bines three pills, two for cleansing and one for weight and even on the buttocks, when pinched, of the daughter, loss. Blood Cleanser is claimed to "detoxify the blood and 8.3 Connective tissue becomes less elastic and skin thin­ tissues"·, Herba-Clenz is for "cleansing and healing the. ner with age, they explain. bowel"; and Weight Control "helps your body control_Its Cellulite can be expensive. FDA reported that a skin weight through improved metabolism, reduced appetite, and body care center in Chevy Chase, Md., offered 10 etc." The aim is to "lose weight, maintain the loss and appointments for $250 to $280 in 1980, and a New York enjoy improved health and higher energy levels." Thir­ establishment sold 12 treatments for $475. teen herbal ingredients include licorice root, kelp, fennel and chickweed $28.68 .5 Spot reduction If toxins and wastes were really retained in the body "Cellulite" is really ordinary fat, and like fat, cannot people would not survive, says Vincent F. Cordaro, MD, be spot-reduced. The effect is only reduced with decreased an FDA medical officer. "A person who retained wastes fat throughout the body. and toxins would be very ill and could die if not treated. Nevertheless, many fraudulent products are based on The whole concept is irrational and unscientific." a theory of spot reduction. The detoxification scheme enables the skilled con art­ Even exercising an area does not reduce fat in that ist to gain a mystical power over the customer, by diag-

HEALTHY WEIGHT JOURNAL WEraHT Loss QUACKERY AND FADS 19 nosing a potentially fatal sickness, which does not exist, I didn't diet! Evidently your pills just burned all the fat but can only be cured by his or her secret knowledge. I was ingesting." Nonexistent illnesses can be vividly imagined. It can be Toe No-Fault System and other weight loss products terrifying for people who believe they are being poisoned promoted by the company, Universal Nutrition Corpora­ by toxic wastes from their own body or the environment. 6 tion UNC , were investigated by Roger E. Kline, Acting Toe FDA's Food Advisory Committee suggests that Director of FDA's Atlanta District. the terms "flushing" and "cleansing," often associated Kline said the advertising for these weight loss prod­ with detoxification, seem to be metaphors for diuretic ucts contained many false medical claims, but he could and laxative effects, and as such should be considered not recommend action. drug claims. In a memo dated Jan 4, 1990, he wrote with apparent regret, "Because FDA's current policy is not to take ac­ How lean people differ tion against weight control products, except in rare in­ stances, Atlanta District has not recommended any legal Setting up a crisis, then miraculously divulging the so­ lution unknown to modem medicine is the basis of many actions." Georgia's Office of Consumer Affairs has also objected fraudulent schemes.7 to, but not taken action against, UNC's advertising prac­ Some focus on what large people's bodies may be lack­ ing to make them different from lean people. tice of quoting and using testimonials of doctors with Toe No-Fault System at International Reducing Sys­ Georgia addresses who are not licensed in the state. tems says it is the lack of a fat-destroying hormone called HGH that causes overweight. Lean people with the "right Targetingthe vulnerable body chemistry - hormones, enzymes, proteins - bum fat With today's high-tech methods it's easy to target only quickly and efficiently" while others store fat, according the most likely or most vulnerable customers. 8 to their ads. "Weight loss occurs only when hormones For instance, the Primary Plan of the National I_nstitute tell the cells to bum fat." of Weight Control targets new mothers. After childbirth, By correcting the HGH shortage, weight loss is easy. the woman receives a colorful, glossy flier with the mes­ "You can switch on your body's natural tendency to sage, "This Revolutionary Weight-loss Tablet Plan Can become - and stay - lean and firm by duplicating the Enable New Mothers to Quickly Lose 20-75 Pounds." lean body chemistry of your thin friends. Not by drugs ... Bev Benda-Moe, RD, a Licensed Registered Dietitian not by dieting alone ..._ not by exercise ... but with all and Nutrition Coordinator at the Grand Forks Public natural, clinically tested and proven substances that switch Health Department, Grand Forks, N.D., received this on the fat-burning powers of your own body." "new mother" offer shortly after the birth of her son in Dieting is "unscientific and ineffective . . . but NOW January 1990. THERE'S A BETTER WAY! Today's space-age research Benda-Moe reports, "As a postpartum mother with an into the body's most complex chemical processes has fi­ eagerness to return to my pre-pregnancy weight, I was nally discovered the special substance that triggers fat momentarily intrigued and wishful. As a dietitian who break up and slough away fat. knows better, I was angered by the slick advertising with "What's even better, we now know how to get your its empty promises, and the fact this organization had body into that special chemical state with organic fat­ somehow obtained my name and address as a new burners called lypolites, like linolenic acid, arginine, or­ mother." nithine and lysine, technical medical terms for powerful Toe offer was for a bottle of "fat evaporation" pills, a natural and safe stimulants that can spontaneously co­ "free" nutritional analysis, and a diet plan, for $32. vert fat into energy." Toe pill ingredients were: glucomannan, lecithin, grape­ Toe No-Fault System consists of two products. The fruit, lemon and orange powders, potassium chloride, ci­ Eliminator is a large oval chalky pill containing lysine, der vinegar, and chickweed, uva-urs leaf, kola nut, blad­ arginine, ornithine three magical ingredients which of­ der wrack and hawthome berry powders. Glucomannan ten show up together like a quack litany in supplement is a bulk-forming agent often used in weight-loss concoc­ catalogs , as well as kelp and golden seal root. Toe Ac­ tions to provide a sense of fullness. There is no evidence tivator,a large golden droplet in a clear capsule, contains that it affects hunger ratings or weight loss. Toe kola nut gamma linolenic acid in a "base of linoleic acid from cold powder contains caffeine, which is on a list of diet-drug pressed black currant seed oil and refined oil of borage." ingredients banned by the FDA Lecithin is also on that Dozens of glowing testimonials claim weight losses from list. 5 pounds in 48 hours to 17 pounds in 7 days. Benda-Moe filled in the nutrition analysis form. This A customer identified only as J.W. of Stratton, Maine was a brief review of medical history and lifestyle habits, says, "Three days after I started using the No-Fault Sys­ a food frequency form which asked how many times per tem my body looked like it had just melted all the excess week certain foods were eaten, but did not obtain infor­ fat away! In one week I went from 142 lbs. to 125 lbs. and mation on serving sizes, preparation methods, or foods

20 WEIGHT Loss QUACKERY AND FADS HEALTHY WEIGHT JOURNAL not listed on the form. in a two-piece bathing suit, is first rubbed with a lotion "I was curious about how this organization would be claimed to break down cellulite, increase circulation and able to analyze my diet with such incomplete and non­ reduce water retention. Then she is wrapped firmly from specificinformation. My 'very detailed' report said I was toe to chin excepting breasts with a six-inch wide Sa­ lacking in zinc and copper and that a "special supple­ ran-like plastic wrap. After an hour this is removed and mental formula" had been devised for me - a 30-day she is again measured. The catch is that measurements supply for only $22. are taken at 18 sites. Added together, it takes only a one­ "The nutrition analysis was difficult for even a dieti­ fourth inch loss at each to total four and a half inches. tian, like myself, to decipher. Many of the nutrients were This miniscule amount can easily be adjusted by a clever listed as "grams per 1,000 calories" for both my intake counselor with a snug tape. Or the wrap could indeed and the standard. Since I consumed more than 1,000 cause a squeezing effect, just as a rubber band worn calories, I had to calculate it myself. around the wrist for an hour will leave an indentation. It "I imagine m9st consumers would ignore the confusing is claimed, however, that there will be an additive effect analysis and go straight to the formula order form. of inches lost from week to week. "The 'special formula' offered me was a typical multi­ Daily one and a half hour sessions on the 10 motor­ vitamin, not a zinc or copper supplement. I was told that ized passive motion tables are encouraged. Each is de­ I needed a 'complete unit' since vitamins and minerals signed for specific body parts. There is the waist-tummy­ are 'synergistic' can help increase each other's effective­ hip table, the sandbag table, the side-to-side table, the ness . For some unknown reason, I was told that I must vibrator table, and the stretch table. The counselor in­ order my vitamins within two weeks of receiving the structs that the mechanical shaking will "increase oxygen nutrition analysis. and blood flow and flush out fat-inducing acids." This is "What I learned most through my investigation was "beneficial for loss of inches, reduced cellulite," and many again how crafty these fad diet manufacturers are. They other problems.9 have healthy-sounding names, appealing marketing tac­ tics, good timing, a good mix of scientific blabber and emotional persuasion, and they know how to keep their Schemes hooks in their prey. They also know how to slip-slide their way past federal regulation and surveillance. Easy money "The challenge for health professionals continues to An opportunity to make easy money holds natural ap­ lie in educating the public. We need to teach consumers peal, and when you can lose weight at the same time, it's how to spot health fraud and save their money for repu­ a bonus. Who can resist? 10 table services. And most of all, we need to look through This was the pitch of a program called the Ultimate the eyes of desperate consumers and strive to meet their Solution Diet Program, by Amerdream of Miami Beach, needs . . . before someone else does." which advertised via newspapers and direct mail a method to earn money by helping in a diet study. "We will pay you $1,000 to lose weight, if you help us test our new all natural, safe and effective diet program!" Combos The Ultimate Solution focused on three diet aids: the Numerous programs combine several pills or creams Eat-Less Diet Lozenge for eating before meals; the Night­ into so-called comprehensive weight treatment programs. Trim Diet Tablet for nighttime; and Dessert Diet Wafers, The spa or salon-type treatments are uniquely able to for snacking throughout the day. Individuals on the plan bring the various themes together into a total program. ate 305 calories per day for three days each week, alter­ Customers come for them in-house and are handled by nating with normal eating the other four days. specially trained "counselors." The catch was ingenious. Payment was not in $1,000 The InchesAweigh program, for instance, which adver­ cash, but in a U.S. Bond that would eventually mature to tises "Lose 4 to 14 inches in one hour!" signs its custom­ $1,000. ers up for weekly body wrap treatments in salon, daily According to consumer reporter Kevin Keeshan of use of 10 passive exercise tables each moving a different KGET-TV in Bakersfield, Calif., the savings bond would body part , a three-day detoxification period, cellulite­ cost $130 to $180. To get this you are required to buy two softening lotion for bath, and four kinds of diet pills of months of Ultimate Solution products, costing $229, and which they take up to 30 a day, all at the hefty cost of fill out a detailed diet diary, he said. over $350 per month. In defending its program, Amerdream submitted 103 The great variety of quack concepts concentrated in testimonials and 12 journal articles. The investigators dis­ this center are mind-boggling. counted the testimonials as proof and found the studies The body wrap or "contouring" is the key to quickly to be either inappropriate, old before 1960 , short-term, losing those promised 4 to 14 inches. The customer, clad or non-representative of the program.

HEALTHY WEIGHT JOURNAL WEIGHT Loss QUACKERY AND FADS 21 In addition to the misleading offer of $1,000, the Na­ him. They found Foster hiding under the bench of a sauna, tional Council Against Health Fraud criticized with a moving van out front. Amerdream for false and misleading statements, and said Foster, 26, was required to serve 120 days in jail, pay that the ingredient glucomannan, used as a bulling agtmt, back $300,000 and put in 900 hours of community service is ineffective and a source of possible increased flatu­ picking up garbage on the Los Angeles freeway. lence, diarrhea or other gastro-intestinal problems. But predictably, after serving jail tiine he disappeared, Complaints surfaced across the country in state con­ surfacing later in the Cayman Islands where he had sumer affairs offices as customers demanded the money banked millions. they had "earned." Eventually a federal court in .Arimna Foster's full-page advertisement had a Better Business banned Amerdream from making the claims and required Bureau logo and fake endorsements from seven medical them to pay consumer redress. 11 sources. It boasted that Cho Low Tea kept the Chinese slim for centuries, helps reduce cholesterol, reduces wa­ Pyramid schemes ter retention, and aids in digestion of fatty foods.12 Authorities acted swiftly in this case and no customers Illegal in some states, pyramid schemes or multilevel lost money. By the second week of August over a quarter marketing .or network marketing programs are popular of a million dollars had been intercepted by California and can be the source of easy money for con artists. This is a form of direct sales in which distributors sell authorities. products and recruit other persons to sell and recruit for FDA scolded the newspapers which had not been paid them. The distributor at the top makes the big profits - for their ads, including the Washington Post, Los Ange­ a percentage of everyone's sales below his or her level. les Times, and other prestigious papers, for carrying the Others at various levels may have some success before ads "knowing full well this is a fraudulent product," and the "miracle" plays itself out. that the claims in the ad made Cho Low Tea a drug, High pressure motivational meetings are often .staged illegal to market without FDA approval. 13 to convince newcomers of the wealth to be made, the value of the miracle product, and how easily they can get Wealth building others to sell it for them. As people are enrolled, they in Supplement companies often seek to build a strong tum try to get others to sell under them and receive a sales force through motivational meetings and aggressive percentage of their sales. recruiting. They may combine pyramid schemes and door "The one at the top makes a bundle," reports FDA to door sales.14 Consumer. And the small-time people at the bottom Herbalife is one company that has grown quickly to struggle with making door-to-door sales work for them. international megasuccess. Founded in 1980, the Los The rookies which were popularized for a time as high­ Angeles-based company went public in 1987 with an ini­ fiber meal replacements, such as Lifestyle cookies, were tial offering price of $9, and launched a worldwide ex­ heavily sold through pyramid schemes. pansion in 1992. Sales last year are estimated at $700 And a pyramid scheme complaint brought authorities · million. down on the Appetoff appetite patch scheme by Herbalife stocks went up 17 times from the July 1991 Meditrend when a consumer who was considering be­ price of 50 cents, a low point, to $11.875 in March 1992 coming a distributor contacted the FDA accordmg. to the Wall Street Journal.(7/15/92), boosted by' expansion into a dozen countries. However, the WallStreet Hit and run Journal.reported Herbalife insiders were selling - sales Another marketing ploy which has worked effectively head Lawrence Thompson had sold 10 percent of his in weight loss fraud is to come up with a distinctive new Herbalife holdings, 260,855 shares, for $2,060,000 - and gimmick, advertise it heavily, pull in the cash as long as predicted a fall. In the weight loss industry, international it is lucrative, then disappear as authorities begin to close expansion has often indicated a drop in U.S. sales. in. However, the bold move to worldwide sales appar­ This may have been the plan for the aborted Cho Low ently succeeded. A recent Business Week article reported Tea scheme of Peter Foster. Herbalife retail sales of $400 million in 1992 with a steep Foster's scam almost succeeded. The Australian rented jump to $337 million for the first half of 1993. Worldwide a Beverly Hills mansion for $8,000 a month, placed full­ revenues for 1993 are estimated at $700 million, with page ads in 105 newspapers nationwide hailing an herbal about 75 percent coming from foreign markets, says John weight-loss and cholesterol-lowering Chinese tea, that he LaRosa of Marketdata. didn't have or bother to stock, at an apparent cost of Herbalife promotes expansion through recruitment $600,000 - which he didn't pay - pulled in $215,000 in meetings and its brochure, "The Wealth Builder," featur­ five days, and was set to disappear with his fortune of ing success stories of those who made money as distribu­ millions from similar schemes he had stashed in the tors. They include a "former school bus driver" who last Cayman Islands, when authorities moved in and arrested month "earned over $30,000," and a "single mom" who 22 WEIGHT Loss QUACKERY AND FADS HEALTHY WEIGHT JOURNAL "earned over $65,000 last month." ports its special ingredient is "Chinese Ma Huang," which Some marketing executives believe this "wealth build­ contains ephedrine. The FDA reports numerous adverse ing" program, run by Lawrence Thompson and Larry S. effects from ephedrine in food supplements. Huff, focuses more on getting new distributors who in Ever resilient, Herbalife responds that Thermojetics tum recruit new distributors, than in selling product, says can be reformulated without this special ingredient, as LaRosa. was recently done for Canadian sales.15 Regulatory efforts to contain Herbalife within the law began almost at the beginning. In 1982 the FDA sent Infomercials Herbalife a "Notice of Adverse Findings," citing six vio­ lations. Most serious was use of two herbal ingredients in Infomercials are currently one of the most powerful ways to move questionable products. Proliferation of cable their pills - mandrake and pokeroot - termed "unsafe for food use." TV has increased the opportunities. Also, talk radio and TV shows, promoting products through talk show hosts, In 1984, the Massachusetts Nutrition Resource Center and advertising on the same programs have provided a published its "Review of the Herbalife Diet," which con­ tremendous opportunity for exploiting the public.16 cluded that the plan failed to meet 11 or 12 criteria for Aggressive half-hour advertisements in the guise of a safe effective weight-loss program. news or interview shows flourish on television. The following year FDA again ordered Herbalife to Program-length infomercials were made possible in stop making fraudulent and misleading claims. By 1985, 1984 when time restraints for commercials, set up by the FDA had documented more than 100 cases of adverse Federal Communications Commission in 1973, were abol­ reactions to Herbalife products, including nausea, head­ ished by FCC Chairman Mark Fowler. It was the era of aches, diarrhea, constipation and vomiting. Reagan deregulation, of "let the listeners decide." It was In 1986, Herbalife was fined $850,000 by the Califor­ claimed the free market would prevent over commercial­ nia attorney general's office for making false medical ization. claims. The California suit cited questionable claims for Healthy WeightJournal. first reported on airways abuse more than 10 Herbalife products. As part of the out-of­ in 1988 when President Reagan's son Michael sold court settlement, Herbalife agreed to halt claims that their Eurotrym Diet Patches in a 30-minute television commer­ products could curb the appetite, burn off calories, cleanse cial disguised as a talk show.17 the system, eliminate "cellulite," or that users could lose Following the 1990 Congressional hearings on abuses weight without reducing caloric intake. of the weight loss industry, and stung by Rep. Ron In 1987, Herbalife was fined by Canadian authorities Wyden's blistering "sleeping watchdog" charges, the Fed­ for their pyramid marketing ploys to recruit sellers. eral Trade Commission responsible for truth in adver­ In another suit, Herbalife was ordered by FDA to stop tising took action against several diet products marketed claiming its Cell-U-Loss product could eliminate "cellu­ through infomercials. lite" and cause weight loss. Herbalife still sells the pills, On Oct. 30, 1991, FTC announced that Nu-Day Enter­ but has modified the claim to say they "help reduce the prises, Inc., of Gig Harbor, Wash. and its owner, Jeffrey appearance of cellulite." . . Bland, had agreed to display a disclosure during the ~st The company is said to no longer use the mgred1ents 30 seconds and immediately before each set of ordering mandrake and pokeroot, which pose a potential danger. instructions, that their 30-minute infomercial program ~s Several fatalities were investigated by FDA in relation to an advertisement. They also agreed to stop unsubstanti­ HerbalifeSlim and Trim, but the agency reported that ated claims about the Nu-Day Diet Program and pay a "available evidence" did not establish the link between $30,000 fine. the Herbalife products and those fatalities. Dealer ethics The FTC said the Nu-Day television commercial en­ have also been investigated by FDA. titled "The Perfect Diet" simulated a newscast and falsely Many health and nutrition experts have expressed ma­ claimed 100,000 clinical trials have been conducted. It jor concerns about the safety, effectiveness and legality also falsely said the diet alters human metabolism so that of Herbalife products, according to Tufts Universi.tyDiet weight won't be regained when users increase their ca­ & Nutrition Letter. loric intake. Despite its legal entanglements, Herbalife International Nu-Day costs $59.95 and consists of two meal substi­ remains strong in the diet industry. tute products - a protein and nutrient powder called Nu­ Herbalife is enjoying enormous success with its popu­ Day Meal Replacement Formula, and a dietary fiber lar new product, Thermojetics, "a revolutionary weight supplement called Nu-Day Herbulk. . . loss product," which is claimed to work by "creating a Among claims FTC says are false and m1sleadmg: more desirable energy balance in the body . . . The re­ "The Nu-Day program allows us to tune up that he:it­ sult: goodbye fat." producing machinery so that fat is not stored for a ramy Thermojetics acrounts for 40 percent of U.S. 1993 sales, day that never comes. Rather, it is lost as body heat - or about $70 million in this country alone, LaRosa re- that is what we call efficient metabolism. So really, we're

HEAL711Y WEIGHT JOURNAL WEIGHT Loss QUACKERY AND FADS 23 inducing efficient metabolism . . . A diet that actually attendees will quit smoking without weight gain. People raises your metabolism, causing your body to bum off attend, pay their registration fees, hear a motivational excess fat, quickly, safely and naturally ... Developed by speaker for two hours. Dr. Jeffrey Bland, one of the nation's leading nutritional One such hypnosis scheme is the Gorayeb seminar. biochemists ... amazing true stories of people like your­ Ads claim you can lose weight quickly, safely, without self losing 20, 30, 50 pounds or more, quickly and natu­ hunger, without dieting, without willpower, in one two­ rally." hour session, registration $39.99. About the same time, the FTC also charged another A recent ad for Ronald B. Gorayeb, Certified group of companies with making false claims in their Hypnotherapist claims: infomercials: Synchronal Corp., Smoothline Corp., "Using the power of hypnosis, you will lose unwanted Omexin Corp and Anushka. Products sold in their cravings, eliminate the addiction to sweets and break the infomercials included the Anushka Bio-Response Body impulsive/compulsiveeating habit - once and for all. You ContouringProgram, a "cellulite" treatment of Anushka, can expect results ranging from 30-60 lbs. in 3 months to Bio-ResponseBody ContouringGe~ FirmingLotion, Multi­ 120 lbs. in one year. No willpower, no hunger, no dieting, RevitalizingCream and Cellulean tablets. just success. Richard Kaylor, Synchronal president, protested the "Thousands have succeeded before you and you will FTC charges, "Our company has been in the forefront in too! Stop having weight as an issue in your life. Join us development of standards for this emerging industry. We and become the winner you've always wanted to be. With consistently and carefully examine, research and docu­ the Gorayeb Method of Clinical Hypnosis, there is no ment each and every claim made on the infomercials we sleep or loss of control. You are awake and aware. Ev­ run." eryone who attends will be hypnotiz.ed. You'll leave re­ FTC said the following claims made by Synchronal freshed - feeling good." about Anuska products were false and misleading: The FTC didn't believe it, and called these claims false • that the products can reduce or eliminate cellulite, or and misleading, consisting of unfair or deceptive acts or the appearance of cellulite; practices in violation of the Federal Trade Commission • that they can reduce the siz.e of hips and thighs; Act, and obtained a cease and desist agreement from • that they can cause weight loss; the principals, Ronald B. Gorayeb and his two New Jer­ • that thousands of women have reduced or eliminated sey corporations, -Gorayeb Seminars and Gorayeb Learn­ cellulite by using the products. ing Systems. Further, FTC said the program was false and mislead­ A spokeswoman at the toll free number says the hyp­ ing, that it was misrepresented as an independent televi­ notist travels throughout the United States, putting on sion program, not paid commercial advertising, and that local seminars, booking at hotels. He advertises through it used testimonials which do not reflect typical experi­ local newspapers and radio when he's going to be in the ences of persons who have used the products. area. Most of his "studies" on effectiveness are in the Additional decep- form of testimonials, tion was exposed in the she said. Gorayeb automatic shipping of ti Infomercials are currently one Seminars "have been unordered merchan­ in the business for over dise. The FTC said of the most powerful ways to move questionable nine years, and people that once customers products . . . N . .. talk radio shows .. .have seem very satisfied." ordered products, provided a tremenendous opportunity Claims for the Synchronal in many smoking seminars are cases automatically for exploiting the public. ~ that participants will shipped them bi­ be cured of smoking monthly supplies with- without having any out their consent and billed their credit cards for the weight gain. These claims, too, were called false by FfC. purchases. Similarly, a Florida company that markets hypnosis seminars for weight loss and smoking cessation recently Hypnosis agreed to settle FTC charges that they made unsubstan­ Hypnosis seminars are often conducted in another type tiated claims in advertising. The American Institute of of "hit and run" program. Habit Control and its president, Steven Present, market­ A motel room is booked. Glowing ads for the semi­ ers of "The Present Seminar" and other weight loss and nars are placed in local newspapers promising weight stop-smoking seminars, were charged with making false loss by hypnosis. The program may be in conjunction and misleading claims about the effectiveness of their with a related smoking-cessation seminar which claims seminars.18

24 WEIGHT Loss QUACKERY AND FADS HEALTHY WEIGHT JOURNAL 6. Slim Chance Awards

ant a little miracle thigh cream to spread Two suspected deaths and 37 hospitalizations in Texas on that hip? A pill to tum your fat to resulted in a temporary state ban on the popular ephed­ W muscle? Sorry. It's a slim chance it will hap­ rine-containing diet pill Formula One. Herbalife's big pen to you or anyone you know. weight loss seller Thermojetics, boasting the popular in- The annual Slim Chance Awards gredient "Chinese Ma Huang," report­ - the "worst" weight loss products edly brings in 40 percent of the of the year - spotlight these slim Slim Chance company's U.S. sales, about $70 mil­ chance miracles. Nominated by con­ lion. sumers and health professionals, Awards Side effects of the drug are heart the awards are presented each damage, stroke, increased blood pres­ January during Healthy Weight 1996 Ephedrine-laceddiet pills sure and seizures, especially when Week by Healthy Weight Journal and Mushroomtea abused - and it's clear that diet pills the Task Force on Weight Loss Hypnosisseminars often are abused. Abuse of the National Council Ninzuear clips In the past two years, FDA reports Against Health Fraud. 1995 SmoothContours thigh cream some 330 adverse reactions to ephed­ Weight loss quackery is a multi­ Nutrition21's Chromium rine-containing products, primarily ma billion dollar business that batters picolinate huang, including about a dozen deaths. its customers with false hopes, fos­ Herbalife'sThermojetics ters paranoia, and claims its victims Gut Buster Most Outrageous - Mushroom tea in death and injury. Its hard-sell ads 1994 Dr. Oayton's NaturalProgram Variously called Mushroom tea, claim pills and gadgets will cut ap­ AeetwoodTables Kombucha, Fungus, Kargasok, Man­ petite, speed metabolism, block fat RevlonAnti-cellulite churian, or Kvass tea, this outrageous and calorie absorption, remove ex­ MarTrim brew is made by adding tea, water and cess water, and move fat and "cel­ 1993 Acu-stop2000 sugar to a fermented starter batter of lulite" out of the body. SlenderYou ExerciseTables yeast and bacteria. In their relentless assault on sci­ Bodi-TrimPills Burning body fat and causing weight ence, the purveyors of quackery also Synchronolinfomercials loss are only two of some 50 benefits undermine responsible weight man­ 1992 Bee SweetGrapefruit Diet claimed for the tea. Others are curing agement programs and nutrition B.I. BodyWrap AIDS and cancer, and detoxifying the education. PrimaryPlan Tablets body. Many claims relate to looking The Slim Chance Awards are Slender-MistAppetite Spray and feeling younger. "Drink black tea givento help expose fraud and ques­ 1991 Cho Low Tea in the morning for energy, green tea tionable practices in the weight loss Cal-Ban3000 in the evening to improve the immune industry. Health professionals and Dream Away system," advise promoters. others are challenged to take action Fat Blocker When an Iowa woman died and an­ against fraud, and to join in educat­ BerryTrim other became ill after drinking the tea, ing consumers in how to recognize 1990 Fat Magnet the Iowa health department issued a and protect themselves against Jet Trim CelluliteUnit warning. The FDA also warns the fraud. UltimateSolution Diet mushroom tea may be harmful. AIDS Here are the "worst" of the crop, AppetitePatches patients, many of whom are drinking the winners of the six annual Slim the popular tea to bolster their im­ Chance Awards, from 1990 through 'It's a SLIM CHANCE you'll get mune systems, may risk most harm, help from from any of these.' 1995. said the National Council Against Health Fraud.

1996 Worst Claim - Hypnosis seminars Worst Product- Ephedrine-laced diet pills. Ephedrine is The worst claim of the year promises large, rapid weight sold legally as a nasal decongestant, even when "asthma" loss upon attending a single two-hour Gorayeb hypnosis pills are suggestively named Mini Thin. It avoids drug seminar. "You can expect results ranging from 30-60 lbs. regulation entirely in the form of the Chinese herb ma in 3 months to 120 lbs. in one year." There's more, of huang. course, "No willpower, no hunger, no dieting, just sue-

HEALTHY WEIGHT JOURNAL WEIGHT Loss QUACKERY AND F.ADS 25 cess. Using the power of hypnosis, you will lose unwanted Young men trying to build their physique and dieters are cravings, elininate the addiction to sweets and break the primary marks for the seductive sellers of chromium compulsive eating habit - once and for all. Stop having picolinate. We're going right to the source on this one, weight as an issue in your life." wholesaler Nutrition 21, which passes chromium picolinate In related smoking-cessesation hypnosis seminar',, on to many dealers of questionable supplements who Ronald Gorayeb claims participants will stop smoking then market it under a variety of "chromo-pico" names. without gaining any weight. Like thigh cream promoters, Nutrition 21 calls on sci­ The Federal Trade Commission called the Gorayeb ence to back up misleading claims. But the USDA Hu­ claims false, misleading and in violation of the FTC Act. man Nutrition Research Center in Grand Forks, N.D., most often cited by Nutrition 21, reports there's no evi­ Worst Gadget - Ninzu ear clips dence and all these claims for chromium picolinate are A device that fits on the ear and is claimed to suppress false and misleading: improves metabolism, resulting in appetite through acupressure, Ninzu is one of three such more muscle; melts fat away; no dieting, no exercise re­ gadgets in three questionable companies run by a Balti­ quired to lose fat; better appetite control; increases me­ more man. tabolism; reduces body fat, lowers cholesterol; lowers Other ear clips promoted by Michael Metzger with blood sugar. Researchers warn of possible health risks, similar claims are Auricle Clip and B-Trim. "The proven particularly in the megadoses athletes commonly take. principles of acupuncture without needles. In just sec­ onds your hunger pains disappear. You eat less, you lose Worst gadget - Gut Buster. Gut Buster was sold through weight quickly... It's safe and it works. We guarantee it. Parade Magazine, which has a history of this kind of Wearing Ninzo for less than 3 hours a day will produce advertising. Spend just a few minutes each day with this dramatic results." gadget and you will bum stomach fat and flatten and trim FTC has charged that claims for the three ear clips are your stomach, say the ads; better than sit-ups for strength­ false and misleading. ening and toning your stomach muscles. The F;'C dis­ agreed, and charged Richard and Luann Suarez with mak­ ing "false and unsubstantiated claims." What's more, FfC 1995 said, the spring-tension contraption could break and in­ Worst Product - Smooth Contours thigh cream. Thigh jure the user. Suarezes' signed a consent agreement. 1 cream hit the headlines through a scientific route. But when obesity researchers George A. Bray, MD, and Frank Greenway, MD, rushed this one to market there appeared to be a few gaps in their research. The public ate it up, 1994 Worst Product - Revlon Anti-cellulite. Widely advertised anyway- uh, rubbed it on. to "reduce cellulite," reduce the "skin's bumpy texture, Makes sense, in a way, if you want to believe that ripples or slackness caused by cellulite," and help "dis­ rubbing on this or other anti-cellulite creams can break perse toxins and excess water from areas where cellulite down your tough fat cells. But even if it did work, thigh appears," is Revlon's Ultima II ProCollagen Anti-cellu­ cream would only shift fat to another part of your body. lite body complex, winner of our 1994 Worst Product Under your chin, perhaps? Bray and Greenway market award. "Cellulite" is a quack term for ordinary fat, which their thigh cream in various ways, including their own cannot be spot-reduced. The false concept that it can, Smooth Contours sold via Nutri/System. and is unique, is now being exploited by mainline cos­ metics companies. Revlon and Charles Revson, Inc., re­ Most Outrageous - Herbalife's Thermojetics. It is outra­ cently agreed to settle FTC charges of unsub-stantiated geous that two large unappetizing, worthless pills can pull claims. in an estimated $70 million in U.S. annual sales alone, 40 percent of Herbalife sales. And domestic sales are only Most outrageous - MarTrim. Who needs a weight loss 25 percent of Herbalife's worldwide $700 million annual plan when one tablet does it all? MarTrim,another herbal haul. from "100% natural plant sources," is claimed to cause The name Thermojetics slyly suggests increased heat rapid weight loss and keep weight off permanently with and fat burning, but Herbalife is cautious. Hit many times no change in diet or exercise. Touted to alter digestion, for violations and fraudulent and misleading claims, block calorie absorption, block sugar absorption, neutral­ Herbalife merely suggests the pills help you lose weight ize calories, and shrink fat cells within hours, MarTrim by "creating a more desirable energy balance in the body." holds out impressive losses of 87 pounds, and 30 pounds The ingredient "Chinese Ma Huang" has been suspected in 30 days. MarTrim Wilton Manor, Fla. of serious side effects including hypertension. Worst claims - Dr. Clayton's Natural Program. Herbals Worst claims - Nutrition 21's Chromium picolinate. like Dr. Clayton's Natural Program for Weight Control

26 WEIGHT Loss QUACKERY AND FADS HEALTHY WEIGHT JOURNAL evade federal regulation for safety, effectiveness and quality by posing as foods - supposedly with no drug Worst claims - Bodi-trim pills. Bodi-Trim, a new pill claims. An example of "food" no one wants to eat, Dr. from Fat-Busters, tempts with its easy promises: "I guar­ Clayton's set of pills contains 13 herbal ingredients: Blood antee! Eat all you want. .. You can lose 70 pounds in 40 Cleanser to "detoxify the blood and tissues"; Herba-Clenz days or your money back!! Melts away 30, 60, or even for "cleansing and healing the bowel"; and Weight Con­ 100 pounds. Discovered by a heart specialist. .. The most trol which "helps your body control its weight through permanent way to lose weight and keep it off... Simply improved metabolism, reduced appetite, etc." - illegal take one tablet at breakfast." Thirty-day plan $19.95. Fat­ drug claims, all. L&H Vitamins, Long Island City, N.Y. Busters, Seffner, Fla.

Worst gadget - Fleetwood Tables. Because promoters Worst gadget - Acu-stop 2000 ear device. An acupunc­ objected so strenuously to our 1993 awarding of Worst ture device to curb the appetite, Acu-Stop is a clear plas­ Product to a passive exercise table of the type now popu­ tic, teardrop-shaped object that fits into the ear, similar lar in health clubs, spas and weight loss centers, we be­ to a hearing aid. Instructions are to insert it in the right lieve the message bears repeating: All claims of weight ear with the "bumps" inside, and wear it 15 to 20 minutes loss, fat loss and inch loss for such tables are false. six times a day or more "as necessary" to control hunger. Fleetwood Mfg, of Mesa, Ariz., and Thomas Fleetwood, The ads claim it will "control your hunger in a remark­ owner, are the latest to sign a Federal Trade Commis­ able new way, without dieting, without exercise ... Lose sion consent agreement to halt their false and unsubstan­ 30 pounds in 30 days!" A tantalizing clincher adds, "If tiated claims. Advertising nationwide, Fleetwood falsely you lose too much weight, discontinue use immediately." claimed the tables help reduce body weight, lose inches, $39.99. Acu-Stop 2000, Coral Springs, Fla.3 remove cellulite, tone and firm muscles, and provide the fitness benefits of rigorous exercise, according to FTC. Continuous passive motion exercise tables do have le­ 1992 2 gitimate uses in physical therapy. Worst product - Bee Sweet Grapefruit Diet. Bee Sweet's bee pollen grapefruit pill tops the year's worst diet scams. It exploits the fallacy that bees, honey and bee-related 1993 products have mystical powers, a notion rooted in Greek Worst product - Slender You tables. These new passive mythology. Marketed to truck drivers via interstate truck exercise "state-of-art" mechanical tables which rhythmi­ stops, the pill combines pollen, grapefruit powder and cally move one's body parts back and forth, are supposed glucomannan. The Food and Drug Administration says to provide the benefits of actual exercise. Slender You there is no evidence bee pollen gives any therapeutic says their tables will tone and firm muscles, remove "cel­ benefit or that either grapefruit pills or glucomannan are lulite," reduce fat in specific locations, and provide ben­ safe or effective for weight loss. Allergic reactions are efits similar or superior to rigorous exercise. "Everyone real hazards. · loses inches... 10 inches in 13 weeks ... Reduces excess fat on upper arms, midriff, waist. .. Pumps surplus oxy­ Most outrageous - Beneficial International Body Wrap. gen into your system and rids body of fat-inducing acid It is outrageous that in weight loss centers across the waste... Each 60 minute Slender You workout approxi­ country women primarily are being wrapped toe to chin mates 7 hours of traditional exercise. . . No sweat. No in plastic wrap to shrink their size. Promoters claim they strain!" Furthermore, there's profitability: "Most salons will "lose 4 to 14 inches in one hour"; the catch being more than double their money in profit by the end of the that 18 or more sites are totaled. Temporary squeezing first year." Slender You recently signed a consent order may occur, but counselors insist the $40 weekly treat­ with FTC to halt these false claims. ments give lasting results: body wrapping "mobilizes fat and cellulite and flushes it out of the body." Most outrageous - Synchronol infomercials. Synchronol's 30-minutetelevision infomercials resemble an educational Worst claims - Primary Plan Tablets. This product wins format with pseudo news and interviews. In one "worst claim" for its shameless targeting of new mothers Synchronol script a "researcher" explains how seaweed at a vulnerable time in their lives. Primary Plan claims, removes fat: "Well, this diagram will help make it clear. "This Revolutionary Weight-loss Tablet Plan Can En­ These are cellulite cells with their trapped toxins. The able New Mothers to Quickly lose 20-75 pounds." It con­ hardened connective tissue won't let these nutrients get tains two ingredients banned by FDA for diet pills - leci­ to the cells... Seaweed is a key to success." FTC charged thin and caffeine from kola nut powder. Customers are Synchronol with false claims in selling Anushka Body led on to bogus nutritional analyses and useless supple­ Contouring, Cellulite Gel, Firming Lotion, Multi-revital­ ments. The company uses the name National Institute of izing Cream, and Cellulean tablets. Weight Control to give itself credibility.

HEALTHY WEIGHT JOURNAL WEIGHT Loss QUACKERY AND FADS 27 the body." Berry Trim indulges the coy ploy of signing Worst gadget - Slender-Mist Appetite Spray. Designed direct mail copy, a mock full-page ad as if ripped from a to be sprayed in the mouth just before temptation strikes, newspaper, with a personalu.ed handwritten message: Life Way's Appetite Spray co-marketed by Spiegel cata­ "Joanne, try it. It works! J."5 log company is a dainty, pencil-thin gadget that comes in four flavors. Caution: Chocolate spray may be a haz­ ard for chocolate lovers - it's a fragrant reminder of the 1990 real thing. Ingredients arginine, lysine and phenylalanine Worst product - Fat Magnet. Charges have been filed are listed in the recent FDA ban. 4 against producers of this pill in Iowa, Missouri and Texas. Billed as the lazy way to lose weight, the Fat Magnet costs $35 for 180 pills. It is claimed to break into "thou­ 1991 sands of particles, each acting like a tiny magnet, attract­ Worst product - Cal-Ban 3000. Cal-Ban 3000 is off the ing and trapping many times its sire in undigested fat market after a five-year roller-coaster operation of dodg­ particles ... then, all the trapped fat and calories are natu­ ing the law and cranking out slick sales pitches. In 1987 rally flushed out of your body." It is said to have been the U.S. Postal Service stopped their mail, but Cal-Ban developed by "two prominent doctors at a world famous promoters continued to sell through a toll-free number hospital in Los Angeles." Allied International Corpora­ and UPS deliveries. Their aggressive marketing campaign tion, Beverly Hills, Calif. gathered steam through the spring and early summer of 1990 as Cal-Ban· broke into drug store distribution sys­ Most outrageous - Diet Patches. Calling it Snake-oil on tems. Suddenly it was everywhere - in prominent dis­ a Band-Aid, consumer activists liken diet patches to "put­ play cases in Wal-Mart stores, Osco Drugs and the cor­ ting nothing on no place." FDA pulled the products of ner drug store, on late night television and in journalis­ o~e company off the market and has destroyed $26 mil­ tic-looking newspaper ads with datelines of Finland and lion in appetite patch kits. This patch is claimed to sup­ Sweden. Injury reports escalated: Florid~ authorities said press the appetite control center in the brain. A drop or they had over 50; FDA reported 17 cases of esophageal two of herbal liquid is plar.ed on an adhesive bandage, obstruction and one death as a result of surgery to re­ which is then affixed to the wrist at an "acupuncture" move an obstruction in the throat. By the end of July it point. Meditrend International, New Source, Inc., Nutri­ was over. Authorities closed out the $30 million Florida tion for Life, Dynamic Technical, AmEuro Sciences, and operation and asked merchants to remove Cal-Ban from others. their shelves. Worst claims - Ultimate Solution Diet (Lose weight, earn Most outrageous - Cho Low Tea. Australian Peter Fos­ $1,000). This scam combines two American obsessions ter proved that a nation-wide newspaper ad can pull one­ - making money and losing weight. The ads for the quarter of a million dollars in only five days for a product Ultimate Solution state: "We will pay you $1,000 to lose that does not exist. Foster made his fortune in England weight, if you help us test our new all natural, safe and but escaped to the United States in 1989 amid charges he effective diet program." Here's the catch: You buy $229 bilked consumers of nearly $7 million in an oriental slim­ worth of diet aids, fill in a daily diary, and receive a U. ming tea scam. Despite his hard-sell claims for it, in the S. Bond costing $130 to $180 according to reporter Kevin United States there never was any tea; he eventually Keeshan, KGET-TV, Bakersfield, Calif.; if you keep the showed police several cheap brands that he suggested Bond long enough, it will mature to $1,000. Amerdream, could be blended to fill orders. Sentenced to four months Miami Beach, Fla. in county jail, 900 hours of community service picking up trash on the Los Angeles freeway, and a fine of $228,000 Worst gadget - Jet Trim Cellulite nozzle. The Jet Trim for unpaid newspaper advertising, after Los Angeles and Cellulite program sells 10 sessions to massage away a federal authorities moved quickly, Foster served time, problem that doesn't exist. A nozzle device similar to a but declined to pay the fine or pick up trash. Instead he vacuum cleaner is touted to break up the cellulite and fled to the Cayman Islands, where he reportedly has a enable it to be sloughed off by the body. Since cellulite large bank account. does not exist, the problem is mythical; cellulite is a quack term used to exploit the idea that lumpy fat deposits Diet pills noteworthy for their advertising gimmicks. respond to special treatment. Jet Trim, Oklahoma City, DreamAway advises, "Just take Dream Away before going Okla.6 to bed. You will wake up the next morning slimmer, trim­ mer ..." The Fat Blocker can "flush calories right out of

28 WEIGHT Loss QUACKERY AND FADS HEALTHY WEIGHT JOURNAL Nonprescription diet drug products banned

The following 111 ingredients are not generally recognized as safe and effective and are misbranded when present in nonprescription weight control drug products.

Alcohol Citric acid Hydrastis canadensis Pancreatin Thiamine hydro- Alfalfa Cnicus benedictus Inositol Pantothenic acid chloride Iodine Alginic acid Copper Papain vitamin B1 Anise oil Copper gluconate Isoleucine Papaya enzymes Thiamine Arginine Com oil Juniper, potassium Pepsin mononitrate extract Ascorbic acid Com syrup Phenacetin vitamin B1 Bearberry Com silk, potassium Karaya gum Phenylalanine mononitrate Biotin extract Kelp Phosphorus Threonine Bone marrow, red Cupric sulfate Lactose Phytolacca Tricalcium Buchu Cyanocobalamin Lecithin Pineapple enzymes phosphate Buchu, potassium Leucine Plantago seed Tryptophan vitamin B12 extract Cystine Liver concentrate Potassium citrate Tyrosine Caffeine Dextrose Lysine Pyridoxine hydrochlo- Uva ursi-potassium Lysine hydrochloride Caffeine citrate Docusate sodium ride vitamin B6 extract Calcium Ergocalciferol Magnesium Riboflavin Valine Calcium carbonate Ferric ammonium Magnesium oxide Rice polishings Vegetable Calcium caseinate citrate Malt Saccharin Vitamin A Calcium lactate Ferric pyrophoshate Maltodextrin Sea minerals Vitamin A acetate Calcium pantothe- Ferrous fumarate Manganese citrate Sesame seed Vitamin A nate Ferrous gluconate Mannitol Sodium palmitate Carboxymethylcellu- Ferrous sulfate iron Methionine Sodium bicarbonate Vitamin E lose sodium Flax seed Methyl cellulose Sodium caseinate Wheat germ Carrageen an Folic acid Mono- and di-glycer- Sodium chloride salt Xanthan gum Cholecalciferol Fructose ides Soybean protein Yeast Choline Guar gum Niacinamide Soy meal Chondrus Histidine Organic vegetables Sucrose

FDA banned these 111 diet pill ingredients in 1992, after benzocaine in 1991 and says it is reviewing information a review of nearly 20 years. The ban does not include and complaints in regard to the safety, effectiveness and PPA (phenylpropanolamine) and benzocaine, which were abuse of these two drugs. listed as safe and effective by FDA in 1982, and are currently in most diet pills on grocery and drug store HEALTHY Wrumrr J OURNAL O&H JAN/FEB 92 shelves.The FDA reopened its investigation of PPA and FEDl

FRANcEs(FRANCIE) M. BERG,M.S., is the founder, publisher and editor of Healthy Weight Journal, formerly Obesity & Health, an international review of current research, news and commentary on weight and eating issues, and the National Coordinator of the Task Force on Weight Loss Abuse for the National Council Against Health Fraud. A licensed nutritionist and family wellness specialist, Berg is the author of eight books and an Adjunct Professor at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine.

HEALTHY WEIGHT JOURNAL WE IGHT Loss QUACKEKY AND FADS 29 How to report fraud If you've been scammed, or know someone who has, or you want to report a suspected fraud, the first place to go is usually the consumer protection department in your own state attorney general's office. Some states have more active consumer agencies than others, but all need to be encouraged, and all need more consumer complaints. To make a stronger impact, repeat your complaints to federal agencies. Contact the agencies below: - for help in getting reimbursement or redress for wrongs - to file complaints or report suspected fraud - to report injury (MedWatch for health providers) - to get information on products - to get information on how to proceed with a complaint

Your state consumer protection department. The state Postal Service: The postal service has authority to prevent attorney general has authority under most state consumer companies using the mails for fraudulent purposes. For protection statutes to investigate and prosecute unfair or products advertised or sent through the mails, contact: deceptive acts and practices. Many have the power to seek U.S. Postal Inspector consumer restitution, civil fines, and revocation of a US Postal Inspection Service company's authority to do business. Contact: 475 L Enfant Plaz.a West SW Your State Dept. of Consumer Protection Washington DC 20260-2175 Attorney General's Office Tel: 202-268-4272 State Capital Food and Drug Administration. FDA has jurisdiction over the content and labeling of foods, dru~, and medical Federal Trade Commission. FfC regulates the advertis­ devices. FDA can take law enforcement action to seire and ingandmarketingof foods, non-prescriptiondru~, medical prohibit the sale of products that are falsely labeled. devices and health care services. FfC can seek federal Contact local, regional (US Dept. of Health and Human court injunctions to halt fraudulent claims and obtain Services - FDA), or federal offices: redress for injured consumers. Contact: U.S. Food and Drug Administration Federal Trade Commission Consumer Affairs & Information Correspondence Branch 5600 Fishers Lane, HFC-110 6th & Pennsylvania Ave., NW Rockville, MD 20852-9787 Washington, DC 20580 Tel: 1-800-552-4440 Tel: 202-326-2222 Fax: 301-443-9767 FDA home page: HTTP://www.FDA.gov

FDA MedWatch for health providers: MedWatch is a new FDA program aimed at speeding up and increasing adverse-event reporting of drug and product problems. A survey found 50 percent of doctors are not aware they should report adverse drug and medical device reactions to the FDA. Thus, it took four years for FDA to get the weight loss product Cal-Ban 3000 off the market, but less than four months to withdraw temafloxacin. Both resulted in adverse effects including death, but the difference was an effective reporting system for prescription dru~ compared with less emphasis on over-the-counter dru~. Consumers are urged to insist that health providers report their complaints. FDA MedWatch 5600 Fishers Lane, HF-2, Rm 9-57 Rockville, MD 20857 Tel: 1-800-332-1088; 301-443-0117 Fax: 1-800-332-0178 crumbles under FDA scrutiny. truckers of obesity, tumors, ra­ 820-9478. References Healthy Weight Journal/Obe­ diation. Healthy Wweight Jour­ sity & Health 1990;4:9:8. nal/Obesity & Health Chapters Chapter 1 7. Nutrition Labeling Watch, 12, 1991;5:2:30. 1. Reader's Guide to Alternative 1. BergF,Educatingagainstquack­ 1995. 10. FDA talk paper, Mar 11, 1985. Health Methods, 1993, AMA ery. Healthy Weight JournaV Food ChemicalNews, Jun 1995. 11. FDA Consumer, Feb 1984; Apr 2. Tufts Diet & Nutrition Letter Obesity & Health 1990;4:9:66. 8. Iowa Dept. Public Health News 1984;21-22. Jun 1992;4. 2. UP syndicate, 1985. Release 5/11/1995. 12. High Desert Honeybee Pollen 3. J Dermatologic Surgery/Oncol­ 3. Berg F, False prophets. Healthy 9. FDA Consumer, June 1995. brochure. ogy, March 1978. Weight Journal/Obesity & Berg F, Healthy Weight Jour­ 13. Medical Journal of Australia; 4. L&H Vitamins, 37-10 Crescent Healthy 1988;2:2:6. nal. Mushroom tea alert. AP March 23, 1994. St., Long Island Qty, NY 11101 4. NewsweekJune 26, 1995. 1995;9:5:93,99 14. Barrett S, Be wary of "calorie­ orders 1-800-221-1152; cus­ 5. Nutrition Forum May/June blockers. 1990;4:?:69. tomer service 1-800-544-2598. 1995;12:3:35. Chapter 3 15. FDA Fraud Alert, Fall 1989; 5. L&H Vitamins, 37-10 Crescent 6. Health & Wellness Today Win­ 1. Berg F, False claims for passive Berg F., Blocking the Fat St., Long Island Qty, NY 11101 ter 1994. exercise exposed by FTC. blocker. Healthy Weight Jour­ orders 1-800-221-1152; cus­ 7. Berg F, Guidelines for Evaluat­ Healthy Weight Journal/Obe­ nal/Obesity & Health 1990 tomer service 1-800-544-2598. ing Commerical Weight Loss sity & Health 1992;6:3:52,57. 4;4:8. 6. Faja Fantastica - Berg F, FTC Promotions. Healthy Weight 2. Berg F, Fraud front. Healthy 16. Berg F, The fiber pill craze. cracks down on false advertis­ Journal/Obesity & Healthy Weight Journal/Obesity & Healthy Weight Journal/Obe­ ing. Healthy Weight Journal/ 1988;2:2:6. Health/International Obesity sity & Health 1987;?:8:8.* Obesity & Health Berg F, The facts about weight Newsletter 1988;2:11:6. 17. Berg F, FTC Charges Fibre 1992;6:4:73,76. loss products and programs. 3. FDA Consumer Jun Trim With False Advertising. 7. Berg F, No-Fault System Healthy Weight Journal/Obe­ 1988,22:5:2. Healthy Weight Journal/Obe­ faulted for false medical claims. sity & Health 1992;6:5:91. 4. O&H May/Jun 1992:52. sity & Health 1990;4:10:80. Healthy Weight Journal/Obe­ 8. Berg F, The world of weight loss . 5. Mayo Clinic Nutrition Letter 18. Berg F, The ephedrine connec­ sity & Health 1991;5:5:82. fraud. Healthy Weight JournaV 1989;2:7. tion: Why people are dying. 8. Benda-Moe B, 'Primary Plan' Obesity & Health 1990;4:9:66. 6. Berg F, Passive exercise: no Healthy Weight Journal targets new mothers. Healthy 9. Berg F, Weight Loss Fraud and sweat. Healthy Weight JournaV 1995;9:4:76. Weight Journal/Obesity & Quackery. Healthy Weight Obesity & Health 1990;4:5:12. 19. Rosencrans K, Diet pills sus­ Health 1991;5:6:99,102. Journal/Obesity & Health 7. Berg F, 'Cellulite' sells scams for pected in deaths. Healthy 9. Berg F, Weight loss franchises 1990;4:9:71. con artists. Healthy Weight Weight Journal 1994;8:4:68. to increase. Healthy Weight Berg F, Weight Loss Fraud and Journal/Obesity & Health 20. Health Risks of Weight Loss Journal/Obesity & Health Quackery. Healthy Weight 1993;7:2:32-33. 1995;34. 1991;5:4:64-6S. Journal/Obesity & Health 8. Berg F, Museum of Question­ 21. FDA Consumer, May 1995:3. 10. Berg F; Lose weight, earn 1990;4:9:71. able Medical Devices opens. 22. Mini Thin, Body Dynamics $1,000. Healthy Weight Jour­ Healthy Weight Journal/Obe­ Pharmaceuticals,Box 78610, In­ nal/Obesity & Health 1989; Chapter 2 sity & Health 1989;3:9:8. dianapolis, IN 46278 1-800- 3:4:32. 1. Berg F, 'Cellulite' sells scams for 9. McCoy R, Museum of Ques­ 428-2352. 11. NCAHF Newsletter, Nov/Dec con artists. Healthy Weight tionable Medical Devices, 43 23. Berg F, Chromium Picolinate: 1988. Journal/Obesity & Health Main Street SE, Minneapolis, Scam of the hour? Healthy 12. O&H Feb 1990:16. 1993;7:2:32-33. MN 55414 612-379-4046. Weight Journal/Obesity & 13. Nutrition Forum Nov/Dec 2. Rosencrans K, Researchers Health 1993;7:3:54. 1989;6:6:46-47. claim key to thinner thighs. Chapter 4 24. Int J Sport Nutrition June Berg F, Chinese slimming tea Healthy Weight Journal/Obe­ 1. Berg F, Herbals - a hoax? 1994;142-153. scam is crushed in legal drama sity & Health 1994:8:3:53,54. Healthy Weight Journal/Obe­ 25. Berg F, Chromium picolinate - Healthy Weight Journal/Obe­ 3. Tufts University Diet & Nutri­ sity & Health 1993;7:5:95. still hot on the market. Healthy sity & Health 1990;4:2:8. tion Letter Feb 1994;3-6. 2. Berg F, Herbal 'foods' promise Weight Journal 1994;8:4:73-74. 14. Berg F, Herbalife -wealthy life. 4. Los Angeles, AP, 7-11-88; Nu­ healing, may cause injury in­ 26. International Journal of Sport Healthy Weight Journal/Obe­ trition Forum 5;5:88; NCAHF stead. Healthy Weight JournaV Nutrition 1992;2:111-122. sity & Health 1994;8:2:35-36. Newsletter, 11;3:88. Obesity & Health 1993;7:6:113- 27. Fridh E & J , Health, Weight, 15. Herbalife, Box 92459, Los An­ FDA Consumer Sept 89:39-40. 116. Wealth Company, Box 954, geles, CA 90009 310-410-9600; Berg F, Appetite patch scheme 3. Health Center for Better Liv­ Georgetown, TX 78627, 512- 1-800-743-S60Sext 6013. foiled, $26 million in kits de­ ing, 6189 Taylor Rd., Naples FL 869-159. 16. Berg F, Infomercials abuse pub­ stroyed. Healthy Weight Jour­ 33942 813-566-2611. 28. Chrom Pico Plus, Home Health, lic airways. Healthy Weight nal/Obesity & Health 4. Indiana Botanic Gardens, Box 1160 Millers Lane, Virginia Journal/Obesity & Health 1989;3:12:8. 5, Hammond IN 46325. Beach, VA 23451 1-800-284- 1992;6:2:32-32. Berg F, Combined forres work 5. MarTrim, Dept Al 1,881 NE 26 9123. 17. Healthy Weight Journal/Obe­ to rid marketplace of fraud. Street, #216; Wilton Manors, 29. Kyo-Chrome, International sity & Health 2:10:6. Healthy Weight JournaVObe­ FL 33305. Academy Health and Fitness, 18. Gorayeb Seminars, 101 sity & Health 1990;4:9:70. 6. L&H Vitamins, 37-10 Crescent Distributor, Dennis M. Blank, Roundhill Drive, Rockaway,NJ Berg F, Fraud front. Healthy St., Long Island Qty, NY 11101 Box 208, Williston, ND 58801. 07866, 1-800-786-7123. Weight Journal/Obesity & orders 1-800-221-1152; cus­ Healthy Weight Journal/Obe­ Berg F, Feds act against mix of Health/InternationalNewsletter tomer service 1-800-544-2598. sity & Health Nov/Dec scams. Healthy Weight Journal Obesity 1988;2:10:6. 7. Berg F, 'Cellulite' sells scams for 1992;6:6:110. 1994;8:S:94. 5. Berg F, Appetite spray teases con artists. Healthy Weight 30. Body Gold, 5930 La Jolla FTC News Notes 1994;94:7:1. tastebuds.Healthy Weight Jour­ Journal/Obesity & Health Hermosa, La Jolla, CA 92037. Berg F, Can you lose weight nal/Obesity & Health 1993;7:2:32-33. 31. Tri-Chromolene,Achievers Un­ with hypnosis? Healthy Weight 1991;5:3:49. 8. Healthy Weight Journal/Obe­ limited, Inc., 777 S Hagler Dr., Journal 1995;9:2:33. 6. Berg F, Phoenix Fiber Cookie sity & Health Mar/Apr 1992:31. 8th F1oor, West Tower, West 9. Berg F. Bee pollen "cures" Palm Beach, FL 33401 407-

HEALTHY WEIGHT JOURNAL WEIGHT Loss QUACKERY AND FADS 31 Index of products

A Delta Fabulous Fiber C.ookie, 9 Herbalife Thermojetics, 23 p Activated Fiber Tablets, 24 Dessert Diet Wafers, 21 HGH,20 Passive exercise table, 10-11, 26 Acu-Stop 2000, 11, 27 Diet Disk Program, 14 Hypnosis, 24, 25 Phoenix Capsules, Fiber C.ookie, Amerdream, 21-22 Diet Patches, 28 Fizzie, Nutritious Beverage, AnuskaBio-Response Body C.ontour- Diet Systems 2001, 13 I Vitamins,9 ing Program, 27 Dr. Oayton's Natural Program for Inches Aweigh, 12, 1-9-20 Primary Plan, 20, 27 Appetoff Diet Patch, 8 Weight C.ontrol, 19, 27 J Dream Away, 28 R B Jet Trim, 11, 18-19 Relaxarisor, 12 Dream Cream, 7 Jet Trim Cellulite Program, 11, 28 B-6, 13 Durable Minceur, 7 Revlon's Ultima II ProC.ollagen Anti- Bee pollen, 14-15 K Cellulite, 7, 26 Bee Sweet, 15-16; Grapefruit Diet, E Kelp, 13 Royal Jelly, 14 13-15, 27 Earl Mindell's Herb Bible, 17 Kombucha Mushroom Tea, 9, 25 Beneficial International Body Wrap, Eat-Less Diet Lozenge, 21 s 27 Eliminator, 20 L Sambu Internal Oeansing Program, Berry Trim, 28; Bio-Response Body Ephedrine, 16, 25 L & H Vitamins, 20, 26 19 C.ontouring Gel, Firming Lo­ Eurotrym Diet Patches, 8, 23 Laci Le Beau Super Dieter's Tea, 9 Seawrack, 13 tion, and Multi-Revitalizing Lecithin, 13 Select Senna Leaf Tea, 9 Cream/ Celulean, 24 F Life Way's Slender-Mist, 8 Slender You, 11, 27 Blood Qeanser, 19 Faja Fantastica , 7 Lifestyles C.ookies, 9 Slender Mist Appetite Spray, 28 Fat blockers, 15, 26 Body Expose, 7 Lifestyles Diet Products, 9 Slimnonics Electro Body Toner, 12 Body Trim, 27 Fat Magnet, 28 Smooth C.ontours, 8, 26 M Body Trimmer, 10 Fennel, 13 Spanish Telemarketing, 7 Manchurian Mushroom Tea, 9, 25 Bromelain, 13 Fiber Full, 15 Starch blockers, 15 Fibre Rich, 15 Magnetic Belt, 12 Sugar blockers, 15 C Fibre Trim, 15 MarTrim , 13, 26 Synchrona)Anuska,14,27 CalBan 3000, 14-15, 28 Figure-Tron, 12 Maxilite Fat Blocker, 15 Cell-U-Loss Body Toner, 11, 14-15, F1eetwood Tables, 27 MiniThin, 18, 25 T \ 24-Hour Diet Tea, 9 23 Formula 1, 2, and 3, 24 Mushroom Tea, 9, 25 Cellular Nutrition Health and Weight Formula One, 16, 25 Thermojetics, 23, 25 N Management System, 24 Thermojetics Body Toning Cream, 8 Nemectron, 12 Cellulite Relief System, 7 G Thinz Grapefruit & Fiber, 15 Nettle Herb, 13 Cellulite Very Intensive Beauty Treat- Gorayeb Learning Systems, 24 Total C.ontrol, 10 Night-Trim Diet Tablet, 21 ment, 7 Gorayeb R B, Hypnotherapist, 24, Trim-Maxx,9 Ninzu Ear Clips, 26 Cellulite, 18-19 25-26 No-Fault System, 20 u Chinese Ma Huang, 16, 23, 26 Grapefruit Diet Plan, 13 Nu-Day Diet Program, Herbulk, and Ultimate Solution Diet Program, 21, Cho Low Tea, 3, 22, 28 Gut Buster, 11, 26 Meal Replacement Formula, 28 Chrom Pico Plus, 19 H 23-24 Ultra Slim Tea, 9 Chromium pic:olinate, 16-18, 26 HCG,6 Nutri/System, 8 Understanding Nutrition, 18-19 Nutrition 21, 26, 16-17 Herba-Qenz, 19 Nutralizer GH, 3 Qinical Therapeutics, 8 V Herbal Teas, 9 Nutrition 21, 20-21 C.ontiniuous Passive Motion Tables, Herbal Cellulite Cream, Tablets, 13- Vision-Dieter, 12 10 14 0 w Ozonator, 12 D Herbalife International, 14, 22-23 Weight C.ontrol, 20-21 Delta Enhanced Formula Pills, 9 Herbalife Slim and Trim, 23 ORDER NOW to get the facts you need! I!(' YES! I want to receive the top resources in the field of POSTAGE: BOOKS: U .S.-$3.00 1st book, $1 each additional. Foreign-$3.00 surface each; healthy weight management. Please send me immediately the $9.00 airmail each. publications checked below: SUBSCRIPTIONS: Foreign - add $5.00/year . CJ Afraid to Eat: Children and Teens - $21.95 Total Enclosed $____ _ CJ Children and Teens: Summary - $11.95 CJ Health Risks of Weight Loss - $21.95 each Method of payment (US funds on9>): D Enclosed CJ Weight Loss Quackery and Fads - $11.95 each D Bill me (Institutions only) PO# ____ _ CJ Health Risks of Obesity - $29.95 each D Charge card D Visa D MasterCard CJ Healthy Weight Journal - $59.00/year (bimonthly) Card number

NAME------.please pnnt ------Expiration date Signature ADDRESS ------

1GUARANTEE: Your satisfaction 100% guaranteed or receive a FAX TO 701-567-2602 OR C ALL 701-567-2646 full refund, no questions asked. OR MAILTo : HEALTHY WEIGHT JOURNAL, 402 S. 14TH SrREET,HETTINGER , ND 58639 What's wrong with fraud?

Weight loss fraud causes many injuries and d~aths every year. _It foste~s ~u.ltis~, fear and distrust; it destroys, deceives and mampulates. Con artists specializing ID weight loss fraud target and exploit the most vulnerable among us. Unfortunately, there's a great deal of complacency about fraud. Many health pro­ fessionals shrug it off as not their concern. Consumers seldom complain. Regulatory agencies plead budget constraints. But we can no longer afford to be complacent about the current upsurge in fraud and quackery in the health field. Weight loss fraud is harmful in these five ways:

1. Increases health risk. Weight loss fraud, quackery and fads cause many injuries, severe reactions and deaths each year in the U.S. Misplaced belief in quackery also prevents people from seeking adequate medical care. 2. Increases financial stress. Americans pay out an estimated $10 to $40 billion annually in .weight loss fraud alone. 3. Increases emotional costs. Repeated attempts to lose weight, followed by the inevitable regain, bring a sense of failure, shame and powerlessness to the customer. It batters the self-esteem and can be psychologically damaging. 4. Promotes paranoia. Quackery plays on health fears, fosters delusion, cultism, fanaticism, paranoia, extremism, alienation, pseudoscience and distrust of the medical community. It corrupts truth and reason. 5. Interferes with responsible programs. With their magical solutions and outra­ geous promises, con artists undermine responsible weight management and wellness programs, and make them seem ineffective by comparison.

What can you do? You can help bring about change by combatting fraud and falsehood with truth. It does matter that children, teens and adults develop healthy attitudes and learn to eat, move and live in healthy ways. We urge you to confront health fraud wherever you find it, and to help your family, friends, associates, patients and clients under­ stand the vast difference between science and pseudoscience. You can make a difference in reducing fraud by exposing worthless diet and food supplement prod­ ucts, reporting scams, registering complaints, and urging action by appropriate agencies.

(i Exceptional ... Weight Loss Quackery and Fads provides guidelines for spotting weight Joss fraud and quackery, describes the modus operandi of weight loss quacks . .. insight on categories of products . .. ~ NATIONAL COUNCIL AGAINST HEALTH FRAUD

ISBN: 0-918532-60-4