Just a few months ago, the Food and Drug Administration warned us not to buy or take these 28 weight loss products because they have dangerous ingredients. Now that list is up to 72 products.
Some of them are marketed as dietary supplements, and sold on Web sites and in some stores and beauty salons. The FDA says the products claim to be “natural” or to contain only “herbal” ingredients, but they actually have potentially harmful ingredients that are not listed on the products’ labels or in their ads.
Some of the ingredients that concern the FDA include:
- sibutramine – an appetite suppressant available by prescription only and a controlled substance
- fenproporex – a controlled substance not approved for marketing in the United States
- fluoxetine – an antidepressant available by prescription only
- bumetanide – a potent diuretic available by prescription only
- furosemide – a potent diuretic available by prescription only
- rimonabant – a drug not approved for marketing in the United States
- cetilistat – an experimental obesity drug not approved for marketing in the United States
- phenytoin – an anti-seizure medication available by prescription only
- phenolphthalein – a solution used in chemical experiments and a suspected cancer-causing agent that is not approved for marketing in the United States
Go here for a complete list of the weight loss products included in the FDA’s warning.
