There are some weeks when I get a good handful of serious health and fitness news – which usually doesn’t make it into the “mainstream” media.
When this happens – I feel an obligation to share it with you – so you are informed and “in the know”.
1 – Court upholds $48 million damage award against dubious infomercial scam artists
Excerpted from Quackwatch.org – Stephen Barrett, MD
In 2008, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts found that Donald W. Barrett, Robert Maihos, and their two companies had deceptively claimed Supreme Greens and Coral Calcium could treat, cure, or prevent cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and other diseases.
In 2009, the court ordered Barrett, Maihos, and their two companies-Direct Marketing Concepts, Inc. and ITV Direct, Inc.-to pay $48.2 million. The district court also barred them from making unsubstantiated claims about any health product or billing consumers or charging their credit or debit cards on an ongoing basis without their consent.
Read the FTC press release here: http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2010/10/dmc.shtm
2 – Detox footpad (Kinoki) marketers curbed
A federal judge has approved a stipulated agreement under which the marketers of Kinoki Foot Pads-Yehuda Levin and his company, Xacta 3000, Inc.-are barred from promoting or selling any dietary supplement, food, drug, or medical device, and from helping others do the same.
Read the FTC press release here: http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2010/11/xacta.shtm
More TRUTHFUL info on the footpads here: http://www.devicewatch.org/reports/kinoki.shtml
3 – FDA proposes new tobacco warning strategy
The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act gives the FDA the authority to regulate the manufacture and marketing of tobacco products. The act requires that the warnings occupy at least the top half of the panels front and rear panels of each cigarette package and at least 20% of all cigarette ads.
Some of the proposed WARNING statements are:
- Cigarettes are addictive.
- Tobacco smoke can harm your children.
- Cigarettes cause fatal lung disease.
- Cigarettes cause cancer.
- Cigarettes cause strokes and heart disease.
- Smoking during pregnancy can harm your baby.
- Smoking can k ill you.
- Tobacco smoke causes fatal lung disease in nonsmokers.
- Quitting smoking now greatly reduces serious risks to your health
Full press release is here: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/11/20101110a.html
4 – Federal agencies blast new breed of caffeinated alcoholic beverages
Caffeinated alcoholic beverages (CABs) combine alcohol, caffeine, and other stimulants and usually have higher alcohol content than beer. The caffeine content is usually not reported. During the past four months, consumers in at least four states were hospitalized after using CABs. This week, the Federal Trade Commission sent warning letters to four CAB marketers.
Full press release here: http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2010/11/alcohol.shtm
NOTE: Several states have already banned the sale of CAB’s – and more are expected to follow suit.
5 – Egg Whites or Whole Eggs: Which are Best for You?
I used to be shocked at how many people still follow an “egg white” diet when it comes to including eggs in their nutrition plan. Now I just shake my head – because I know some of the hardest myths to bust are some of the simplest and silly-est ones.
The “egg white” myth got it’s roots from the bodybuilding/gym-trainer circles, way back when…
Crazy thing is – all the reasons for chucking the yolks are absurd because that’s where all the really valuable elements are….
I just found this article on the TAA website – which explains all you need to know about the egg myth:
I hope today’s fitness news post has helped you in at least one way. If you feel this will help anyone else you know – please feel free to share this post with them. They’ll appreciate you for it.
Your trainer forever – your trainer for life,
– Joey Atlas