News Release
2005-113
October 24, 2005
For immediate release
Canada, Mexico and the United States combat weight-loss fraud
734 compliance actions taken
OTTAWA - Canada, Mexico and the United States today announced collaborative actions
taken to fight weight-loss fraud. More than 734 compliance actions have been taken by the three countries
over a two year period to combat companies promoting bogus and misleading weight-loss schemes that
endanger health, provide false hope and defraud their citizens of billions of dollars. These actions
are part of an ongoing aggressive campaign initiated in 2003 by six agencies under a Trilateral Cooperation
Charter agreement.
Fighting weight-loss fraud is a key priority for all three countries, as unprecedented numbers of
citizens of all ages have become either overweight or obese and this trend shows no sign of abating.
According to the World Health Organization, more than 60 percent of American and Mexican citizens
and more than 50 percent of Canadians are overweight or obese.
Obesity and overweight are major contributors to chronic disease and disability. These conditions
pose major long-term public health risks requiring proven and effective treatments, not diet products
or programs that do not deliver the promised results. These fraudulent products and programs target
vulnerable consumers and simply don't work.
"Consumers are particularly vulnerable when it is a question of evaluating health product claims," said
Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh. "They want to lose weight, and they want to believe that a product
will work for them. Now, through the Internet, these claims are not just coming from our own country,
but from elsewhere. The work of the Trilateral Cooperation is a direct response to that," the Minister
said. "Working with our colleagues in North America is a priority for the Government of Canada."
"Weight-loss scams account for a large proportion of global health fraud and prey on consumers who
are often desperate for a solution to their weight problems," said Sheridan Scott, Commissioner of
Canada's Competition Bureau. "Coordinated enforcement actions by the trilateral agencies send a clear
message to marketers of bogus weight-loss products that there is no place to hide."
Compliance actions taken include prosecutions, recalls, seizures, import refusals, warnings and
other enforcement programs against false and misleading weight-loss advertising and labelling, as
well as the promotion of voluntary industry compliance. These compliance and enforcement actions
are complemented by a comprehensive education and public outreach program to help consumers, industry
and advertisers to identify which types of claims are deceptive and misleading.
The Canada-Mexico-US Trilateral Cooperation provides the three countries with a formal mechanism
to work closely together to better protect, promote and advance human health in North America. Its
purpose is to increase communication, collaboration and the exchange of information in the areas
of drugs, biologics, medical devices, food safety and nutrition.
These compliance actions were taken by member agencies of MUCH (Mexico, United States, Canada Health
Fraud Working Group), one of several working groups formed by the Trilateral Cooperation Charter.
MUCH consists of health and law enforcement agencies in Canada (Health Canada and the Competition
Bureau), Mexico (Federal Commission for the Protection from Sanitary Risks and the Office of the
Federal Attorney for Consumer Protection) and the United States (Federal Trade Commission and the
Food and Drug Administration).
Billions of dollars are spent on ineffective and sometimes dangerous weight-loss products and schemes
promoted by fraudulent advertisers, and the three countries remind consumers that the only way to
lose weight is to lower caloric intake and/or increase physical activity.
For more information about the MUCH group, the MUCH weight-loss initiative and the Trilateral Cooperation
Agreement, visit the new Trilateral
Cooperation website.
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Media Inquiries:
Carole Saindon
Health Canada
(613) 957-1588
Maureen McGrath
Competition Bureau
(819) 953-8982
Public Inquiries:
(613) 957-2991
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