Diet Safety: Why the Fuss?

Megan Roth

Contributor

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If you follow the InjuryBoard blogs, you probably know that I’ve spent the better part of the month writing on the issues surrounding diet pills / supplements.

For many of the reviewed products, the potential side effects and adverse health effects were similar in scope (not that they were the same, but many such effects are attributed to caffeine and other stimulants, which inevitably cause increased blood pressure and heart rate, restlessness, anxiety, etc).

If this is the case and you have indeed been following the blogs, you’re probably wondering why we didn’t generalize them all into one or two articles. Why, instead, we reviewed each weight loss aid and crash diet rather than just highlighting the key points common to several articles?

Well, did you know that the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AACPP) has included dietary supplements in their reviews of poisonous substances since 1983? Or that, in the first year of their reviews alone, 14,006 of their reports were related to vitamins, minerals and essential oils – many of which were “all-natural”.

That’s enough to justify more than an article or two (if you ask me).

And those figures were from 1983 alone; imagine how those figures have changed today, after 26 years of media and societal pressure to be thin have led to the mass expansion of the dietary supplement market. Granted, weight loss aids and diet pills are just one section of the “dietary supplement” category (it also includes vitamins and minerals, among others); however, that one section has still done plenty of damage and is enough to raise a red flag when it comes to posing risks for consumers.

Just to give you an idea of the aforementioned mass expansion (and its results), consider this: in 2005 alone the AAPCC tallied 125,595 supplement-related incidents, 27 of which resulted in death. Like I said, that’s 2005 alone – which equals but a small portion of the 1.6 million total reports the AACPP logged from 1983 until that time.

And certain states have reacted. Many recognize the threats such supplements can pose and some have even passed legislations attempting to limit their exposure and risks. Heck, Congress has stepped up to the plate and has made movement to protect consumers against such risks.

Even today, the list of recalls and public warnings against consuming such supplements continues to grow. Just last week a $15 case dealing with dietary supplements was resolved.

In an attempt to keep up with the ever-changing legalities and health risks related to the industry, many individuals, agencies and legislatures alike use the International Bibliographic Information on Dietary Supplements research database to keep up on the risks associated with such supplements, and we suggest you do the same.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: not all supplements and weight loss aids are bad. However, it is important to know the risks associated with each before consuming. And if you (or anyone else you know) has fallen victim to or been affected by any such supplement, contact the Lombardi Law Firm.