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) The wider implications of GSK's weight loss petition
"The specific issue at the moment is weight loss. The larger issue is what is a disease?" said Loren Israelsen, executive director of the United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA), a trade association for the supplement industry.Disease definition"The definition of disease establishes the boundary line of market opportunities," he told NutraIngredients-USA.com.The petition could therefore open up a larger can of worms, as the overall definition of a 'disease' hangs in the balance."This extends far beyond current understanding of the definition of disease, and would have ramifications for many other product categories within the supplement industry," said Israelsen.The American Botanical Council expressed similar ideas."Many in the natural health and natural products community have already expressed their concerns that this petition is a disturbing trend," said Mark Blumenthal, founder and executive director."They ask, what condition might be next? For example, with type 2 diabetes being so prevalent, many herbs and other supplements are being researched and promoted to help with glycemic control. More>> - (
) Off the couch, potato
There's no shortage of products and methods available right now promising to help Americans get in shape - bulky exercise equipment, fad diets, weight-loss programs. But how about playing a video game to shed those extra pounds?That's the thinking behind Wii Fit, Nintendo's latest offering, which aims to blend the fun of a video game with the health benefits of a regular exercise routine. Ever since Nintendo launched the Wii in November 2006, one of its most important goals has been to make gaming more physically active and, in the process, draw in new players by going beyond the stereotype of couch potatoes staring vacantly at a television screen. The system is sold bundled with the game Wii Sports, which lets users play a round of golf or tennis by swinging the Wii remote around like a piece of sporting equipment. More>>
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) Health Canada restates warnings against ephedrine products
OTTAWA - Health Canada is reissuing earlier warnings about using products containing ephedra or ephedrine, in combination with caffeine and other stimulants, for weight loss, body building or increased energy.The combination could have lethal effects, the department warned. The only authorized products with ephedra or ephedrine are nasal decongestants.
Ephedra is a botanical source of the active ingredient ephedrine. Adverse effects associated with ephedrine can include dizziness, headache, decreased appetite, anxiety and restlessness, gastrointestinal distress, irregular or fast heartbeat, insomnia, flushing, sweating, high blood pressure, stroke, seizures, psychosis and even death.
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) GSK petition claims weight loss supplements have no science
GSK filed the petition at the end of last month, together with the American Dietetic Association, The Obesity Society and Shaping America's Health, an association for weight management.It maintains that obesity and overweight are significant risk factors for certain diseases, and so products promoting weight loss should be treated as drugs. However, the petitioners also claim that "there is no credible evidence whatsoever to support any type of qualified health claim for a weight loss supplement".Qualified health claims are those based on emerging evidence for the relationship between a food or supplement and a reduced risk of disease. Because the evidence is not well enough established to meet the significant scientific agreement standard, this type of claim must include qualifying language to indicate that the evidence supporting the claim is limited.No science…?GSK and the other petitioners maintain that during the past decade there have been a number of reviews of scientific literature surrounding weight loss supplements. More>> - (
) Body Solutions parent ex-CEO pleads guilty
DALLAS -- The former CEO of a company that used radio personalities to market Body Solutions weight-loss products pleaded guilty Monday to lying to federal regulators about his assets.Harry Siskind, 53, former chief executive of Mark Nutritional Inc., entered the plea in federal district court in San Antonio.
Siskind faces up to five years in federal prison, a fine up to $250,000 and $155 million in restitution when he is sentenced Aug. 28, federal officials said.
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