Archive for the ‘Hydroxycut’ Category

A class action lawsuit has been filed in federal court in California on behalf of individuals who used Hydroxycut products that were recalled by the FDA on May 1. The recall encouraged consumers to discontinue use of at least 14 different versions of Hydroxycut due to its adverse effects on the body, including liver damage, seizures, heart problems, blood toxicity and various other conditions, including a rare form of muscle damage known as rhabdomyolysis. Effects of Hydroxycut, which accounts for 90% in sales of weight loss products, are not only severe, but have already resulted in one fatality.

The lawsuit is the second Hydroxycut class action suit filed in the U.S. The claim alleges that the makers, Iovate, made fraudulent, false and misleading statements, violated trade practice laws and profited off of the sale of a product about which they made unsupported claims of its safety and effectiveness. If you or a loved one has used Hydroxycut, you may be entitled to file a Hydroxycut lawsuit. For more information contact us.

Six weeks after the US Food and Drug Administration recalled units of Hydroxycut products, the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) issued warnings against use of the weight loss supplements. The US recall brought to light the loose standards applied to the dietary supplements industry, an industry often accused of being unregulated and providing unsafe products for consumers. Hydroxycut, a highly popular and commercialized weight loss product within the US, was recalled after studies showed ingredients within the supplement cause severe liver damage and other potentially fatal health complications.

The ingredient directly responsible for these adverse effects is still unknown. The UK delay on issuing warnings on the product was a result of investigations of the two different formulas sold in the US and the UK.  However, concerns about the Hydroxycut products increased since both formulas are available for sale in the UK. Retailers contacted Tropicana Health & Fitness, distributor of Hydroxycut within the UK, concerning the adverse side effects associated with use of the product once the US warning was issued. Tropicana, however, did not directly address these concerns and said it was in talks with Iovate Health Sciences, the North American distributor. Although Tropicana does not sell the US formula, it eventually acknowledged customer confusion among the two products and voluntarily agreed to suspend sales after the FSA issued its warning.

The FSA ultimately decided to take precautionary action and issued warnings against the use of 14 products in the Hydroxycut line.  The FSA warning covers the same 14 products recalled in the US, Finland, Canada, and Ireland. Read more for Hydroxycut lawsuits.

If you’re like me, you probably assume that vitamin and herbal supplements are good for you and don’t think there are any risks involved with these so-called “natural” products.  However, testing over the past decade has shown that we’re both wrong.  We recently reported on quality problems in the supplements market.  The most recent controversy over supplements was the recall of Hydroxycut, a popular diet supplement.

ConsumerLab.com, an independent company that tests pills for manufacturers that want its seal of approval, and publishes ratings for subscribers, has found that one quarter of the supplements tested have had some form of quality problem.  Sometimes the supplements contained ingredients that did not match what the label stated, ranging from contaminants that were not listed to ingredients that either fell short of the amount claimed or exceeded safe limits.  Other “natural” supplements in reality contained hidden prescription drugs, which can sometimes pose significant health risks. 

Diet pills have been frequently used supplements in our society over the past decade or so, but these do not come without risk either.  A popular diet drug called ephedra was banned by the FDA in 2004 after it was found to cause serious heart problems, seizures, and even deaths.  On May 1, 2009, the FDA warned consumers to stop using Hydroxycut diet pills after receiving 23 reports of Hydroxycut side effects, including liver damage, jaundice, seizures, cardiovascular disorders, and rhabdomyolisis, a type of muscle damage that can lead to other serious health problems such as kidney failure. 

Consumers should be careful in choosing their dietary supplements to avoid these quality problems, and be aware of their options if they have suffered the ill effects of these hidden dangers.  Some harmful side effects may give rise to legal action, such as Hydroxycut lawsuits.  For more information, contact a Hydroxycut lawyer today.