REBECCA S BUSCHWe are constantly being bombarded with advertisements for getting in shape with supplements that are going to be the ‘end all, be all cure’ to a life-long habit of hand to mouth excess. Well, if you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you.
The Lure of Dietary Supplements
Seriously, it’s easy to succumb to the lure of dietary supplements that will magically ‘melt the pounds’ and ‘sculpt the abs’. As with anything else, buyer beware of programs and solutions that simply don’t make sense. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. As my Dad, a retired family practice Doc and surgeon, would tell his five girls “you need to control two things: first the hand to mouth (basically control what you eat and the choices you make), and secondly, have a regular eating and activity schedule. Popping a diet pill and expecting to live on Starbucks and prepackaged ‘diet’ foods while sitting on the couch is not a healthy choice. That aside, the concerns are so great that the FDA issued a warning in December of 2010 regarding the two key areas of abuse, and a warning of a popular diet drug counterfeit (Alli) being sold over the internet.
The Dangers of Diet Pills
Please note the following FDA alert:
“Weight loss products containing active ingredients such as sibutramine: Sibutramine is the active ingredient in the drug Merida, which was recently withdrawn from the market due to increased risk of heart attack and stroke. The FDA has discovered dozens of products, such as Slimming Beauty4, Solo Slim5, Slim-306, and others, which contain sibutramine or closely related drugs (analogs).”
“Body-building products containing anabolic steroids or steroid analogs: These products can cause acute liver injury and increase the risk for heart attack, stroke and death. Products like Tren Xtreme, ArimaDex, and Clomed have been labeled to contain either anabolic steroids or aromatase inhibitors, which prevent anabolic steroids from being converted to estrogen.”
Counterfeit ALLI (60mg) – Please see link if you suspect you are taking the counterfeit Alli. The counterfeit product encountered by the FDA contains sibutramine, another weight-loss drug that works by altering neurotransmitters in the brain, specifically blocking the reuptake of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin.
Why should you be concerned? According to FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg M.D., “These tainted products can cause serious adverse effects, including strokes, organ failure, and death,” further, she comments “The manufacturers selling these tainted products are operating outside the law.”
If you are taking something and are worried about it feel free to send me a note at rbusch@mbaaudit.com
Most importantly, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
Thanks for reading!
Healthcare Advocate
Rebecca Busch