I have many patients asking about supplements for both glycemic control and weight loss, as I’m sure all of you do. Sometimes there’s some evidence for the advertised product, but most often there is none. These are good opportunities to teach our patients to identify a scam. I recently re-found a couple of websites that I’ve used in the past to teach patients to identify false advertising or scams. These are good enough to share, so I hope you find them useful as well.

Both of these sites are phony ads set up by the FTC just for the purpose of teaching consumers to be smart and skeptical when evaluating marketing claims for supplements or diet programs. I think the weight loss site is better because it gives a bit more information and is interactive. You will find them here.

Diabetes: http://www.wemarket4u.net/glucobate/

Weight Loss: http://www.wemarket4u.net/fatfoe/index.html

Incidentally, there are three other FTC sites for erectile dysfunction and work at home frauds. Learn more here: http://www.wemarket4u.net/

Jill: this is great, do you have favorite sites that you recomend to folks re: what is a reputable site?

Joan, I have recently found the Comprehensive Natural Medicines Database (http://www.naturaldatabase.com/) very helpful. It is a benefit of my SCAN membership, so I don't know the annual subscription rate. It gives you evidence ranging from "likely effective” to “possibly ineffective” and “insufficient evidence.” The also have a safety rating. Another feature is the clinical management series. For example, if you click diabetes, you get a listing of traditional medicine and supplements that are often used for treating diabetes. Then if you click on bitter melon, you’ll learn about its safety and effectiveness, proposed mechanism of action and brand names of products that contain bitter melon. It’s been very useful for me. The also have patient handouts in both English and Spanish. ConsumerLab.com has been helpful as well. I think the cost is about $25 or $35, but I have found more information on the Comprehensive Natural Medicines Database.

I would like to know what other resources are available.

Thanks for your suggestions! 

Thanks for sharing these websites. I have to admit that if I didn't know it was a site set up by the FTC to identify scams, I would have thought it was just another fad diet promo site. Have you used these with clients? What type of feedback did you get?

Lynn, I wouldn't know that they were from the FTC either. They're really cool sites, aren't they? I think Fat Foe is especially good since it is interactive. I've sent patients to these sites before, and they seem pretty excited about what they see and learn. Often they can't wait to share the site with their friends or relatives. The FTC was very clever here.