"Miracle Cures" and other Health Frauds

Advice for Consumers

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), an estimated 38 million Americans have used a fraudulent health product within the past year. From copper bracelets for arthritis to herbal tea as a cure for AIDS, unproved, even dangerous health products are more difficult to spot than most people realize. Even doctors can have trouble identifying an ineffective or unproven product if it does not fall within their specialty or area of expertise. And these products are not without risks. According to one survey, one out of 10 people who try such remedies are harmed by adverse side effects.

The best protection? Information. Evaluate health claims carefully, and be aware of phrases and promises that may signal trouble.

Common Culprits

The Federal Trade Commission and the FDA have identified the following areas as the most common for health fraud.

Arthritis. Thousands of dietary and nature "cures" have been sold for arthritis, from mussel extract and vitamin pills to copper bracelets and snake or bee venom. None work. Medical research has yet to find a cure for arthritis. Because the symptoms of this disorder can go into remission, individuals who try these unproved remedies sometimes associate the remedy with the remission.

For a free brochure about unproved remedies, call the Arthritis Foundation at 1-800-283-7800, or write them at PO Box 19000, Atlanta, Georgia 30326.

Cancer. A diagnosis of cancer can bring feelings of fear and hopelessness, sometimes tempting sufferers to turn to unproved remedies or clinics that promise a cure. Medical science has been able to help many individuals with cancer. Unfortunately, using a fraudulent remedy may serve only to delay proper diagnosis and treatment.

For more information about cancer, contact the American Cancer Society office listed in your yellow pages. To order free publications on cancer research and treatment, call the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service at 1-800-422-6237.

AIDS. Despite an abundance of research, there is no cure for AIDS—yet. If you have questions about AIDS remedies, check with AIDS clinical trial units located in leading hospitals throughout the country or call the FDA/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease's hot line at 1-800-TRIALS-A.

Weight loss. Medical science has had some success developing products to aid in weight loss. But with a growing number of Americans tipping the scales toward obesity, anyone peddling weight loss promises has plenty of people to whom they can market their goods. Consumers shopping for a product to help them "lose weight fast" should exercise a healthy amount of caution. The safe, time-tested method of weight loss still may be the best: the old-fashioned combination of healthy diet and regular exercise.

Baldness and wrinkles. The FDA has approved both prescription and over-the-counter products for treating baldness, and skin care products that may help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. Still, millions of dollars are made every year by sellers trying to convince people to buy their versions of the fountain of youth. Savvy consumers should buy only those products that have received FDA approval.

Armed and Informed

So what can you do to avoid becoming a victim of health fraud? Plenty. The basic rule of thumb is this: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Here are some other tips:

Learn to recognize suspicious products by the phrases often used to promote them, such as "quick and easy cure," "scientific breakthrough," "miraculous cure," "exclusive product," "secret ingredient" and "ancient remedy."
Don't count on promises of a "money-back guarantee." When the product is fraudulent, so is this claim.
Watch out for anyone claiming that doctors and the medical community are against them and that the government will not accept their discovery. Legitimate health care professionals do not conspire to suppress disease cures.
Don't rely on testimonials from satisfied customers.
Be suspicious of products advertised as available from only one source, requiring payment in advance.
Raise a red flag if a product is advertised as effective for a wide range of ailments. No one treatment can offer hope for a variety of disorders.
Be careful of unknown health care clinics that require patients to travel away from home to receive treatment. While many clinics offer effective treatments, some prescribe untested, unapproved, ineffective and possibly dangerous "cures."
Investigate before trying an herbal remedy. Some herbs may contain thousands of chemicals that have not been completely documented. While some may be useful, others could be toxic.
Watch out for treatments promoted only in the back pages of magazines, over the phone, by mail-order, in newspaper ads in the format of news stories or in 30-minute "info-mercials."

Stop Fraud

There are steps you can take to get more information about health fraud or to report a problem:

To report a company you think is making false advertising claims, write to:

Consumer Response Center

Federal Trade Commission

Washington, DC 20580.

If you are suspicious of a product, check it out. Both the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health have web sites and telephone hot lines offering information to consumers. To contact them:

Food and Drug Administration:

Call your local FDA office or 1-800-532-4440.

Or, check out the FDA web site at http://www.fda.gov.

National Institutes of Health:

Call (301)496-4000, or, on-line, go to http://www.nih.gov.

To report a company for falsely labeling its product or to report a serious side effect associated with the use of a dietary supplement, call your local Food and Drug Administration office.

For information about a treatment center, contact the state or local health authorities where the facility is located.

Contact your state Attorney General's office or a local consumer agency for further information or to report problems.

The best protection? Information. Evaluate health claims carefully, and be aware of phrases and promises that may signal trouble.