Unit 4
Health Consumerism
Who is Vulnerable?
- Quick fixes
- Weight loss
- Muscle gain
- Sexual dysfunction
- Serious Illness
- Cancer
- AIDS
- MS
- Alzheimer’s
FDA Regulations
Strong links, based on scientific evidence, between a food substance
and a disease or health condition
- Examples:
- Calcium may reduce the risk of the bone disease osteoporosis
- Folic acid may reduce the risk of neural tube defect-affected
pregnancies
Dietary supplements may carry claims that describe the effect of a substance
in maintaining the body’s normal structure or function, i.e., “Product
B promotes healthy joints and bones”
Dietary Supplements
- Dietary supplements are not required to undergo government testing
or review before they are marketed
- Supplements can have a drug-like effect that could present risks for
people on certain medicines or with certain medical conditions
- Check with your healthcare professional
Spotting Fraud
- This treatment is a “cure-all”
- Statements that claim treatment or cure
- Promotional claims: “scientific breakthrough” or “secret
ingredient”
- Undocumented case histories
- Limited availability and pressure to “buy now”
- Celebrity spokespersons
Sources of Information
Case Study
- Celebrex and Vioxx released in 1999
- Claims of relieving arthritis pain safely and more effective than
other OTC meds
- Much more expensive
- Compare $100 -$140 to $10 per month for aspirin, ibuprofen, and
naproxen sodium
Conflict of Interest
- Study published in JAMA (2000) found Celebrex did reduce risk of ulcers…at
the first 6 months of the study
- At one year out, these results did not hold true
- Interestingly…the study was funded by Pharmacia, the manufacturer
of Celebrex
- More and more research is being conducted by the drug industry rather
than the government
- Increases the risk of conflict of interest
- Three-year rule: avoid drugs that have been marketed for less than
3 years, unless no other options. Allows for proper evaluation of medicines.
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