Find Out the Truth About Hoodia Supplements - Hoodia Diet Pills:

“An ongoing review of Hoodia pills by Alkemists Pharmaceuticals found that at least half of the products advertised as containing Hoodia contained none.” [Wikipedia]

“The FTC just slapped hoodia merchant TrimSpa and three other diet supplement marketers with a $25 million fine for deceptive advertising. Maybe that will dampen the plant's feverish buzz. On the other hand, knowing Americans' hunger for one-pill wonders, maybe not.” [Yahoo Buzz]

Press coverage:

The press coverage and heavy marketing by nutritional supplement companies have created such a demand for Hoodia plants that a protected status was imposed in several countries like Namibia. Many products claiming to contain Hoodia do not actually contain the active ingredient alleged to suppress appetite. Only the South African product has the claimed properties. An ongoing review of Hoodia pills by Alkemists Pharmaceuticals found that at least half of the products advertised as containing Hoodia contained none.[10]

In March 2006, Consumer Reports investigated the dietary supplement and concluded, "This weight loss drug lacks the clinical evidence for the Consumer Reports experts to recommend this product."[11]

Marketing and spam

Lack of scientific evidence or regulatory approval have not stopped dietary supplement companies from marketing Hoodia gordonii extracts with claims that it can lower blood pressure and reduce the appetite. Goen Technologies Corporation's TrimSpa unit began marketing Hoodia gordonii under the brand name X32 with celebrity spokesperson Anna Nicole Smith, even though the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has notified Trimspa that it has not demonstrated that claims for their product are scientifically supportable.[12] Health Canada has not approved any hoodia products for sale.[13] Goen Technologies has also been sued by the state of New Jersey for misleading consumers.[14] The Trimspa brand is currently the subject of a lawsuit in California which claims that it does not contain any of Hoodia's active ingredient.[10]

In March to June of 2006, billions of email spam messages were sent out concerning Hoodia, ostensibly offering Hoodia extracts for weight control purposes. As is usually the case with spam, it is not clear what prompted the sudden barrage of messages, since there had not been any recent positive media coverage about Hoodia, nor any signs of increasing public interest in Hoodia. The Federal Trade Commission has logged numerous complaints of consumer fraud associated with Hoodia and the number is expected to continue to rise.[10]

In December 2004, Unilever entered into an agreement with Phytopharm to start marketing Hoodia gordonii commercially in the form of shakes and diet bars.[15]

On July 1, 2006, it was reported on entertainment news show Extra that a company is now marketing Hoodia-enhanced lollipops.[16]

There are many so-called "consumer research" websites claiming to show consumer reviews and testimonials. The legitimacy and accuracy of any of these websites are unknown. In addition to massive spam campaigns, there have been many reports of over-hyped and sometimes misleading marketing associated with websites selling and/or promoting Hoodia-related products.

External links

• Germplasm Resources Information Network: Hoodia
• Phytopharm website
• FTC site warning of misleading diet ads
• Hoodia: Lots of Hoopla, Little Science
• MSN article on hoodia

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