Elizabeth Cohen: The skinny on the 'skinny pill'
Monday, December 9, 2002 Posted: 3:24 PM EST (2024 GMT)
CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Childhood obesity has become a serious problem in the United States, but a new pill that claims to help kids lose weight is drawing criticism from doctors and nutritionists. CNN anchor Bill Hemmer spoke with medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen about the so-called "skinny pill."
HEMMER: Elizabeth, a couple of different opinions on this one.
COHEN: Well, actually, the only person who likes this pill, it appears, Bill, is the woman who makes it. One out of every five American children is overweight, so it is no surprise that some enterprising person said, "Gee, let's try to see if we can sell a diet pill for children." She says it's the first. She sells it over the Internet, and the basic message is, "Diet and exercise? Those don't work. Tell your kids to pop a pill instead."
Basically, it is a multivitamin with some herbs thrown in. She calls it the "skinny pill" for kids. Pediatricians say it not only doesn't work, but (also it) might hurt your child if you give it to him or her. Let's take a look at the "does it work?" part of this.
A spokesman for the American Dietetic Association, an expert in pediatric obesity, says, "It is absolutely outrageous. It is not going to help people lose weight. It is junk science. Just disregard it."
And here is the part about how it could possibly hurt your child. This pill contains three herbs that are diuretics. The herbs are uva ursi, buchu leaf and juniper berry.
Now, ... a diuretic ... makes (someone) lose water -- which is not the way you should be losing weight, first of all -- but it can be dangerous for kids.
It could give your kids kidney problems, it could give your kids electrolyte imbalances. So the bottom line is that every expert we talked to said, "Stay away from this. It doesn't work, and you could actually be hurting your child."
HEMMER: Elizabeth, let me just take the flip of that. What does the maker of this pill say? Why does she say it's effective?
COHEN: She says it's effective because she says, "Oh, these herbs are known to help people lose weight," but ... what experts tell us is that actually, (that) is not true, that there is no science behind this. Again, buchu leaf, juniper berry, uva ursi -- there is no science behind it.
HEMMER: Interesting -- you've looked at a lot of these products over the years. Anything raise red flags with you? Anything to say this looks suspicious, that (it) might be a bit dicey?
COHEN: Yes. One thing that was on the Web site that immediately made me say "Gee, this looks a little strange" is that (the maker) says diet and exercise are unrealistic for children, and she gives menu suggestions, and she says, for one day, your kid can eat pizza, cookies and ice cream. That is in the menu. Lunch: pizza. Dinner: cookies and ice cream. What kind of a diet is that for a child who needs to lose weight?
HEMMER: Let's get back to the recommendations, though, for parents. If they want to help their kids lose weight, the best recommendations are what?
COHEN: Diet and exercise. And I know it's boring, and no one wants to hear it, and I also know that it is very difficult to do for adults, let alone for children, but there have been studies that show that when it's done right, it can work.
For example, when a child is given positive reinforcement for eating well instead of negative reinforcement for eating badly, and when the whole family gets involved, it actually can work. For example, when the family says "Let's turn off the TV and all take a walk together," it can work.
HEMMER: And cut down the sugar, too.
COHEN: Right. Cut down the calories.
http://www.cnn.com/2002/HEALTH/diet...ills/index.html