FDA warnings aren’t stopping illicit weight-loss supplements

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Warning letters from the Food and Drug Administration aren't enough to push potentially dangerous weight loss supplements off the market, according to a new analysis published in JAMA.

Dietary supplements fall into a regulatory grey area in the United States. They don't have to be reviewed or approved by the FDA before going on the market, but the agency is still responsible for overseeing the supplements that are sold in the country. To be classified as dietary supplements, these products have to be things like vitamins, minerals, or enzymes - ingredients that are actually part of people's diets.

If groups are making supplements that contain things that aren't dietary ingredients, the FDA can crack down and issue warning letters,...

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