August 6, 2006 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration published a "Top Frauds" warning list, which ranked commonly available "instant weight loss products" in a disturbing fourth place, behind "fraudulent arthritis products," "spurious cancer clinics" and "bogus AIDS cures." Why the concern? With over half the American population profiled by the Center for Disease Control as "overweight” or "obese”, manufacturers are flocking to this $40 billion a year market opportunity. This is particularly true to people with type 2 diabetes for whom decisions about their weight can be life threatening. Unfortunately, these health care companies are peddling thousands of products, providing a thousand degrees of safety and efficacy separation. The result is that a few, clinically-proven remedies reside on your local retail shelf, surrounded by unproven, potentially health-threatening snake oil and high priced placebos. Take the latest fat-kill cure-all to capture the media and public's attention today – hoodia gordonii. Derived from an African cactus plant, hoodia was purportedly used, in its natural form, by the San Bushmen tribe over the last millennium, to ward off hunger during long hunting and foraging trips. Based on the commercial conviction that a thousand years of tribal folk wisdom can't be wrong, manufacturers synthesized a version of this natural herb, offering it up to consumers, as a combination of strenuous exercise and abstinence, all in one little pill. "TrimSpa baby!" the ex-Playboy model blurts, and a company's fortunes reverse. One of the most popular hoodia-based products on the market today is TrimSpa. Featuring the once girthful celebrity Anna Nicole Smith, TrimSpa has become the weight reduction supplement of choice for thousands of Americans. TrimSpa originally contained ephedra (since found to have a lethal impact on weight conscious consumers, now banned from resale by the FDA). But after ephedra was forcibly removed from the market, company officials reformulated the product, substituting hoodia gordonii as the core ingredient. Using Ms. Smith as a paid spokesperson in a national advertising campaign, the highly publicized blonde celebrity blurts out "TrimSpa baby!" as the Holy Grail answer, when questions arise about her 69 pound loss. The impact of her thinning transformation and hearty endorsement has fattened TrimSpa's fortunes, making their hoodia-based product a weight loss phenomenon. "It, like…shrinks your stomach or something." When reporters asked the ex-Playboy model-turned-healthcare industry expert why TrimSpa worked so well, Ms. Smith's less-than clinically-scientific response was "It, like, shrinks your stomach or something.” What she failed to mention, consciously or unconsciously, was that, in addition to "shrinks your stomach or something”, (and shrinking the user’s wallet at $120 per month), Ms. Smith also employed a "colon cleanser” laxative, (which, she says, kept her "on the pot all the time”), and incorporated a diet change into her regimen as well. Unwitting Fourth Estate Support The now-svelte celebrity spokesperson's remarkable claims were given an unintended halo of credibility, when noted, mainstream news organizations, including CBS 60 Minutes, the BBC and the New York Times, provided national coverage on TrimSpa's core ingredient. Overall, these media stories described mixed weight reduction results from hoodia. Some concluded that a more scientific study of the product was needed. One noted interviewee, Dr. Jonathan Waitman of New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell hospital told the New York Times that "in good conscience, I can't recommend something when the benefits are unproven and the health risks are unknown." But that didn't stop manufacturers of hoodia-based products, who were quick to enlist all three news organizations into their own spokesperson endorsement programs. (If you Google the word "hoodia” in your Internet search, you'll find hundreds of sites hawking it, using phrases like "As seen on 60 Minutes”, "As reported in the New York Times” and "Proven safe and effective by the BBC”). The obvious implication intended by these sites is that CBS, the New York Times and the BBC endorsed hoodia's weight reduction claims. That's just not true. "No published long-term studies on hoodia” One site goes so far as to say "A major pharmaceutical company has reportedly spent over $20 million on research using Hoodia.” The obvious implication of this particular site is that established, reputable healthcare organizations have thoroughly investigated and validated hoodia's efficacy and safety. Unfortunately, as Cathy Wong N.D. notes in About Alternative Medicine , that's just not true either, when it comes to hoodia's safety: "There are no published long-term studies on the safety of Hoodia. Just because it has been used for thousands of years doesn't mean it is safe. Hoodia simply hasn't reached a wide enough market yet or undergone safety testing to know what the side effects, drug interactions and safety concerns are, if any.” Another celebrity healthcare spokesperson, the Harvard Medical school-trained Dr. Andrew Weil, concurs with Ms. Wong, on the subject of hoodia's efficacy, stating: "Hoodia gordonii is making a big splash as a weight loss aid without much scientific evidence supporting its effectiveness…(hoodia-based products) haven't been proven to work…" Unpublished Clinical Documentation About Hoodia Ms. Wong and Mr. Weil are correct that published scientific documentation on the safety and efficacy of hoodia is unavailable.And it's not surprising.Unlike the closely regulated pharmaceutical industry, which must pass stringent clinical test requirements prior to a product's release, the entire regulatory process is flip-flopped for weight loss and other supplements. With these products, the burden of proof resides with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to prove that a suspect product fails to provide the safety and efficacy stated by the manufacturer. Given the FDA 's small staff, limited operating budget, and hamstringing federal legislation, weight loss product providers have little reason to submit their products to reputable third party clinical testing for efficacy and safety substantiation. Which is, in large part, why weight loss products rank number 4 on the FDA 's Top Frauds list. However, there is one weight loss ingredient that appears to have real consumer benefits. Interhealth Nutraceuticals , a Benicia , California provider of a weight-reducing Garcinia cambogia, is one of the few supplement manufacturers to conduct extensive clinical studies on its products, that can substantiate their claims. Having proven results are important to many people like diabetics who are making terribly serious about weight, exercise and diet. Like hoodia, Garcinia cambogia is derived from an all-natural source (fruit) that has been consumed for centuries in Southern Asia. The difference is, Garcinia Cambogia is based on more than 30 years of research verifying its safety and efficacy. It not only curbs appetite, but has been clinically shown to burn fat, improve cholesterol levels and decrease body weight 3-times greater than diet and exercise alone. Recently, scientists have discovered that Garcinia Cambogia increases serotonin levels in the body. Serotonin is an important brain chemical that is involved in mood regulation, sleep quality and appetite control.As a result, it may help overweight people address many of the emotional issues they face, including binge-eating, and depressed moods. In multiple studies conducted at several leading universities, Garcinia Cambogia has been shown to promote serotonin activity in the body, while reducing appetite and decreasing body weight.These research-based findings are a legitimate breakthrough in the weight loss industry. Rather than relying on Playboy model blurts and distorted BBC sound bites, Interhealth Nutraceuticals , has chosen to base its weight loss claims on scientific evidence, documented by respected third party medical institutions and extended case study results. When it comes to the question of hoodia trust, companies such as Interhealth are providing a proven, documented answer. Read the reports below: Guardian Newspaper June 17, 2001. In Africa the Hoodia cactus keeps men alive. Now its secret is 'stolen' to make us thin. Read more... BBC News 30 July, 2002. An anti-obesity drug made from a Kalahari desert cactus is a step closer to reality after its developer, UK drug company Phytopharm, signed a fresh deal with US giant Pfizer. Read more... Cordis News Service 8 January 2003. Bush medicine set to deliver breakthrough obesity remedy. Read more... BBC News 24 March, 2003. South Africa's indigenous San peoples have signed a deal ensuring they will profit from a diet drug being developed from a plant they have used for generations. Read more... National Geographic 16th April 2003. Africa's Bushmen May Get Rich From Diet-Drug Secret. Read more... BBC News 30 May, 2003. Imagine this: an organic pill that kills the appetite and attacks obesity. It has no known side-effects, and contains a molecule that fools your brain into believing you are full. Read more... Komo TV News August 10 2003. "...Now one man's cure for hunger is turning into another's diet drug." Read more... Oprah Magazine July, 2005. Diet Pills: The Next Generation