Anyone who’s looked around the weight loss section of a drugstore or watched the ads on TV knows that some products promise to help you lose weight quickly and easily. The problem is that little, if any, evidence supports these claims – and some of them are outrageous.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, more Americans are victimized by weight loss fraud than any other activity they survey. Make no mistake about it. The FTC and the FDA work hard to address this problem, but more products keep flooding into the market, making unsupported claims.

I believe this situation needs to change. I’ve spent a lot of time listening to consumers and experts on weight and health who want to see it change, too. 

Perhaps you’ve heard that GSK recently joined three organizations in petitioning the FDA to change how it regulates dietary supplements for weight loss. The three organizations are the American Dietetic Association, The Obesity Society and Shaping America’s Health.

What does GSK get out of this?
There are those who have speculated that this is some kind of anti-competitive effort by us. 

Let’s be clear. There will always be competition for alli.  People have plenty of options for sound, proven approaches to lose weight. This petition is about setting a solid standard of proof for products that claim to help overweight people lose weight.

Consumers will benefit because they will be able to choose among weight loss products that are proven to work. 

When unproven products promise quick and easy weight loss, everyone suffers. All the hype makes it harder for people to find real help to lose weight and improve their health. It creates an environment where people start to doubt even modest, truthful claims. The entire weight loss category, benefits by reducing this doubt.