Posted on 04/11/2019 8:05:41 PM PDT by yesthatjallen
Want to slim down and flatten your stomach? Sip this tea — at least that’s what the advertisements say.
They come with a pink backdrop, celebrity endorsements and the promise to look and feel like Hollywood elite. But a closer look reveals these “get skinny fast” products pack what could be a dangerous mix of herbal ingredients engineered to flush out your system.
Councilman Mark Levine has introduced legislation to ban the sale of the tea and other similar products to minors after learning about their danger from a staffer whose relative died after consuming them.
“We learned about the rising prevalence of these products by social media. Appetite suppressants have been around since the 80s, but it’s really Instagram, celebrity endorsers of no less fame than the Kardashians who have been pushing this,” Levine said.
Often sold in health supplement stores and packaged as “natural” supplements, these teas and similar products are unregulated by the Food and Drug Administration, sold to anyone and aggressively marketed to young buyers through platforms like Instagram.
Sharon R. Akabas, Director of MS in Nutrition at Columbia University said young consumers are even more susceptible.
“Specially, young adolescent girls are extraordinarily vulnerable to false promises, to products that are going to help them achieve bodies that are possibly unrealistic and unhealthy for them. The influence of a peer group and the social media and this false promise if you do this quick thing you’re going to be like that person that you admire, that just sets up a perfect storm,” Akabas said.
Iman Hariri-Kia, who has written extensively about her experience with detox teas said she grew dependent on the drinks, consumed them for years until eventually developing serious complications to her digestive system.
“I started using detox teas when I was 15, 16 years old. I didn’t really realize the gravity that the products held because they were so widely available to me. At the time I didn't realize this, but I was developing a form of bulimia,” Hariri-Kia said.
Not considered medication, these supplements are not regulated by the FDA, a spokesperson for the agency did not comment on the proposed legislation. In a statement, they said, “We advise all consumers to talk to their doctor, pharmacist, or other healthcare professional before deciding to purchase or use a dietary supplement. Also, if claims sound too good to be true, they probably are.”
The products do include a disclaimer advising users to consult with their doctor, but experts say those warnings simply don’t go far enough. We reached out to the Flat Tummy Tea Company, but the company did not return our request for comment.
Levine’s legislation would require proof of ID to purchase the products and impose violations of up to $500 for those caught selling to minors.
We reached out to the Kardashian family which has defended endorsements before, but did not hear back. In recent months, backlash against the products has exploded, at times with other celebrities suggesting the products put young women at risk.
The result is useless and irrelevant elected officials use their positions to justify pushing agenda issues to make it appear they're 'doing something to save the world' and to justify their outrageous salaries.
Once they finish with the detox tea, maybe they can turn their attention to those horrid Noxitril ads.
some of this stuff is dangerous
somebody talked me into trying a cup of “skinny coffee” one time, and it had so much caffeine and other stimulants in it that i though i was going to have a heart attack ...
Look here boys and girls
teas and simple “cleanses” AINT it
look up the Arise and Shine 28 day cleanse - DO IT
it will change your life
read first WHY www.cleanse.net
Im NOT pushing this product - have just done it 40-50 times and its INCREDIBLE
you need to throughly clean out your GUTS to be effective
Cascara sagrada and psyllium husk
and other herbs
“Im NOT pushing this product”
LOL! Okay. I don’t enjoy colonoscopy prep enough to do fire drills.
One death tied to a supplement = banned supplement.
Tens of thousands of deaths attributed to SSRIs = big bonuses at the FDA and noshow retirement jobs for FDA regulators at Eli Lilly.
Yep. Life in America.
I worked in industry a few years back. One day a slim, healthy young woman came in to the medical office not feeling well.
Her heart rate was upwards of 200 beats per minute!
She got to go to the ER by ambulance. She denied to me that she had taken anything but admitted in the ER that she had taken an OTC “energy” capsule.
She was a tiny little thing and her body could not handle the amount of caffeine the capsule contained.
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