Dr. Squat - Dr. Fred Hatfield

Phhhhht! *makes 'whacking off' gesture*

The supplement industry. Wow.

The point here is that these are all FDA-approved drugs being advertised and used extensively. Drugs that can cause serious diseases like lymphoma. Drugs that can kill.

--Like, for instance, potassium.

The FDA’s dismal safety record is well documented; even PBS ran a Frontline special that investigated and exposed the FDA’s unsafe drug record, the influence of Big Pharma inside the FDA, and lack of long-term testing and medical review of many, many dangerous drugs. The FDA seldom removes a drug from the market even after it proves to be harmful or deadly

--Like, for instance, large doses of readily available non-water soluble vitamins.

Nonetheless, Senator John McCain (R-Ariz, deceased) wants this same FDA, with its dismal safety record, to regulate dietary supplements. The Dietary Supplement Safety Act (DSSA), S. 3002 (text of this bill posted on Senator McCain's website), that McCain has introduced with one cosponsor, would repeal key provisions of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) to “more effectively regulate dietary supplements that may pose safety risks unknown to consumers.”

--Like, for instance, potassium.

Under attack by the DSSA is the once-protected field of supplements, as they have always been considered food.

This is the main point here: Vitamins, supplements and all the stuff that is so new these days that we can't even say what it really is? Not food. But you can't call it a drug unless you want to apply a bunch of regulations to it, which causes huge problems for producers as well as consumers. It's entirely based on making money and there is little-if-any concern about actual content--or safety! The movie Bigger, Stronger, Faster* gets into this really well.

Potencies would have to be reduced to comply with what appears to be a plan modeled after the European Food Safety Authority. A new list of “Accepted Dietary Ingredients” would be “prepared, published, and maintained by the Secretary,” in the future. That’s a bit like being handed a blank check and told to fill it out later as one wishes. It could certainly be used to severely limit access to, and even production of, hundreds of life-sustaining and essential mineral, herb, and vitamin products.

--Like, for instance, potassium.

Here's 9'er's Big ol' Solution to the Supplement Conundrum That Nobody Will Ever Do Because They Don't Have The Education or The Balls

1. Re-legalize banned substances in sport (not all of them) and make them available for performance enhancement in addition to therapeutic use via prescription from qualified physicians. This will eliminate most of the problem right here--people use supplements (especially bodybuilding supps) because steroids are illegal and it's the only thing they can get their hands on without getting "in trouble," not because they work so well.

2. Stop calling micronutrients and chemicals that would never be found in the naturally-occurring world "food" and remind people about things like dosage-dependent effects or lack of any effects via government regulation. This could be as simple as a warning label, but has yet to happen because of how it would affect sales.

3. Slap an age minimum and required professional intervention on some of this stuff. Should teenagers who already make risky decisions and know arguably less than adults really be taking creatine monohydrate unsupervised? Isn't it more likely that use will be unsupervised if you make it available to them? How about we go crazy and actually find away to get that "talk to your doctor before using _____" suggestion enforced?

I am only halfway serious about step three--I've always thought that the kid who swallows too many marbles ought not grow up to have kids of his own. But the first two steps, coupled with a constant reminder that is about money and nothing else, would eliminate a lot of BS.

I contacted my representatives about this bill, it's not good at all! Poorly written regardless of intent.

I don't see how the government that is still recommending a diet that essentially causes diabetes is qualified to tell me how to supplement my diet. I'm healthier than every single representative in Congress & Senate, and I educate myself before putting anything in my body.

They can't run the damn post office without losing money.

If a 135lb. 16 year old is dumb enough to think ripped fuel is going to get him big, give'em to him. I was reading Bodybuilding a Scientific Approach & Power by Doc and taking my BCAAs when I was 16!

Ignorance is a choice!

And maybe Todd was being nice because the whole idea is something like this:

Stupid is a condition, Ignorance is a choice

I think I have just came up with my next research topic: Economic analysis of regulated supplements and unregulated processed food. It should be fairly easy to get death rates, revenues, production costs, health costs, and jobs created. However, measuring the utility/happiness from consuming the supplements would be difficult.

On another note, why do we have politicians making decisions on things they have no clue about? Yes, I know it is politics but it makes me wonder. Would I take advice about training from a fat trainer? Would I go to a dentist with bad teeth? Would I stop training because my out of shape doctor told me it was dangerous? But, would I have a fat doctor? Yet, people vote in politicians that have no clue about anything other than how to get elected.

Makes me wonder...

Willis Lewis, Jr.
"The man that dreams success is already successful"

Willis, That would be a very good topic IMO. In fact, I can't recall ever coming across any studies or stats presented even that really address it.

I have been trying to find a way to combine economics and strength training for a while now. THis may be one outlet. I will keep you guys posted.

Willis Lewis, Jr.
"The man that dreams success is already successful"