ePillz.com - The USA, Mexico and Canada Fight Against Weight Loss Frauds

The USA, Mexico and Canada Fight Against Weight Loss Frauds

October 24, 2005 - FDA, FTC –

The first results of legal actions against companies, promoting and selling bogus weight loss products, have been announced on October 24, 2005, in the official press-release, issued by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Nearly 730 compliance actions, such us court prosecutions, recalls, import refusals, warning letters and over $188 millions, ordered by American courts to be returned to defraud citizens – that is the statistics of the initiative, started in 2003, when the Trilateral Cooperation Charter agreement between the USA, Canada and Mexico was signed.

Since then six agencies (two at each country) work hard to stop promoting, spreading and selling products, which promise quick and effortless weight loss without appropriate scientific and clinical background. The authority’s actions target those products or diet plans, which mislead the public, endanger people’s health and provide false hope to those, suffering from overweight or obesity.

The fast-growing number of overweight people in North America (60% of American and Mexican population and 50% of Canadians) caused the raising of demand on the market of weight loss products, such as dieting plans, food supplements or drugs. At the same time, many frauds appeared, targeted at vulnerable people and promising them a 100% efficient, quick and easy way to lose weight with the help of magic pill or herbal food supplement. Many of such products are widely promoted in the Internet.

The program of three countries’ cooperation includes not only legal actions against producers or sellers of bogus products, but also comprehensive education and consulting support for consumers to help them identify scams. The example of educational project is FatFoe “teaser” web site, available in French, Spanish and English at the address http://wemarket4u.net/fatfoe/.

FDA reminds in its press-release, that the only way to loose weight is to follow a well-balanced, low calorie diet, accompanied with physical activity.

So, if you happen to come across the advertising of a 100% efficient, magic weight-loss pill, while surfing the web, do not be in a hurry to spend your money. Try to study all the available information on this product, provided by other resources, and check if the pill or supplement has FDA approval for its use on the USA territory.

Nick

External resources
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2005/NEW01247.html
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/intactivit/trilateral-coop/index_e.html