The Regulation of Diet Products
The weight loss industry is worth tens of billions worldwide, and it doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. Some examples of diet products we tend to see on the shelves include
- Appetite suppressant sweets
- Detox teas
- Meal replacements
- Supplement gummies
Such products have come under fire for being promoted by influencers with a huge teenage following, encouraging their supporters to buy into diet culture and adopt potentially harmful eating patterns. The impact of such marketing not only has an effect on our physical health, but our mental wellbeing too, feeding into the notion that we all must look a certain way to be respected and deemed attractive.
What is actually in these diet products?
Firstly, the detox teas on the market vary in ingredients with some containing high volumes of caffeine and senna. The inclusion of laxatives in these products is worrying, with the government urged to take action on the sale and accessibility of laxatives on the market today (1). There are a number of appetite suppressant products on the market today which all vary in ingredients, many alter hormone levels to reduce feelings of hunger. Such products gained media attention when Kim Kardashion came under fire for promoting appetite suppressant lollipops on her Instagram with over 230 million followers, many of whom are teenagers (2).
What is the current regulation?
Food supplements and diet products are currently regulated under the general food law, EU law Regulation (EC) 178/2002 (3). Food supplements and diet products do not qualify as ‘medicinal’, based on the MHRA criteria for medicinal products (MHRA, 2020) (4). Therefore, products such as supplement pills and powders are not checked for quality and safety the way medicines are. While this is understandable, since medicines and food supplements are miles apart in their purpose, misuse of food supplements and diet products can have harmful consequences.
Those who sell food supplements are required to be registered with their local authority as a Food Business Operator. Companies can therefore find loopholes to sell dietary supplements by ensuring their products are generally safe for consumption while using carefully worded marketing to make potentially misleading health claims.
While it is illegal to advertise and market medicines to the general public, food supplements and diet products are not restricted in such a way. Therefore, when considering influencer marketing on platforms such as social media which is heavily accessible to impressionable teens and young adults, the potentially harmful health products being promoted on their screens are unregulated.
Why is this an issue for teens & young adults?
Though it’s not illegal to sell diet products to young adults, many individual retailers have put measures in place to ensure no one under the age of 18 can carry out a purchase. However, a 2019 BBC study showed when a 17 year old attempted to buy diet pills in 18 high street stores such as Boots, Holland and Barrett and Superdrug, only one branch asked for proof of age( 6). This is a particularly nerve wracking finding, highlighting that there are little to no barriers in place when it comes to accessing potentially dangerous products.
Evidently, more action is needed from retailers and policy makers to ensure that all diet products are tightly regulated and cannot be sold to anyone underage. It is also vital that education surrounding weight loss methods and building a healthy relationship with food improves.
Written by:
Caitlin O’Nions & Bushra Khair