Blacks, Hispanics More Likely to Use Dietary Weight Loss Supplements

Anyone who's tried to lose weight knows it can be a struggle. Bland meals, uncomfortable exercise plans and seemling endless cravings for "bad" foods can hamper even the most heroic efforts to shed pounds. So it should come as no surprise that when a product offers to work miracles quickly, many dieters are duped into shelling out cash.

Despite coverage of dangerous dieting pills and supplements, the harm they can ravage on the body and the unpromising effects they actually have on weight loss, thousands of people use these aids. While some are harmless, the bulk of these natural supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, meaning that the effects, good and bad are largely unknown.

And a new study suggests that certain populations use supplements at a higher rate than others. A weight-loss survey analysis released Monday suggests that Hispanics and African Americans are more likely than whites to use unproven dietary weight-loss supplements. In the study, the North American Association for the Study of Obesity recommends that increased education about obesity and weight loss is needed among these populations.

"The rates of obesity among African Americans and Hispanic groups in the U.S. tend to be higher than obesity rates among whites," Medical Director of the Center for Weight and Eating Disorders Adam Gilden Tsai, M.D., said in a press release. "There are a variety of diseases associated with being obese or overweight, and it is important that individuals use evidence-based treatments for weight loss."

According to the study, Hispanics and African Americans are not as likely to use commercial weight loss programs, such as organized programs in which clients go to meetings. Instead, they are more likely to exercise and use dietary supplements, such as herbs or plant extracts.

The FDA approves drugs based on several factors, including efficacy, or safety, before they're marketed and made available to the public. Because over-the-counter diet supplements are not subjected to these regulations, the public cannot gauge the safety of these drugs.

One of the most publicized dangers involving a dietary supplement occurred in April 2004 when the FDA advised Americans to stop using ephedra. The widely used dietary supplement was found to raise blood pressure, stress the heart and increase the risk of heart problems and strokes.

"We need to be proactive in educating all Americans about realistic expectations when it comes to weight loss and providing them with the tools that work," Associate Professor of Medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine Valentine J. Burroughs said in a press release.

The ethnic differences might be attributed to preferences, knowledge of weight loss options and supplement advertising geared to specific ethnic minorities, researchers pointed out.

About 64 percent of U.S. adults are overweight or obese, according to The Obesity Society. Obesity increases the risks of several ailments, including diabetes, hypertension, certain types of cancer and sleep apnea. According to the National Institutes of Health, an abundance of high-calorie foods, little physical activity, environmental factors and genetics contribute to obesity