The problem with

weight loss
supplements

Abigail Bromley
February 13, 2019
Who am I?
● BA English, BA Spanish
● Certification in Technical Writing and Communications
● New Mexico native
● Hispanic female
● Consumer
● Social media user
 The Problem

● They aren’t approved by the FDA

● Unknown additives
● Hidden active ingredients like medications for blood pressure,
seizures, and antidepressants
● Many are tainted and sold online by third party sellers
● Side effects can include diarrhea, cottonmouth, high blood
pressure, seizures, heart palpitations, organ failure, stroke, and
even death

Office of the Commissioner. “Consumer Updates - Beware of Products Promising Miracle Weight Loss.” U S Food and
Drug Administration Home Page, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, 10 Sept. 2018,
www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm246742.htm.
The Problem cont.

● Celebrities and influencers promote these supplements to their

impressionable followers
● Social media has caused a boom in these products which
makes it even harder to control their circulation
 Initial Results

“2018 CRN Consumer Survey on Dietary Supplements.” Council for Responsible Nutrition, www.crnusa.org/CRNConsumerSurvey.
“2018 CRN Consumer Survey on Dietary Supplements.” Council for Responsible Nutrition, www.crnusa.org/CRNConsumerSurvey.
Popular supplements
Why are they problematic?

Flattummy Lollipops
Garcinia Cambogia
● Contain satiereal (type of saffron)
● Side effects include nausea, upset
that claims to be clinically safe but
stomach, diarrhea, headache,
there is insufficient evidence of its
dizziness, dry mouth, and mania
long term effects
Coffee Not Coffee
Skinnyfit Detox Tea
● Contain ketones that could cause
● Side effects include jitters,
increased heart rate, and jitteriness
diarrhea, increased heartbeat,
● It's only really effective if you
headaches, nervousness, insomnia,
already observe an active and
increased urination and nausea
healthy lifestyle
My Argument

● People can’t know for sure what they’re putting in their bodies
so these supplements are marketed on the basis of hear say
and assumed trust
● There is no solid evidence that these are affective due to
conflicting experimental results and no FDA backing
● Unless the FDA intervenes, people should turn to safer and
medically approved methods for weight loss
Methodology

● Google Scholar for academic articles and

medical journals
● UNM Libraries
● Instagram ads
● Diet and weight loss websites
Theories and Literature
● Regulated supplements will
reduce risks of harmful side
effects
● Regulation will more closely
monitor ingredients being put
into the supplements
● Dosages and case specific needs
will be more personalized
● “Herbal products may contain or be
contaminated with toxic heavy metals
and there are many reports in the
literature of high concentrations of
lead, arsenic and mercury”
● “Drug packages carry patient
information leaflets with long lists of
possible side effects, whereas herbal
medicines come with no such leaflet
and are therefore perceived as
harmless.”
Initial Recommendations

● FDA should regulate supplements to negate unknown

additives and side effects
● People should be made more aware of all possible outcomes
by the companies producing supplements
● Celebrities should be more ethically aware of what their
promoting to fans that are trusting of their opinions
● Social media platforms should be more mindful of their content
and make more strides to have a safer filtering system put in
place
Pros and Cons
Pros
● Supplements would be
regulated and more closely
inspected for harmful side
effects
● All ingredients would be safe
and accounted for
● People would be able to use
supplements with guaranteed
safety
Cons
● Companies and sponsors are
reluctant to change because of
the prospect of losing money
● People for natural methods
could be resistant to government
interference
● Change takes time and money
How are my recommendations
impactful?
● Awareness of the risks of supplements as they are will be more
transparent
● More people will know what could happen to them if they aren’t
mindful of what they’re taking and how much
● It opens the door for others to see the benefits of regulations made by
the FDA
● People on social media will be more aware of what ads are being
pushed at them and can better decide for themselves the legitimacy of
sponsored weight loss supplements
● Social media platforms will be better at content filtration and censoring
to prevent harm to its users
Thank you for your time

Does anyone have any questions?