FTC Clamps Down on Skinny Pill for Kids 36181

FTC Clamps Down on Skinny Pill for Kids

WASHINGTON--The makers of a weight-loss product targeted at childrenhas been charged with making unsubstantiated claims. The Fountain of Youth GroupLLC, 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 forits Skinny Pill AM, Skinny Sleep PM, Skinny Carbs and Skinny Pill for Kids. Thecompanys principal, Edita Kaye, was also named in the suit. The proposedsettlement against the company carried a judgment of $6 million, which has beensuspended because of the defendants inability to pay the amount.

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

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

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

As early as January 2003, the U.S. government had already begun questioningthe validity of Kayes Skinny Pills--an action that caused Kaye to play dumb.The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports warned parents aboutthese supplements in its monthly newsletter, and in response to inquiries madeby the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Kaye reported the company did notproduce a product called Skinny Pill for Kids. However, the committee calledKaye on her inaccurate statement, and cited instances when she went on nationaltelevision shows, such as Connie Chung Tonight and The Today Show, to promotethe 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.