The FDA identified the weight loss products as: Fatloss Slimming, Japan Lingzhi 24 Hours Diet, 7 Day Herbal Slim, 999 Fitness Essence, Imelda Perfect Slim, Perfect Slim, ProSlim Plus, Slim Express 360, Superslim, Venom Hyperdrive 3.0, 2 Day Diet, 5x Imelda Perfect Slimming, 8 Factor Diet, Extrim Plus, Lida DaiDaihua, Perfect Slim 5x, Royal Slimming Formula, Slimtech, TripleSlim, 3x Slimming Power, 3 Day Diet, 7 Diet Day/Night Formula, GMP, Miaozi Slim Capsules, Phyto Shape, Slim 3 in 1, Somotrim, and Zhen de Shou.Clearly the old advice to read the label carefully does not work in this case. It appears that most of the products are imported or have ingredients with overseas origins...that may be at least one tip off that the label cannot be trusted.
"These tainted weight loss products pose a great risk to public health because they contain undeclared ingredients and, in some cases, contain prescription drugs in amounts that greatly exceed their maximum recommended dosages," Dr. Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a news release. "Consumers have no way of knowing that these products contain powerful drugs that could cause serious health consequences. Therefore, FDA is taking this action to protect the health of the American public."
The FDA said an analysis found that the undeclared ingredients in some of these products include sibutramine (a controlled substance), rimonabant (a drug not approved for marketing in the United States), phenytoin (an anti-seizure medication), and phenolphthalein (a solution used in chemical experiments and a suspected cancer-causing agent). Some of the amounts of active ingredients greatly exceed FDA-recommended levels, putting consumers' health at risk, the agency said.
The risks posed by these products can be serious, the FDA said. For instance, sibutramine, which was found in many of the products, can cause high blood pressure, seizures, palpitations, heart attack or stroke. The drug can also interact with other medications that patients may be taking and increase their risk of serious side effects. The safety of sibutramine also hasn't been determined for women who are pregnant or breast-feeding, or in children younger than 16 years of age, the agency said.
Be careful dieters, and disgard any of these products you have in your possession. And this season, instead of the quick fix for holiday overindulgence how about a little moderation at the dinner table and a little more gym time afterwards instead...because clearly there is no skinny in a pill.
