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Consumer Health Digest #09-11
March 12, 2009
Current # of subscribers: 11,754
Consumer Health Digest is a free weekly e-mail newsletter edited by
Stephen Barrett, M.D., and cosponsored by NCAHF and Quackwatch. It
summarizes scientific reports; legislative developments; enforcement
actions; news reports; Web site evaluations; recommended and
nonrecommended books; and other information relevant to consumer
protection and consumer decision-making.
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Quackwatch and Dr. Barrett need your help. If you haven't already
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send a contribution to support our work.
###
Long-term diet study demonstrates that caloric balance is key factor.
A 2-year study of 811 overweight adults assigned to one of four diets
has found that the proportions of macronutrients did not affect how
much weight they lost. The targeted percentages of calories derived
from fat, protein, and carbohydrates in the four diets were 20/15/65,
20/25/55, 40/15/45, and 40/25/35, respectively. The diets consisted
of similar foods and met guidelines for cardiovascular health. The
participants were offered group and individual instructional
sessions. Among the 80% of participants who completed the trial, the
average weight loss was 4 kg (about 9 pounds) and the results were
similar in those who were assigned to a diet with 20% or 40% fat; 15%
or 25% protein; and 65% or 35% carbohydrates. Satiety, hunger,
satisfaction with the diet, and attendance at group sessions were
similar for all diets. The diets also improved lipid-related risk
factors and fasting insulin levels. The authors concluded:
**Reduced-calorie diets will result in clinically meaningful weight
loss regardless of which macronutrients they emphasize.
**A range of fat, protein, and carbohydrate compositions can have
beneficial effects on risk factors for cardiovascular disease and
diabetes.
**Such diets can be tailored to individual patients based on personal
and cultural preferences and may therefore have the best chance for
long-term success.
[Sacks FM and others. Comparison of weight-loss diets with different
compositions of fat, protein, and carbohydrates. New England Journal
of Medicine 360:859-873, 2009]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19246357###
FTC curbs unsubstantiated claims by radio talk-show broadcasters.
Rodney H. Burreson, Mark Alexander, and their company, Roex, Inc.,
have agreed to pay $3 million in consumer redress to settle Federal
Trade Commission charges that they deceptively claimed their products
were effective against many serious medical conditions. [Marketers of
dietary supplements and devices agree to pay $3 million to settle FTC
charges of deceptive advertising. FTC news release, March 3, 2009]
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/03/roex.shtmThe challenged products included an infrared sauna sold to treat
cancer; and dietary supplements claimed to treat, reduce the risk of,
or prevent cancer, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, strokes, heart attacks,
Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, arthritis, multiple
sclerosis, other autoimmune diseases, ulcers, herpes, asthma, and
glaucoma. The marketers' main advertising vehicle is "The Truth About
Nutrition," a nationally broadcast, hour-long, 5-day-a-week call-in
radio program that Burrelson and Alexander co-host with Julie Lynch.
The agreed-upon final order prohibits the defendants from making
unsubstantiated claims about any product. The Commission vote
authorizing the staff to file the complaint and final order was 3-1,
with the dissenting vote cast by Commissioner J. Thomas Rosch, who
said that the monetary relief did not reflect the seriousness of the
conduct involved. Roex's Web site states that more than 60 of its
products are sold through about 600 retail outlets.
http://www.roex.com/(S(ddgph555hfcykze4t5h1jk55))/RetailerInfo.aspx###
Unlicensed hyperbaric oxygen clinic operator charged with fraud.
Chauncey Beckwith, who owned and operated International Alternative
Medicine, Inc., in Tucker, Georgia, has been charged with 35 counts
of health care fraud in connection with her clinic's operation. The
indictment states:
**Beckwith's clinic provided hyperbaric oxygen treatment to many patients.
**Between 2003 and 2007, Beckwith submitted $1,577,827 in claims for
which she was paid $1,035,144 by Medicare and insurance companies.
**The claim forms contained diagnostic codes for chronic
osteomyelitis, arterial embolism, venous embolism, and leg thrombosis
that the patients did not have.
**Beckwith does not hold any type of medical license.
See
http://www.casewatch.org/doj/beckwith/indictment.shtmlBeckwith has pleaded not guilty.
###
Compendium of obesity health effects published.
The American Council on Science and Health has published Obesity and
Its Health Effects, a multi-authored 120-page book about the risks
and adverse health effects of overweight and obesity. The book can be
downloaded from the ACSH Web site free of charge or purchased for
$12.95 plus shipping.
http://www.acsh.org/publications/pubid.1746/pub_detail.asp###
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NOTICE: Please sign the petition to support George D. Lundberg, MD,
PhD, for Surgeon General. Dr. Lundberg, an expert on medical ethics
and the need for healthcare reform, edited the Journal of the
American Medical Association for 17 years and the Medscape Journal of
Medicine for 10 years. To sign the petition, go to
http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/drlundbergforsg and fill out
the form near the middle of the page.
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Stephen Barrett, M.D.
Consumer Advocate
Chatham Crossing, Suite 107/208
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