In America, we’re always looking for the “magic pill” — whether it be to ease bouts of depression, get our children to sit still in a classroom, or to lose weight. There is nothing glamorous or convenient about eating healthy or exercise; it is in fact, hard work. It was only natural that a businesswoman like Kim Kardashian would take advantage of the unhealthy relationships we have with our bodies and our celebrity-obsessed culture by endorsing a weight loss product, QuickTrim, and turning it into a cash cow.
The QuickTrim line boasts a wide range of products, from pills to powdered drink mixes, that all claim to help you lose weight, boost your energy and metabolism, and look great. Not one of these statements have been evaluated by the FDA; Dr. Ranit Mashori, a family medicine physician at Georgetown University School of Medicine, states that these products “tout benefits that don’t exist.” Recent research studies reveal that QuickTrim and other weight loss supplements like it are actually very dangerous.
Besides promoting caloric restriction, supplements often recommend that in order to see any real results, workouts should become more intense. The problem with this is that the primary ingredient in many supplements is caffeine- and in various forms such as green tea extract and cacao, along with other “proprietary blends”. Although there may be a dosage listed for the “proprietary blend”, there’s really no way to tell how much of each ingredient the blend contains. Because these other ingredients may contain even more caffeine, users may not realize exactly how much caffeine they are ingesting. Some QuickTrim products contained as much as caffeine four cups of coffee, in addition to piperine (black pepper) and white willow bark extract, which experts for U.S. News noted can increase the potency of caffeine, and potentially cause caffeine poisoning or heart arrhythmia. Another issue is the use of laxatives. QuickTrim is chock full of them, with ingredients such as stimulant laxatives (senna, cascara, and rhubarb) and bulk laxatives (oat fiber, prunes, dates, and fig extracts). The occasional use of laxatives for the relief of constipation is great, but not so much if you have regular bowel movements; you can end up with diarrhea that leads to dehydration and a loss of vital nutrients. You can also become dependent on the use of stimulant laxatives, becoming severely constipated if you stop taking them.
Kim Kardashian and her sister Khloe are now facing a possible lawsuit over their endorsement of the controversial fat loss capsules, drink mixes, and supplements. Law firm Bursor & Fisher, who have filed the class action lawsuit, state: “The active ingredient in QuickTrim weight loss products is a large dose of caffeine…The FDA has determined that caffeine is not safe or effective for weight loss.”
“Biggest Loser” star Jillian Michaels was also recently sued for endorsing diet supplements that were alleged to be dangerous.
Dr. Mishori advises there are better ways to lose weight and be healthy. “Eat a balanced diet, exercise regularly, get six to eight hours of sleep and see a doctor regularly, ” she says.