Supplements Under Fire: Suzanne Somers Spars with Bill O'Reilly

March 5, 2010

Supplements

Under Fire: Suzanne Somers Spars with Bill O’Reilly

March 2, 2010

On

February 19, 2010, consumer healthcare advocate, best-selling author and

actress Suzanne Somers appeared on Bill O’Reilly’s “No-Spin

Zone,” which airs on FOX news channel. Their discussion centered on the

McCain/Dorgan Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2010, which many experts fear would dismantle the Dietary Supplement

Health and Education Act of 1994.

The

eloquent Somers stressed the importance of consumers’ right to buy dietary

supplements and blamed the FDA’s admitted failure to protect

consumers’ safety for setting the stage for the McCain/Dorgan bill.

Many

people are outraged to learn that drug-safety information is often hidden from

professionals and consumers, and that manufacturers may be directed to conduct

safety studies when drugs are already on the market.

Dietary supplement

health benefit information is also shielded from the public purview. This lack

of scientific freedom of speech has been the subject of many suits against the

FDA, including Pearson v. Shalala (D.C.

D.C. 1999); Pearson v. Shalala

(D.C.D.C. 2001); Pearson v. Thompson (D.C.D.C. 2001); and Whitaker v. Thompson

(D.C.D.C. 2002), which held FDA censorship of nutrient-disease relationship

claims to be unconstitutional.

The

McCain Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2010 will not make consumers safer. The

failure of the FDA to move against products adulterated with

steroids or other illegal ingredients masquerading as dietary supplements puts

our health at risk. Given the FDA’s

repeated failures, why would we give it more power? As Suzanne

Somers said so courageously, we deserve better than the flawed McCain/Dorgan

DSSA.

Click

here to take action:

Then, please pass this email on to interested parties. We MUST

stand up to these attacks on our supplements.

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