| In countries such as the United States, weight control is | | | | herbalists alike are becoming concerned that many |
| a very serious issue that is quite literally a matter of life | | | | people are spending their money for substances that |
| and death. The U.S. population has one of the largest | | | | will not help and may even hurt them. |
| numbers of obese and overweight people. For this | | | | Until recently, government oversight and consumer |
| reason, there is now a huge and growing demand for | | | | protection were very limited to products that were |
| quick, easy schemes to lose weight. Despite the | | | | classified as dietary supplements. But new |
| seemingly countless "miracle" diet schemes available to | | | | regulations contained within the Federal Food, Drug, |
| the public, a product or method has yet to emerge | | | | and Cosmetic Act give the FDA, the federal agency |
| which allows for quick, easy and physically safe | | | | responsible for overseeing the safety of U.S. food and |
| weight-loss such as herbal supplements. | | | | drug products, the authority to oversee the |
| The most well-known herbal supplements are | | | | manufacture of domestic and foreign-made dietary |
| ephedrine or ephedra, guarana, St. John's Wart, and | | | | supplements, including herbal supplements. The |
| Senna. They generally act as "fat burners" by boosting | | | | regulations require supplement manufacturers to |
| the metabolism. They may be successful weight loss | | | | evaluate the identity, purity, strength, and composition |
| supplements --- but only in the short term. One should | | | | of their dietary supplements to ensure that they |
| be warned early on about the possible side effects of | | | | contain what their labels claim and are free of |
| these so-called "miracle" diet supplements. Like any | | | | contaminants. The new regulations will be phased in |
| other medications, herbal supplements are not without | | | | over the next three years, so not all supplements are |
| adverse effects. A lot of over-the-counter (OTC) | | | | currently tested. |
| herbal supplements that are readily available in | | | | The fine line between selling and giving medical advice |
| pharmacies and health food stores lack the literature | | | | is of concern to the health food industry too, |
| about the product. | | | | researchers say. Those who sell supplements should |
| Moreover, shoppers searching for dietary supplements | | | | know their product but they should not dispense any |
| in health food stores may get useless or even deadly | | | | medical advice. To be on the safe side, retailers should |
| advice from store clerks who are not really | | | | not go much beyond label statements. |
| well-versed about the products they are selling. Some | | | | In the current deregulated climate, consumers should |
| only know that the products are for weight loss and | | | | educate themselves before even setting foot in a |
| that they are needed to be sold and dispatched for | | | | health food store, and should read up on supplements |
| business' sake, convincing every shopper that it is, in | | | | before going to the store. They should also get |
| fact, the best weight loss pill. | | | | information from someone who is not selling the |
| In the wake of Congress deregulating the health food | | | | product. So when it comes to getting advice at the |
| industry with the Dietary Supplement Health and | | | | health food store, the quality of the advice being |
| Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA), the business of | | | | dispensed is anyone's guess, and the environment is |
| handing out unproven remedies has mushroomed to a | | | | definitely agreeing one of the principles of |
| $15 billion industry. Medical doctors and legitimate | | | | commerce..."caveat emptor," or "let the buyer beware. |