Weight Loss Products: Warning Expands

• FDA Warns About 72 Tainted Weight Loss Products By Miranda Hitti

  March 20, 2009 -- The FDA today expanded its list of tainted weight loss products that consumers shouldn't buy or use.

  In December the FDA warned about more than 25 weight loss products that contain undeclared, active pharmaceutical ingredients that may be risky.

  Now, that warning list includes 72 illegal weight loss products that the FDA wants consumers to avoid. Those products contain any of the following undeclared active pharmaceutical ingredients:

  fenproporex -- a controlled substance not approved for marketing in the U.S.
• fluoxetine -- an antidepressant available by prescription only
• bumetanide -- a potent diuretic available by prescription only
• furosemide -- a potent diuretic available by prescription only
• rimonabant -- a drug not approved for marketing in the U.S.
• cetilistat -- an experimental obesity drug not approved for marketing in the U.S.
• phenytoin -- an anti-seizure medication available by prescription only
• phenolphthalein -- a solution used in chemical experiments and a suspected cancer-causing agent that is not approved for marketing in the U.S.

The health risks posed by these products can be very serious and include high blood pressure, seizures, tachycardia (rapid heartbeat), palpitations, heart attack, and stroke.

Sibutram, a controlled substance, was found in many of these products at levels much higher than the maximum daily dosage for Meridia, the only FDA-approved drug product containing sibutramine. These higher levels of sibutramine can increase the incidence and severity of these health risks.

Fenproporex, another controlled substance, can cause arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm) and possible sudden death.

For the FDA's full list of all 72 tainted weight loss productsgo to: www.agapefitness.com/articles_news.php