The dietary supplement is a broad term, almost just a broad as the market that surrounds its products. But with the use of supplements, there are questions we should ask. Why should I use them? And, what are the side effects? Surprisingly, many supplement companies cannot answer these questions for you. So, who do we look to when we need our questions answered? The answer to that question is the Food and Drug Administration should manage the supplement industry just like it manages the food and drug industry. Because people deserve the right to know what they are putting into their bodies; furthermore, they deserve high-quality products. When people think of supplements, what goes through their minds? Because there are many different
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But with this surge in sales, the writer Jennifer Weeks, author of “Dietary Supplements”, has also noticed a rise in visits to the hospital due to the use of supplements. Because there have been over 21,000 reported emergency room visits yearly (Weeks para 16). And that only includes the documented cases of people being negatively affected by supplements. No one knows how many cases of supplements affecting someone there are that are not documented by hospitals. Furthermore, the Food and Drug Administration or FDA has noticed substances used to make some supplements are illegal in the United States. Some of these ingredients include steroids, which are illegal to have in any medication without being prescribed by a doctor. So how does our government manage such a problem with an industry that has gone unchecked for years? One way would be for the FDA to pass stricter regulations on supplements because the industry could be safer for people wishing to try to make themselves healthier. Additionally, advocates believe that the FDA does not have enough power to monitor the food, medical, and supplemental industries at the same time. But the United States government needs to step in and even if it costs the government more money to manage the delinquent behavior of the supplement industries because it would be in the best interest of the people of the United …show more content…
Furthermore, only a small percentage of Americans that use their products rarely have problems. An industry representative says that “Only a small fraction of the 150 million Americans who use them regularly suffer problems” (qtd in Weeks para 17). But that begs the question, are these numbers accurate? Because if only one percent of the population was affected by the use of supplements, then that would be one percent out of 500 million people. And one percent of 500 million is still five million people affected. The supplement industry could be trying to falsify information to protect their interests with the public. Furthermore, advocates who pay attention to the supplement businesses say the FDA does not have the resources to make sure supplement companies are not breaking the law. One individual who had the most to say on this subject, Dr. Pieter Cohen, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School says that, “Companies can introduce new products without registering them or even informing FDA,” also, “That's a nonsensical approach to regulating pills for health” (qtd in Weeks para 18). Which shows that companies do not have to test their products before introducing them to the stores or
But with this surge in sales, the writer Jennifer Weeks, author of “Dietary Supplements”, has also noticed a rise in visits to the hospital due to the use of supplements. Because there have been over 21,000 reported emergency room visits yearly (Weeks para 16). And that only includes the documented cases of people being negatively affected by supplements. No one knows how many cases of supplements affecting someone there are that are not documented by hospitals. Furthermore, the Food and Drug Administration or FDA has noticed substances used to make some supplements are illegal in the United States. Some of these ingredients include steroids, which are illegal to have in any medication without being prescribed by a doctor. So how does our government manage such a problem with an industry that has gone unchecked for years? One way would be for the FDA to pass stricter regulations on supplements because the industry could be safer for people wishing to try to make themselves healthier. Additionally, advocates believe that the FDA does not have enough power to monitor the food, medical, and supplemental industries at the same time. But the United States government needs to step in and even if it costs the government more money to manage the delinquent behavior of the supplement industries because it would be in the best interest of the people of the United …show more content…
Furthermore, only a small percentage of Americans that use their products rarely have problems. An industry representative says that “Only a small fraction of the 150 million Americans who use them regularly suffer problems” (qtd in Weeks para 17). But that begs the question, are these numbers accurate? Because if only one percent of the population was affected by the use of supplements, then that would be one percent out of 500 million people. And one percent of 500 million is still five million people affected. The supplement industry could be trying to falsify information to protect their interests with the public. Furthermore, advocates who pay attention to the supplement businesses say the FDA does not have the resources to make sure supplement companies are not breaking the law. One individual who had the most to say on this subject, Dr. Pieter Cohen, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School says that, “Companies can introduce new products without registering them or even informing FDA,” also, “That's a nonsensical approach to regulating pills for health” (qtd in Weeks para 18). Which shows that companies do not have to test their products before introducing them to the stores or