Are You Selling Steroids?

If a member asked you that question, you’d probably laugh. “Of course not!” you’d say. “Our pro shop sells supplements, not steroids.”

But what if they had the Dec. 5, 2007, edition of USA Today in their hands, which reports about a study showing that “13 of the 52 supplements (25 percent) purchased at various U.S. retailers contained small amounts of steroids, and six (11.5 percent) had banned stimulants”? Well, then you might do something else.

Supplements are a tricky business. In my opinion, getting into the supplement game just isn’t worth it for a fitness facility. Why compete with the corner drug store, where it can sell supplements for much less to a lot more people? Why preach the long, hard road of exercise while simultaneously hawking quick-fix aids like protein powders and “energy” drinks? Sticking to one message is the safer bet.

But there are many fitness centers out there that sell supplements. And, if you’re one of them, you probably want to look a little more closely at your products. Are they FDA approved? Most supplements aren’t.

The researchers didn’t release the names of the supplements tested, and only allowed that they are “best-selling brands.” That doesn’t do much for concerned retailers/fitness center managers who want to clear their shelves of tainted supplements. How exactly can you stand behind your supplements when confronted by that member angrily waiving a newspaper? And how can you continue to dabble in supplement sales when they are, thanks to being largely unregulated, essentially indefensible?

The FDA-Approved Over-the-Counter Diet Pill

That magical "thin" pill that everyone has been searching so long for has finally been approved, according to an article today titled, FDA Approves Alli™ (orlistat 60 Mg Capsules) Over-the-counter.

Who wouldn’t want an over-the-counter drug that reduces the amount of fat the body absorbs, and then “ferries” it out of the body? People are going to stampede the shelves when “Alli” hits drugstores this summer. And, you know who will be first in line? No, not me (well, maybe). No, it’s the people who have been discriminated against all these years for not being obese. The people — most of whom, albeit not all — have taken steps to live a healthier lifestyle by exercising and trying to eat right, and who still can’t lose those extra 5, 10 or 15 pounds that they so desperately want to ditch.

Do you know why they will be the first? Because, in the past, people needed a prescription to obtain FDA-approved diet pills. And, to get the prescription, you needed to be obese. People within the FDA-approved “weight (fat) range,” are discriminated against. You have to be really fat to qualify for the real, effective drug. I say this because obese people who want to lose weight aren’t going to opt for Alli (if they have health insurance). They can already get its higher-dose prescription version, Xenical, which is obviously more effective (it has higher doses of the drug).

Lest you think that all of those non-obese people who you’ve been trying to attract to your fitness facility are lost causes, don’t despair. First of all, Alli has “conditions” in order for it to work. Its labeling specifically states that, for the product to be effective, lifestyle changes have to be made, which means exercising and eating a low-fat diet.

Second, studies show that the product only works if you continue to take it (at a projected cost of $12 to $25 per week). This is where you come in. Save yourself the grief of trying to convince this population that a diet pill isn’t the way to go. Instead, team up with a local drugstore and offer an ongoing “membership special” with the purchase of each bottle of Alli. If you can’t beat (read, convince) ’em, join ’em!

And, this membership deal can give you greater access to a market that will be greatly interested in this new miracle diet pill: teenage girls! Of course, GlaxoSmithKline, the distributor of the drug, promises it won’t market the drug to “that group.” But, the FDA has also decided not to require Alli to be placed behind the pharmacist’s counter to ensure any measure of control.

Sounds like a great product for the non-obese, teen and fitness facility markets to me!

[Note: This is meant to be humorous, not serious. For sound nutrition advice, go to the Library of Articles on our website and click on the nutrition topic.