Welcome to Orange Frog Productions Scams, Shams & Flim-Flams Section [Banner]

Search this site powered by FreeFind

Page Title:

Infomercial Info -
Health-Related
Division

Please be sure to read my DISCLAIMER

PLEASE NOTE: If you are considering purchasing any medicinal, vitamin, mineral or fitness-oriented products, "All-Natural" or not, CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR, FIRST. By FIRST, I mean "BEFORE YOU BUY".

Many of the "health-related" infomercials bother me the most. Why, you ask? A number of reasons:

Claims

Some claim (some quite subtly) that they have (and therefore imply that they CAN) cured cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's and chronic diseases (like rheumatism, arthritis, diabetes, etc.). Supposedly they have done scientific studies on the ingredients (which may or may not be true), but when the government or other requesting entities ask for this proof, it's slow in coming, if it comes at all. AND they are fighting the FDA, FTC and the whole US Federal Government for the right to make those claims without the disclaimers.

From the FTC publication, "Miracle Health Claims: Add a Dose of Skepticism" Off Site New Window:

"... [H]ealth fraud trades on false hope. It promises quick cures and easy solutions to a variety of problems ... Fraudulently marketed health products can keep people from seeking and getting treatment from their own healthcare professional. Some products can cause serious harm, and many are expensive because health insurance rarely covers unapproved treatments.

To avoid becoming victims of health fraud, it's important for consumers to learn how to assess health claims and seek the advice of a health professional."

[MY highlight - BS]

"Natural" Ingredients

Most claim to be "safe" simply because they are "natural". But one of the reasons (I'm sure) they ARE "natural" is so they can bypass an FDA-required review (to which all  pharmaceutical drugs are required to submit) BEFORE they are sold. While this, in itself doesn't mean the products are unsafe, the problem is, as stated in the FDA document, "How to Spot Health Fraud" Off Site New Window:

"Don't be fooled by the term "natural." It's often used in health fraud as an attention-grabber; it suggests a product is safer than conventional treatments. But the term doesn't necessarily equate to safety because some plants--for example, poisonous mushrooms--can kill when ingested. And among legitimate drug products, says Shelly Maifarth, a compliance officer and health fraud coordinator for FDA's Denver district office, 60 percent of over-the-counter drugs and 25 percent of prescription drugs are based on natural ingredients.

And, any product--synthetic or natural--potent enough to work like a drug is going to be potent enough to cause side effects."

[MY highlight - BS]

And, also from the FTC publication, "Miracle Health Claims: Add a Dose of Skepticism" Off Site New Window, under the subtitle of "Safety Concerns":

"Dietary supplements are not required to undergo government testing or review before they are marketed. Yet, supplements may have drug-like effects that could present risks for people on certain medicines or with certain medical conditions. This is true, even if the product is marketed as "natural." For example, St. John's Wort can have potentially dangerous interactions with a number of prescription drugs, including anticoagulants, oral contraceptives, antidepressants, antiseizure medicines, drugs for HIV, and drugs to prevent transplant rejection.

If you take a prescription medicine, always consult your healthcare professional before starting a dietary supplement."

[MY highlight - BS]

Something to Think About...

Many of these "natural" products CANNOT and DO NOT standardize their formulas, as those making "synthetic" vitamins, supplements and drugs can.

For example, one natural item states that their blend contains numerous vitamins, minerals, etc., with the following caveat:

"Concentrations may naturally vary depending on season, crop, location and harvesting cycles."

[MY highlight - BS]

" The Greatest Vitamin in the World"'s FAQ states:

"How many different ingredients are in this vitamin?

That number changes based on new research and the amounts of nutrients in each crop of whole foods and herbs. The consistency of bringing you 100% of everything you need is our number 1 priority. At the present time we have over 75 different nutrients in the formula."

[MY highlight - BS]

Therefore, if you are buying strictly "natural" products, you are not and cannot be GUARANTEED to get the same thing every time! They can mix the ingredients they use with the same amounts of the same stuff, but they CANNOT guarantee that the quality of the stuff is the same in every batch.

If it's "natural" it's supposed to be "from nature", right? Have you ever found two ears of corn that have EXACTLY SAME color, number of kernels (no I've never counted, but you get the idea), taste, and size? How 'bout carrots? (no kernels, here)... Trees? Roses? Poison Ivy plants (just seeing if you're paying attention, but it IS "natural"!), Celery? Heads of lettuce? Florets of Broccoli or Cauliflower? You get the idea? (Ok... Most people don't count kernels of corn, florets of broccoli, etc., nor can they discern the (normally) very SLIGHT variations in taste. And, with cloning in the plant industry, you MAY find the exact same something, but I would be willing to bet that most of these products are NOT made with cloned stock.) So, the mix you get one time may NOT be the same as you get the next time.

I understand you may not want synthetics, but think about this - You will get the EXACT SAME formula, with the EXACT SAME ingredients EVERY TIME with synthetics. Normally, when they change the formulas, they add "New", "Improved" or some other adjective to the name, or change the name.

Be sure to read the National Consumer League's A Consumer Guide to Dietary Supplements (PDF) and Naturally Misleading: Consumers’ Understanding of “Natural” and “Plant-Derived” Labeling Claims (PDF).

What they Say

Many of the purveyors of health-related, "natural" products have banded together to protest their "censorship" and attempt to get legislation passed called the "Health Freedom Protection Act (HR 4282)" Off Site New Window (introduced in the House of Representatives by US Congressman Ron Paul on November 10, 2005).

A few of their "government conspiracy" sites:

Now, I believe in the US. I know that there are times mistakes are made, but I CANNOT believe that the whole of the US government is involved in a conspiracy to keep health-related information from the hands of the public. All of this sounds like the "conspiracy theory" to keep the American public dependant on actual pharmaceutical drugs, and not ALLOW them to know which foods, supplements or combinations will "treat" or "cure" their illnesses. I just simply CAN'T believe that as large as the government and "bureaucracy" in general is, that they could keep ALL THOSE PEOPLE quiet! And I just believe it's asinine to believe it could be done.

The problem I have with this is that if they ARE successful, I'm afraid we might get back to where "snake oil salesmen" will be allowed to sell RUBBING alcohol as a cure for cancer.

To them: Believe me when I say, "I understand" your frustrations... BUT, by the same token, I've seen it happen where too many people (especially the elderly and naive) are sold a "bill of goods" and NEVER get what they paid for. Of course, some of you may be counting on that.

Simple logic and things you learn on various shows leads one to KNOW that if you mix two ingredients, you COULD end up with something BAD for you... Didn't Timothy McVey teach us that? And no, I'm not saying that any of these items could blow up. The point is that the mix COULD produce a compound that would cause HARM to some people, and if they're taking other medications, the addition of these compounds COULD prove deadly. Do you have proof that this is not the case?

PROVE your stuff works. PROVE that your combinations of "natural" ingredients are as (or more) effective and safe (or safer) than the drugs, with the same amount of time and data as is required for pharmaceuticals, then we'll talk. (You charge as much or more than many prescription drugs, anyway!)

Where They're Seen

I catch most of the infomercials I see on DISCOVERY Off Site New Window: and related channels Off Site New Window: late night/early morning. These are authoritative channels and networks, and as certain types of signatures lend credence to some "Urban Legends", I'm sure that some people believe anything that's on them have been scrutinized for truth as thoroughly as their shows. BE AWARE THAT THIS DOES NOT SEEM TO BE THE CASE WITH INFOMERCIALS. Remember, television stations and networks  mitigate their liability by those "The views expressed in the following/preceding show do not necessarily reflect those of this station/network" or similar statements at the beginning and end of the infomercials. Some of the terms "sham", "scam", "scams", "flim-flam", "complain", "complaints", "rip", "rip-off", "fraud", "warning", similar words, and maybe just "review" were used in searching for negative comments.

Health-Related Infomercial Links

You can find more information at OFPv2's Infomercial Info - Research Links page (Specifically Health-Related Links).

* These products MIGHT work for what they are (mainly) advertised. Note that they claim they will do so much more.

| Home | Main | Owner | Scams, Shams & More Flim-Flams | Glossary | Sitemap | Contact |

Send email to Bill Sanders ()
with questions or comments about this page or site.

This site, all text and graphics (unless otherwise noted) on it
were designed, developed and published by Bill Sanders of Orange Frog Productions.
It and it's CSS was validated and complies with both the: CSS and HTML 4.01 validators from W3C.
NOTE: All CSS validates except the "New Window Buttons" which include some invalid code (ie: hacks),
added PicoSearch Tables, and warnings for using transparent backgrounds when color foregrounds defined.
Copyright © 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 by Bill Sanders / Full site last modified: October 21, 2006
Any reproduction, printing, or selling of this content is prohibited without express written consent from William D. Sanders.
ctr