FTC Clamps Down on Skinny Pill for Kids

WASHINGTON--The makers of a weight-loss product targeted at children has been charged with making unsubstantiated claims. The Fountain of Youth Group LLC, based in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., settled with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on charges that the company made untrue weight-loss and health claims for its Skinny Pill AM, Skinny Sleep PM, Skinny Carbs and Skinny Pill for Kids. The companys principal, Edita Kaye, was also named in the suit. The proposed settlement against the company carried a judgment of $6 million, which has been suspended because of the defendants inability to pay the amount.

In an FTC press release issued Feb. 4, the agency reported it had filed its complaint based on claims the defendants were making for their skinny pill products, such as works overnight with a thermic formula to burn fat while you sleep and prevents starch from turning into sugar and then into fat. FTC alleges the defendants did not have a reasonable basis to claim their products could normalize insulin and blood sugar levels; cause dietary fat to be passed out of the body before being digested; or stop new fat from forming after consuming a starchy meal.

One of the herbs in question that appeared in all four skinny pills was uva ursi (bearberry), which acts as a diuretic. However, the Physicians Desk Reference for Herbal Medicines states uva ursi should not be given to children under age 12.

It was just not the inappropriate use of this herb that put this company under the spotlight. In a Dec. 9, 2003, CNN broadcast, medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen reported she started looking into this company when she read on the Skinny Pills Web site that diet and exercise are unrealistic for children, and children who took these supplements could eat pizza for lunch and cookies and ice cream for dinner. What kind of a diet is that for a child who needs to lose weight? Cohen posed, adding, A diuretic causes someone to lose water--which is not the way you should be losing weight, first of all--but it can be dangerous for kids. It could give your kids kidney problems. It could give your kids electrolyte imbalances.

As early as January 2003, the U.S. government had already begun questioning the validity of Kayes Skinny Pills--an action that caused Kaye to play dumb. The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports warned parents about these supplements in its monthly newsletter, and in response to inquiries made by the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Kaye reported the company did not produce a product called Skinny Pill for Kids. However, the committee called Kaye on her inaccurate statement, and cited instances when she went on national television shows, such as Connie Chung Tonight and The Today Show, to promote the Skinny Pill for Kids product. (The committees letter can be found at www.house.gov/commerce_democrats/press/108ltr20.htm.)

The companys Web site (www.skinnypill.com) was down for repair as of Feb. 4.