House Subcommittee Blasts Supplements for Kids

WASHINGTON--The dietary supplement industry was described as one in which "scam artists can make a lot of money" by the chairman of the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations during a hearing held June 16. Though titled "Parents Be Aware: Health Concerns about Dietary Supplements for Overweight Children," the hearing was clearly an attack on the credibility of the entire dietary supplement industry.

"Anyone can put together any product with any ingredients and no research, put it in a bottle and make a mint," concluded subcommittee Chairman Rep. James Greenwood (R-Pa.).

The hearing began with testimony from Howard Beales, director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Beales reviewed the FTC's efforts to stop deceptive claims for dietary supplements, particularly those products making weight loss claims and products intended for children.

"The agency's efforts to police the supplement marketplace include especially close scrutiny of products marketed for use in children or otherwise targeted to appeal to young consumers," Beales testified. Beales also described the FTC's cooperative efforts with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and reported on the agency's program to encourage the media to screen ads for deceptive weight loss claims. (Beales' full testimony is available at www.ftc.gov/os/2004/06/040616dietarysupptestimony.pdf.)

Joining Beales on the first panel were Dr. Howell Wechsler, acting director of the Division of Adolescent and School Health, Center for Disease Control and Prevention; Dr. Alison Hoppin, associate director for pediatric services, MGH Weight Center; and Keith Ayoob, associate professor of pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

The second panel consisted of executives and consultants involved in the formulation, manufacturing and marketing of dietary supplements intended for use by overweight children. Panelists included Edita Kaye, founder of The Skinny Pill Co.; Jose De La Rocha, director of quality control at PAL Labs; Jerry Rayman, vice president of sales at PAL Labs; Guy Regalado, former vice president of sales and marketing at Dynamic Health of Florida, LLC; Jonathan Barash, former president of DBS Labs; Dennis Gay, president of Basic Research; Daniel Mowrey, Ph.D., director of scientific affairs, Basic Research; Mitchell Friedlander, marketing consultant, Basic Research; and Dr. Nathalie Chevreau, nutritional research director, Basic Research.

Members of the subcommittee questioned the witnesses about the research supporting the safety and efficacy of their products. In particular, the subcommittee questioned the research supporting PediaLean, a product developed by Basic Research and marketed by Klein Becker USA, at one point describing the research as "laughable." This criticism was challenged by Basic Research's Friedlander and Chevreau, but Greenwood and fellow subcommittee member Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) remained unconvinced.

The hearing also touched on broader industry issues beyond products intended for use by children. During questioning about the research behind the dietary supplement Zantrex-3, a witness said that he "thought we were here to talk about children," to which Greenwood responded sharply "No, we are here to talk about the entire industry."

Additional members of the subcommittee include Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), two vocal critics of the dietary supplement industry and the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act.

Additional information about the hearing is available at http://energycommerce.house.gov/.