Miss Loosey Starts a Business

You just can't keep a good man (or woman) down.

Miss Loosey was back, this time to bend the ear of the Crazy RxMan and ask for my thoughts regarding the new business she's starting. Had she asked me a week ago, I might have been able to stop her from spending several thousand dollars to purchase 1,000 bottles of Garcinia Cambogia extract.

[Fun Fact: Miss Loosey is on Medicaid and gets her medications for free at the pharmacy... where she got the money to start her new business? I don't know.]

Her plan is simple... purchase this extract, pre-bottled and labeled, print her own labels, slap them on, and resell them at fantastic profit.

Where did she get this fantastic business opportunity idea? None other than the medical guru of television, that great and powerful wizard, Dr. Oz. Dr. Oz told has told his audience about a “breakthrough,” “magic,” “holy grail,” even “revolutionary” new fat buster. “I want you to write it down,” It's called “Garcinia Cambogia,” Dr. Oz stated, “It may be the simple solution you’ve been looking for to bust your body fat for good.”

From one source: Garcinia Cambogia is an exotic fruit available in Polynesia, India, and Southeast Asia. The fruit has been eaten for centuries across cultures, and is known for it’s appetite suppressant properties. Garcinia Cambogia also has potent fat burning effects due to the Hydroxycitric Acid (HCA) it contains, which helps support a lean physique. No exercise or diet change is required when taking Garcinia Cambogia, however as in all cases, it is highly recommended as a part of a balanced and healthy lifestyle.

But does it really work?

The miracle cure isn’t really a miracle at all. It’s not even new. Garcinia cambogia has been studied as a weight-loss aid for more than 15 years. A 1998 randomized controlled trial looked at the effects of garcinia as a potential “antiobesity agent” in 135 people. The conclusion: The pills were no better than placebo for weight and fat loss. LINK

She asked my opinion, so I told her. Relabeling anything (food, medication, supplements, etc) is serious. I told her she better know our state laws and federal laws regarding her plan. Undeterred, she told me she was just going to copy everything off the current label exactly as it appears and change the name and logo. She is, of course, assuming two things: 1. The wholesaler has it labeled legally and appropriately and 2. Relabeling in the manner she suggests is perfectly legal. I warned her again, Be Careful. She told me not to worry and then suggested that she's my new competition.

If Dr. Oz is so great, why hasn't the 16 weight loss miracles he's "discovered" ended obesity? That's a good question addressed by this article. It's worth a look.

Other blog posts about Miss Loosey:

Miss Loosey gets her Plan B

Miss Loosey needs a sleep aid

Miss Loosey wants some "Doze"

And finally, an info-graphic entitled, The Red Flags of Quackery: