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Consumer Health Digest #08-07
February 12, 2008
Current # of subscribers: 11,719
Consumer Health Digest is a free weekly e-mail newsletter edited by
Stephen Barrett, M.D., and cosponsored by NCAHF and Quackwatch. It
summarizes scientific reports; legislative developments; enforcement
actions; news reports; Web site evaluations; recommended and
nonrecommended books; and other information relevant to consumer
protection and consumer decision-making.
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Quackwatch and Dr. Barrett need your help.
If you haven't already done so, please read
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support our work.
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British agency concludes that Rodale book ads were misleading.
The British Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ordered Rodale
International to not repeat two mail-order ads and to seek its advice
before advertising again. The adjudication involved claims that
"Extraordinary Healing" (by Art Brownstein, M.D.) and "The Gluten
Connection" (by Shari Lieberman, Ph.D.) would enable readers to
"heal" serious diseases. The Extraordinary Healing ad claimed that
"there's almost no illness that your healing system can't handle" and
that "even diseases that are considered incurable can be overcome
when you tap into your body's healing system." The other ad claimed
that "after all the drugs and mainstream treatments have failed,"
Lieberman's "natural solutions" had been able to help "as many as 85%
of patients who had all but given up." Although Rodale supplied a
long list of case studies and other references, ASA concluded that:
(a) this evidence was not sufficient to support the extraordinary
claims in either the ads or the books, and (b) the ads contained
"irresponsible" statements that medical treatment would not be
necessary. The ASA's approach is tougher than that of the U.S.
Federal Trade Commission. In the United States, books are permitted
to make false health claims as long as they are not part of a product
marketing scheme. The FTC will consider intervening only if an ad
falsely portrays what a book says, and not whether the book's advice
is valid. The full text of the ASA adjudication has been posted to
http://www.casewatch.org/foreign/asa/rodale.shtml###
FTC attacks another weight-loss fake.
The FTC has filed suit against California-based Medlab, Inc.,
Pinnacle Holdings, Inc., Metabolic Research Associates, Inc., U.S.A.
Health, Inc., and their principal, L. Scott Holmes, charging them
with falsely claiming that Zyladex Plus, Questral AC, Questral AC Fat
Killer Plus, Rapid Loss 245, and Rapid Loss Rx cause users to lose
weight without dieting or exercise. [FTC sues sellers of weight loss
pills for false advertising. FTC news release, Feb 8, 2008]
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/02/zyladex.shtm The pills contain a proprietary blend of kola nut, citrus aurantium
(bitter orange), cornflower, bladderwrack, green tea extract, white willow
bark, eleutherococcus senticosis, l-tyrosine, yerba mate, and kelp. Since
2005 they have marketed them with statements such as "Lose up to 15
pounds a week," "Not Even Total Starvation Can Slim You Down and Firm
You Up This Fast - This Safe!," and "No Dieting, No Exercise." They
have also claimed that clinical studies prove those claims and that
their product causes permanent or long-term weight loss. Although the
FTC urges the nation's media to reject ads that violate its "red
flag" guidelines (impossible claims)
http://www.ftc.gov/redflag, the
public is exposed to an endless parade of such ads, many of which are
extremely profitable to the marketers, the media that convey the
claims, and the credit card companies that process the orders. Public
protection against weight-loss fakes cannot be achieved unless laws
are passed to deter advertising outlets and credit card companies
from facilitating their sale.
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New site notes dangers of uncritical thinking.
The newly created what's the harm? Web site summarizes and links to
hundreds of reports of people who have been killed, injured, or
swindled by faulty beliefs.
http://www.whatstheharm.net More than 60 topics are covered.
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Other issues of the Digest are accessible through
http://www.ncahf.org/digest08/index.htmlFor information about the National Council Against Health Fraud, see
http://www.ncahf.org/about/mission.htmlIf you enjoy the newsletter, please recommend it to your friends.
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Stephen Barrett, M.D.
Board Chairman, Quackwatch, Inc.
Chatham Crossing, Suite 107/208
11312 U.S. 15 501 North
Chapel Hill, NC 27517
Telephone: (919) 533-6009
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Editor, Consumer Health Digest
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