The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the Philippines has banned several slimming and anti-obesity products which they say may contain harmful chemicals.
The agency said it has been monitoring numerous products in the market including the Hokkaido Slimming Pills, which are advertised and sold online.
“These products may contain harmful ingredients to health,” the FDA said.
Below are the list of the banned slimming/anti-obesity products:
- Ballet Dancer Fat Reducing,
- Bio-Lissom Fat Reducing,
- Brazilian Slimming Coffee,
- Cell Life Slimming Coffee,
- Elegant Shape Fat Reducing,
- Goodliness Fat Reducing,
- Happyslim,
- Leisure 18 Slimming Coffee,
- Lightness Fat Reducing,
- Maggie Fitness Essence,
- Mei Shen Ting Anti-Obesity,
- Modeling Fat-Reducing,
- New Original Lightness Fat-Reducing,
- Pearl White Slimming,
- Perfect Figure Slimming,
- Perfect Slim Fat Reduction Cosmetic,
- Perfect Slim Purely Natural Fat Reduction Cosmetic,
- Pill for Weight Reduction,
- Pretty Model,
- Qiaomei Fat Binder,
- Qi Xian Nu,
- Seven Days Miracle,
- Shaping Body Fat Loss,
- Slim and Beauty Slimming,
- Slim Up Extra Whitening and Reducing,
- Xianzimei Fat Reduction.
From 2010 to 2012, the FDA recalled and banned at least 26 slimming or anti-obesity products, which were found to contain amphetamine, sibutramine, and steroids. The products were marketed as oral capsules or coffee drinks.
Amphetamine causes irregular heartbeat, confusion, urine retention and painful urination, hyperthermia, hyperreflexia, muscle pain, severe agitation, rapid breathing, and tremor. It is also known as an active ingredient in an addictive drug called "shabu".
Large overdose, however, may produce symptoms such as psychosis, anuria, cardiogenic shock, cerebral hemorrhage, circulatory collapse, extreme fever, pulmonary hypertension, renal failure, rapid muscle breakdown, serotonin syndrome, and stereotypy, the FDA said.
It added that a study showed that sibutramine increased the risk of non-fatal heart attack or stroke and death by 16 percent.
“The study also showed that there was only a small difference in weight loss between the placebo group and the sibutramine group,” the FDA said.
The FDA warned, “All consumers are advised to use only FDA-approved slimming pills or anti-obesity drugs under the supervision of doctors.”
It ordered its inspectors to seize unregistered slimming products or those containing amphetamine, sibutramine and steroids from all outlets. --Source: FDA/Tempo