Category Archives: weight loss products

An invitation and a note of explanation to Croakey readers

July 12, 2011 – 1:02 pm

If you have read the funding arrangements for Croakey, you will understand that editing this blog is, by necessity, very much a part-time activity for me. I am usually writing and editing articles in haste around multiple other commitments. Often I am wanting to alert readers to new reports/research etc that may be of interest, [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in abortion, alcohol, cancer, chronic diseases, climate change, Cochrane Collaboration, complementary medicines, conflicts of interest, e-health, environmental health, evidence-based issues, Food, gambling, general practice, global health, Government 2.0, health and medical education, health and medical research, health ethics, health financing and costs, Health inequalities, health reform, health workforce, Indigenous health, Journal articles, Media Doctor Australia, Media-related issues, Medicare Locals, mental health, Nanny state, palliative care, pharmaceutical industry, physical activity, plain packaging, primary health care, private health insurance, public health, rural and remote health, SensaSlim, social determinants of health, TGA, The Conversation, tobacco control, Uncategorized, vaccination, vaccines, Web 2.0 | Comments (0)

New obesity report is a recipe for fatness

June 9, 2009 – 8:24 am

Last week, I had my say in Crikey about the House of Reps Standing Committee on Health and Ageing’s report on obesity. I was concerned that it focused so much on treatment and didn’t put a stronger emphasis on prevention.  Professor Boyd Swinburn, professor of population health at Deakin University and Director of the WHO [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in child health, Food, obesity, prevention | Tagged , , , | Comments (2)

Some questions for federal authorities on weight loss products

May 8, 2009 – 10:34 am

Ever since news broke about a US recall of weight loss products called Hydroxycut, the one-man industry watchdog Dr Ken Harvey has been on a campaign to get some action in Australia. The Food and Drug Administration says the supplements have been associated with serious side effects, including liver toxicity.  In Canada, a class action [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in adverse events, complementary medicines, health & medical marketing, Media-related issues, TGA | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Losing weight, regaining sight, and other stories…

April 3, 2009 – 10:44 am

The British Medical Association has just released a publication that many will find interesting, called Partners in Care: Stories about NHS patients and their doctors. It includes more than a dozen stories of how doctors and their patients have worked together to overcome various health problems. Stories include: • A woman who was blind and [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in consumer health information, general practice, mental health, obesity | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

The blue continues over weight loss product guidelines

February 18, 2009 – 10:52 am

Ken Harvey’s recent Crikey piece about the TGA’s draft guidelines for evidence on weight loss products has apparently ruffled a few industry feathers. Pharma Focus recently reported the ASMI’s concerns about “mischievous misrepresentation” of the guidelines. The discussion continues below. Read on… Part 1 From: Ken Harvey, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow School of Public Health, [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in evidence-based issues, obesity, TGA | Tagged , , | Comments (2)