What are your thoughts on the FDA and their aggressive actio

caseyp1122

I was watching CNN and they did a segment on the new HCG diet craze that's sweeping the nation. This got me thinking about the FDA as a whole. I really have issue with the government telling me what I can and cannot ingest in regards to my own physical fitness. I'm reminded of a few years ago when Ephedra was all the craze and I witnessed it work wonders on folks who had issues with weight loss and I certainly didn't know anyone who died from it but yet as quickly as it was proven effective, the FDA had it yanked off the shelves and banned. It seems with each supplement that comes out that proves to be effective for the masses the FDA highlights the incredibly small minority that suffer from negative side effects to make their case as to why it should be banned. Now I don't want to utilize the HCG diet as a primary example because the diet requires you to only consume 500 calories and we all know how incredibly dangerous that is but it definitely lays the ground work for the bigger picture debate.
Also, don't get me wrong, I don't advocate doing away with the FDA because they obviously do good things, but do you think the way they arbitrarily choose to ban supplements or support them is lobbyist driven or do you believe they actually have your best interests at heart? I'd like to hear your thoughts on this debate?

keeley_jade_1992

they need to stop taking our diet pills away! more people die on the roads so shall we bank them? small minded argument but I'm that way out today x

lindsyrox

like most aspects of government i believe they have no right telling me or anyone for that matter what we can and cannot do with our bodies, our money, etc. Information is good, making people knowledgable on thing such as drugs and gimmicky fix quick solutions is great but then stepping forward and making the decision for us, NOT COOL.

Same idea with the four loco issue last year. so some dumbass college students drink too much and die, thats nothing new but it was the perfect excuse to ban the drink even though its still completely legal to buy alcohol and add as much caffiene as you want to it at home.

For being in the land of the 'free' we sure have a lot of people controlling every aspect of our lives.

Dgaines54

So imagine there's a product out there that kills 1 out of 10 people, but that helps the other 9 out of 10 get 5% better results from exercise.

Should that product be legal to sell? I'm going to guess your answer is no.

What if it was 1 out of 1,000,000,000 that dies? I'm going to guess your answer is yes.

So now we're just debating what is the 1 out of _______ number is that the FDA should set as its target?

caseyp1122

Keeley isn't it amazing that they are soo quick to ban supplements deeming them a danger to your life yet a new Mcdonalds or Burger King is built every 2 minutes. Certainly fast food doesn't instantly kill you but in my humble opinion it's way worse of an epidemic for an obese country than supplements used to help folks.

caseyp1122

So imagine there's a product out there that kills 1 out of 10 people, but that helps the other 9 out of 10 get 5% better results from exercise.

Should that product be legal to sell? I'm going to guess your answer is no.

What if it was 1 out of 1,000,000,000 that dies? I'm going to guess your answer is yes.

So now we're just debating what is the 1 out of _______ number is that the FDA should set as its target?

Interesting point but refer to my fast food analogy and I think it "pushes back" to your point

Jeff92se

Ephedra is a pretty big stimulant. I used to boil my own tea (tastes like dirt) but I can understand how the FDA frowned on it. HCG is not even supposed to be used for dietary purposes. Preggo piss? Seriously?

FDA has the most strict regulations on the planet and I can see where you are coming from. But these two examples aren't really good ones to use.

Problem is, you need a degree in physiology to know what is good/bad for you. Just because it's on the market and is marketed as "this" or "that" doesn't mean it's healthy or not.

The FDA regulations on supplements is actually very lax vs regulations on things considered "food".

oneIT

If its processed, it should be ban. Its all about money if you haven't noticed! They don't care about you!

caseyp1122

Jeff good points but I would argue that just because the FDA says something is bad for you doesn't necessarily make it true either. They are just as susceptible to special interest as any other branch of government.

shreddin_mama

exactly! Maybe the information given to us even isn't accurate. Watch Food Matter documentary or Food INC

Slove009

like most aspects of government i believe they have no right telling me or anyone for that matter what we can and cannot do with our bodies, our money, etc. Information is good, making people knowledgable on thing such as drugs and gimmicky fix quick solutions is great but then stepping forward and making the decision for us, NOT COOL.

Same idea with the four loco issue last year. so some dumbass college students drink too much and die, thats nothing new but it was the perfect excuse to ban the drink even though its still completely legal to buy alcohol and add as much caffiene as you want to it at home.

For being in the land of the 'free' we sure have a lot of people controlling every aspect of our lives.

I completely agree with the four loco thing. How many college kids go out and drink everclear straight and died from alcohol poisining or went on to wrap themselves around a tree? I don't see that being banned.

I actually am being ID'd now for 5hr energy drinks too. I heard that you now have to be at least 15+ to be able to get them. Sure, I don't know why a 12yr old would be needing a 5hr energy drink, but I've been drinking coffee since I was very young. Seems like pretty soon you'll have to have your ID checked just to get coffee from a cafe

lindsyrox

regardless of the risks involved i still dont think the government should make the decision for me. I believe this with all drugs. if i want to use ectasy and i'm aware of the risks then why shouldnt i be allowed to? its not a drug that woudl hurt anyone but myself. (for the record i'm completely drug free).

The government has become our parents and by doing so has taken away personal responsibility. if i eat something i know doesnt' seem safe for me but the FDA hasn't banned it yet and i get sick i can blame them, when really the responsibility should be on the user since it was their ultimate decision.

caseyp1122

I think it's a great debate to have and like another poster pointed out my two examples may not be the greatest but it just highlights the issue at hand....

Jeff92se

We need to clarify that FOOD is not regulated the same as supplements.

Larius

It's business. Follow the money. Whether it's HCG, ephedra, or kidney bean extract, if it interferes with big business' sales, the hammer will come down.

AlsDonkBoxSquat

Keeley isn't it amazing that they are soo quick to ban supplements deeming them a danger to your life yet a new Mcdonalds or Burger King is built every 2 minutes. Certainly fast food doesn't instantly kill you but in my humble opinion it's way worse of an epidemic for an obese country than supplements used to help folks.

I don't see how these things are similar. In one hand you have chemicles that you are ingesting into your body with side effects, on the other hand you're talking about banning fat . . .
Now, if you went suppliments and other chemicles = tobacco products I'll hear you out on that one.

Jeff92se

Jeff good points but I would argue that just because the FDA says something is bad for you doesn't necessarily make it true either. They are just as susceptible to special interest as any other branch of government.

What would their incentive to ban these two substances?

KrisPage

bump interesting discussion

caseyp1122

Jeff right but the argument is still the same...If the government was truly concerned with the health of its citizenry then they would regulate them equally.

CMmrsfloyd

There is a big difference between Ephedra and HCG. Mainly that HCG does not DO anything. If it's unsafe AND it doesn't even DO anything like Ephedra did, there's no good reason for it to stay legal. And the fact that the whole marketting premise for HCG is a LIE. The companies say that it does something to aid in weightloss when in fact it does nothing. The FDA does not like companies lying about what their product actually does. Especially when it doesn't do anything.

I'm not saying the FDA is always right in it's decisions, but I completely understand why they are banning HCG.

_GlaDOS_

You are asking a lot of loaded questions here.

In regards to HCG, there is no HCG product out there that has been proven effective for weight loss compared to diet and exercise alone. The evidence simply isn’t there. It’s dangerous to sell something like this under the claims that it is safe and effective. The supplements themselves are not regulated, so they could contain harmful ingredients and not be labeled as such.

I’m not saying there aren’t problems with food and drug regulations in this country. There certainly are. I don’t think it’s fair to talk about how this is the “land of the free” and therefore we should get to do whatever we want and eat whatever we want. You don’t remove government organizations and de-regulate and suddenly everything is good to go.