Exaggerated Advertising, Fraud, and Side Effects Abound... The Many Faces of Diet Pills [Heotdari Economy]

⑦Promoted as 'Full Refund if No Effect'
Consumers Frustrated by 'Refund Refusal'... Increase in Damage Reports
Side Effects Including Elevated Liver Enzymes and Insomnia After Medication
Additional Expenses Incurred for Surgery and Hospital Aftercare

Office worker Kim Yumi (28 years old), who decided to go on a diet, was prescribed a one-month supply of obesity medication at a hospital for 300,000 KRW. After losing 4kg in just one month of taking the medication, she continued to receive additional prescriptions for four months and ended up taking it long-term. Eventually, she was diagnosed with 'acute hepatitis' and had to spend nearly 2 million KRW on various examination and hospitalization fees.

Housewife Kang Ji-won (45 years old) trusted the claim that if there was no effect after trying a free sample, she could get a refund, and paid 600,000 KRW for a three-month supply of diet products. After taking it for a week without any change in weight, she requested a refund but was refused because the free trial period had passed and the payment could not be canceled.

Photo by Asia Economy DB

As consumers increasingly seek to lose weight easily with just a 'pill' instead of time-consuming and effortful methods like exercise or diet control, the related market is steadily growing. According to the Health Functional Food Association on the 18th, the domestic market size for functional foods aimed at reducing body fat expanded from 149.7 billion KRW in 2019 to 167.9 billion KRW in 2020, 180.7 billion KRW in 2021, 223.5 billion KRW in 2022, and 236.1 billion KRW last year.

The problem is that as the market grows, the likelihood of consumers being exposed to exaggerated advertisements, illegal or counterfeit drugs, and side effects is also increasing. As a result, many consumers suffer various mental, physical, and financial damages. A typical example is when consumers, deceived by marketing from some diet drug sellers and distributors promising 'full refund if no weight loss effect,' demand refunds due to insufficient efficacy or side effects but are refused, leading to consumer complaints.

From January 1, 2020, to January 31, 2024, 274 complaints related to diet products were filed with the Korea Consumer Agency. Among these, 132 cases (48.2%) involved complaints or damages due to 'insufficient efficacy or effect.'

The Consumer Agency advised, "When purchasing health foods such as diet products, carefully check the contract details and the credibility of the seller, and if you do not intend to purchase, be sure to request withdrawal of the offer within the deadline." If purchased through online shopping or TV home shopping, withdrawal is possible within 7 days; if purchased through phone or salespersons outside permanent stores, withdrawal is possible within 14 days. However, if purchased by visiting a permanent store directly, withdrawal may be restricted, so caution is advised.

Among drugs sold online, via home shopping, or door-to-door sales claiming weight loss effects, some are unapproved foods or medicines. In fact, some overseas foods marketed for weight loss containing harmful substances have been detected, causing concern among domestic consumers. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) conducted a planned inspection from September 18 last year to January 8 this year on 100 overseas direct purchase products sold on domestic and international online shopping malls suspected of containing harmful ingredients. They found that 21 products contained ingredients or substances banned from importation, with 12 of these products claiming weight loss effects?the highest number among the categories.

Products advertising weight loss effects were labeled as using cocoa powder or fruit powder as ingredients, but senna glycosides, a pharmaceutical ingredient used for constipation treatment, were detected. Senna glycosides have no effect on breaking down or reducing body fat and can cause diarrhea, abdominal pain, and vomiting if consumed excessively.

The MFDS requested customs to withhold clearance of these products and asked the Korea Communications Standards Commission to block access to the online sales sites. The MFDS stated, "Overseas direct purchase foods cannot guarantee safety, and foods advertising specific effects such as weight loss may contain illegal pharmaceutical ingredients." They urged consumers to refer to the 'Overseas Direct Purchase Food Correctly' site, accessible directly from the Food Safety Korea website, which provides information on overseas direct purchase foods confirmed to contain harmful ingredients before making a purchase.

According to the MFDS, obesity treatments specifically include two types: lipase inhibitors and appetite suppressants. Lipase inhibitors are products that prevent fats from food from being broken down and absorbed by the body, causing fats to be excreted instead of absorbed. These drugs are prescription medications that require a doctor's consultation and prescription at a hospital and must be dispensed by a pharmacist at a pharmacy.

Photo by Asia Economy DB

Appetite suppressants work by making the user feel less hungry or full, thereby reducing food intake. Among these, 'psychotropic appetite suppressants' may cause physical and mental dependence, so careful monitoring for side effects during use is necessary. The MFDS lists the psychotropic appetite suppressant ingredients as phentermine, phendimetrazine, mazindol, diethylpropion, and lorcaserin.

Common side effects of psychotropic appetite suppressants include insomnia, dizziness, palpitations, and nervousness. If these symptoms occur, it is important to consult a doctor to reduce the dosage or frequency or switch to another medication to prevent worsening side effects. Specifically, phentermine, phendimetrazine, mazindol, and diethylpropion should be taken for no more than 4 weeks, and the total duration should not exceed 3 months. However, lorcaserin requires evaluation of weight loss within 12 weeks to decide whether to continue or stop. Taking multiple pills at once or combining with other appetite suppressants can cause serious side effects such as hallucinations and valvular heart disease.

Purchasing such drugs through the internet or social networking services (SNS) or taking them via proxy prescriptions from acquaintances violates the Narcotics Control Act and can result in imprisonment for up to 5 years or fines up to 50 million KRW. Therefore, to understand precautions before use, it is essential to consult a doctor and use these medications only by prescription.