Diet Pill Marketers Ordered to Pay Multi-Million Dollar Fines for Fraudulent Claims

The ads and infomercials are everywhere. On TV, the
internet, your radio, magazines and newspapers. Fraudulent
fat loss and diet pill marketers bombard you with
outrageous claims and promises that are backed by so called
university studies and clinical testing. These companies
can usually get away with this behavior for several
reasons. Loopholes and grey area in the rules they are
supposed to abide by, the Federal Trade Commission being
grossly outnumbered by the volume of these companies and
the gullible nature of the general public who continue to
purchase these bottled promises and hopes.

Recently, the FTC took action against the marketers of one
of the biggest selling ‘diet pill’ supplement on the
market. The story follows:

–CortiSlim/CortiStress marketers hit for $4.5 million
penalty.–
California-based Pinnacle Marketing Concepts, Inc. and its
president, Thomas F. Cheng, and Utah-based Shawn M.
Talbott, Ph.D., have agreed to disgorge a total of $4.5
million in cash and other assets to settle FTC charges
stemming from their roles in the marketing of CortiSlim and
CortiStress, In its complaint, the FTC alleged that the
defendants made false or unsubstantiated product claims and
used deceptively formatted infomercials in pitching the
dietary supplements. Litigation continues against three
other defendants who were part of the scheme. The FTC’s
complaint, filed last years, charged that CortiSlim was
marketed with false or unsubstantiated claims that it would
cause rapid, substantial, and permanent weight loss in all
users and that CortiStress would reduce the risk of, or
prevent, osteoporosis, obesity, diabetes, Alzheimer’s
disease, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. The settlement
agreement also prohibits the defendants from making
unsubstantiated claims in the future about any dietary
supplement, food, drug, cosmetic, or device.
[Three Cortislim defendants to give up $4.5 million in cash
and other assets: FTC's litigation continues against four
remaining defendants. FTC news release, Sept 21, 2005]

A more detailed version can be read on the FTC website at
ftc.com

Rulings similar to this one happen quite commonly. They
just don’t make front page news and so the general public
doesn’t get to learn about the fraudulent nature of these
companies and therefore continues to purchase the money
wasting products marketed by these companies. Think about
it. With all of the ‘too good to be true’ products being
sold today, the majority of the general public would be in
fantastic physical condition instead of way out of shape
and unhealthy.

Sooner or later we have to take responsibility for
ourselves and stop looking for the magic fat pill or the
breakthrough diet supplement. Nothing will ever replace
smart nutrition and consistent exercise for getting you
into the best shape that you are capable of. Even if a new
legitimate diet drug becomes available to the public, just
remember all of the diet drugs of the past that were
eventually proven to result in severe adverse health
effects and sometimes death.

Your magic pill is within you. You can give yourself the
results you are looking for. Just seek out the information
that pertains to you and begin taking action.