"Results May Vary"

People who are trying to look good and lose weight by taking short cuts have to start thinking about the risks and whether they are worth it.

Today, consumers using Hydroxycut products where warned that they should immediately stop taking Hydroxycut dietary supplements by the FDA.  Government officials issued a warning of serious health problems related to the supplement, a widely sold diet related product linked to cases of serious liver damage and at least one death.  The FDA has received 23 serious reports of health problems with Hydroxycut products and one death in a 19-year-old male who had used the weight-loss products, said Linda Katz, interim chief medical officer in the FDA's food safety and nutrition division.  The maker of the dietary supplement has agreed to recall 14 Hydroxycut products available in grocery stores and pharmacies.   Hydroxycut as advertised is formulated from natural ingredients, but the FDA wants users to stop.  At least 9 million units were sold last year.  One death caused by liver failure was reported to the FDA, plus 23 instances of severe health problems -  including jaundice, elevated liver enzymes, liver damage that required a transplant, seizures and cardiovascular disorders.  Liver injury symptoms include jaundice, brown urine, excessive fatigue, stomach or abdominal pain, and nausea.

There was no immediate comment from the U.S. distributor of the diet pill, Iovate Health Sciences, headquartered near Buffalo, N.Y.  Hydroxycut is made in Canada and is used by people trying to shed pounds, and by body builders to bulk up their muscles.  Vasilios Frankos, director of the FDA's dietary supplement program, said it's still unclear what ingredients in the products are harmful.  The FDA is trying to get a better understanding of what ingredients, or combination of ingredients, is causing the liver damage.  Other dietary supplements may contain similar ingredients, but we don't know yet.  According to the FDA Hydroxycut Cleanse and Hoodia are still safe to use. They have a different formula than the 14 recalled Hydroxycut products.

Dietary supplements aren't as tightly regulated by the government as medicine.  Manufacturers don't need to prove to the FDA that their products are "safe and effective" before they can sell them to consumers.  But regulators monitor aftermarket reports for signs of trouble, and in recent years companies have been put under stricter requirements to alert the FDA when they learn of problems. In 2004, the government banned ephedra, an ingredient in many supplements, linked to heart attacks and strokes.

According to an article in the Healthy Skeptic, the weight loss claims of Hydroxycut are dubious, at best. "Hydroxycut is a supplement that combines ingredients with dubious pedigrees with ingredients that may prove to be beneficial in some regard other than weight loss, topped off with stimulants."

The Healthy Skeptic concludes, "If you come across a print ad for Hydroxycut you'll see all the supplement marketers' tricks of the trade.  Fantastic anecdotal evidence of impressive weight loss, the "results may vary" and "exercise/proper diet are a must in order to lose weight" disclaimer and vague, scientific-sounding language are all on display in a typical one-page ad."

The Hydroxycut brand, which has been widely sold at national chain stores including GNC and the Vitamin Shoppe, includes pills, drinks and powders marketed to increase energy, burn calories and fat, and control appetite.

The 14 Products Recalled

The recalled products include:

Hydroxycut Regular Rapid Release Caplets
Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Rapid Release Caplets
Hydroxycut Hardcore Liquid Caplets
Hydroxycut Max Liquid Caplets
Hydroxycut Regular Drink Packets
Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Drink Packets
Hydroxycut Hardcore Drink Packets (Ignition Stix)
Hydroxycut Max Drink Packets
Hydroxycut Liquid Shots
Hydroxycut Hardcore RTDs (Ready-to-Drink)
Hydroxycut Max Aqua Shed
Hydroxycut 24
Hydroxycut Carb Control
Hydroxycut Natural

Possible alternative choices to weight loss products:

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Warp Speed Fat Loss - An information product

Turbulence Training - An information product.

Strip That Fat - Dieting Myths

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