The Stifling Health Concerns Of Dietary Supplements Consumers

An increasing number of people are using products to enhance their diets. A recent estimate indicates, “Americans are spending some $6 billion annually on nutritional supplements, and the market is growing by 20% every year” (Zahn, 1997). Of these supplements, the increase in herbal remedy use is most dramatic. Zahn holds that the increase can be attributed to the widely held belief that herbal substances are healthy and harmless because of their natural origins (1997). Unfortunately, research on these supplements, herbal or otherwise, has not transmitted to the public as quickly as the diet enhancers themselves. The phenomenon leaves many consumers misguided by skewed advertising and

Nowadays, medicine is tested and approved before it hits the market. Back in the days a person would pass treatments through word of mouth and could seriously injure or make the disease worse. People in historical times would believe that illnesses involved certain spiritual, psychological and social aspects of a person. This was back in the time where there was no scientific evidence that traditional medicine could aid an affected person. Traditional medicine has been around much longer than modern medicine and they were an important part of recorded history. People back in the old days had to dispel and challenge folklore with scientific evidence. Doctors back in the old days had to not only find a way to dispel folklore, but also get ordinary people to listen to them and to help them believe in their practices. Without all of these people, medicine would be nowhere near as it is

In the mid to late 1800s, there was a multitude of medications available without prescription, popularly called patent medicines. They were purported to contain mystical cures for everything from arthritis, to erectile dysfunction, to baldness. As one advertisement for Hamlin’s Wizard Oil shows, they were often sold as cure alls; “Hamlin’s Wizard Oil, the greatest family remedy for rheumatism, neuralgia, headache, toothache, diphtheria, sore throat, lame back, sprains, bruises, corns, cramps, colic, diarrhea, and all pain, and inflammation” (Neurologica Blog). In reality, there were no

Medicine is very common nowadays. People today will go to medicine as their first source when it comes to illness. There are

The product more or less receives a seal of approval without the consumer ever really knowing whether the “expert” is truly an expert at all. The professional’s actual doctorate may not even be in the medical field, but in a completely different field and unrelated all together. This is done because viewers ask fewer questions about a product or information when backed by a professional. This tactic is used to gain the trust of the viewers. Once they have the viewers’ trust in hand, Iovative Health Sciences, Inc., persuades these young female viewers to believe almost anything that they want them too. These women become inclined to believe that Hydroxycut will work for them; fast, easy, and with no hassles. This method of gaining the female consumers trust coupled with Hydroxycut ads’ other advertising fallacies for example, the airbrushed and digitally enhanced photos along with Hydroxycut’s over exaggerated or falsified statements; make their already vulnerable female audience more susceptible to their deceptions. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), an agency created to protect America’s consumers, drew up a report called, “Weight-Loss Advertising: An Analysis of Current Trends,” which investigated weight-loss advertising. In 2001, a content analysis found that over half of all advertising for weight-loss products used fabricated, unsupported claims. In an investigation of 300 ads from

(Audience: American physicians, patients, legislators, and insurers who are wary of alternative medicine and its growing popularity)

In Policy and Medicine’s blog, a response to an article posted in The Atlantic, Thomas Sullivan recounts whether modern medicine is on the decline verses alternative medicine becoming a more popular choice despite evidence that points to the contrary. By addressing the article in The Atlantic entitled The Triumph of New-Age Medicine by David H. Freeman, Sullivan’s thesis not only questions whether contemporary medicine is falling short in providing care but, loudly exclaims the opposite is true. Staying in tune with the pace of the article the main point is brought out early in the paper through data and statistics. Sullivan wastes no time in taking an implied view against alternative medicine. Implied because Sullivan does not overtly state opposition to alternative medicine, but by tone and supporting evidence it is clear he believes modern medicine has been given a bad rapport. In this rhetorical

According to the 2002 Harris poll, seven out of ten adults in the United States take vitamins, minerals, herbs, or other supplements (Schardt 2). Due to media advertising, dietary supplements are becoming more popular. Companies compete to have the best supplements. It is said that forty percent of American adults take vitamin supplements and over the counter products, which total in several billion dollars (Farley 2). Although many of the supplements claim to be healthy and help lose weight, the dangers are endless. Dietary supplements can be illegally spiked and are not safe. Therefore, putting regulations on dietary supplements and their safety hazards is necessary.

Man has walked this Earth for a long time and, during that time, they have suffered from ailments. It may not be common practice now to make offerings to the Gods in an attempt to seek a cure but, there are still aspects from ancient times evident within modern pharmacy practice. Albeit refined and better understood now, the medicines and practices established all those years ago have trickled down and firmly found a place to call home all over the world.

Diabetes is a common health condition among many Americans today. As of 2014, 29.1 million people or 9.3 percent of the American population have diabetes and 86 million, or one out of three, Americans have pre-diabetes which increases one's risk for developing diabetes1. Since diabetes is a top health concern for a great number of Americans, many are open to integrative practices including dietary supplementation. With half of the American population using at least one dietary supplement and as an increasing number of Americans look to integrative medicine2, it is no surprise many opt for dietary supplements to aid in diabetes management. Cinnamon is a common household spice used in many culinary preparations and can be found as a dietary

Dietary pills manufacturers emphasize that their supplements are intended to intensify the effects of exercise and diet. In contradiction, some doctors think these cannot deliver so much impact and will only shrink the consumers’ wallet. They are pointing out to the lack of strong evidence that could stand the claim they can aid weight loss successfully.

In conclusion, Direct to Consumer Advertising or DTCA, is a controversial method of advertising used to inform consumers about drug information. Due to this controversy, there are many opinions concerning how much DTCA should be regulated. For the past few decades, opinions about regulations has changed greatly. After considering the benefits and concerns regarding DTCA, we decided to take a legislative approach to DTCA. We came to this conclusion because DTCA is regulated by the FDA. Our goal was to take the first step towards banning DTCA. As a group, we acknowledged the fact that we can’t ban DTCA all together, but it was possible to get the word out and put the initial stages of a plan into action. We wrote advocacy letters for our legislatures

Bonnie Liebman, a Cornell University graduate with a master’s degree in nutritional sciences, reveals that our food products contain claims that are not entirely reliable. Food companies sneak unregulated terms on our food products such as “improves memory”, “relieves stress”, and “suppresses appetite” in order to bait the consumer into buying them (Liebman 464). It’s hard to believe that the FDA [Food & Drug Administration] allows terms such as these to be added onto our food products without any justifiable proof but as Liebman quoted on her article, “The FDA doesn’t even look at the evidence behind structure and function claims [from

Dietary supplements, including herbs, vitamins, minerals and other such substances are not governed by the FDA. This is both good and bad. The good part is that we are free to choose them if we wish. The bad part is that many people don't make these choices properly. Here are some facts and tips on how you can make an informed choice in the supplement aisle. Undeclared Ingredients: One of the reasons I prefer to mix my own herbs is that I will know what's in them. As a master herbalist, I have years of training to rely on. If you've kept up with the news, you may know that some popular supplements have chemicals similar to prescription drugs. Others may actually contain the drugs without declaring them. All Natural does not Translate to

The scientific community is much quicker to label this second type as quacks, whereas the scientific community has failed to gain a consensus on the legitimacy of the first type. Unfortunately, both are encompassed by the term alternative medicine. This paper will focus on the more controversial alternative medicines described in the first group.