Xinhua News Agency, Tianjin, May 19 -
Title: "weight loss magic pill" became "old" Who is behind this?
Xinhua News Agency "China Cyber Affairs" reporters Wang Jinghuai, Liu Weizhen, Song Rui
“If you don’t lose weight in May, you will be sad in June.” As some people begin to pay attention to weight loss seasonally, some orlistat drugs have recently been widely promoted on the Internet as "magic weight-loss drugs".
Some people claimed that it "drained oil and weight loss in three days," others called "a box of obesity treatment" "safe and no side effects", and some people said that it is "China's time-honored brand."
What kind of medicine can be so magical?
Reporters conducted an investigation.
"Miracle Medicine" was being "aponized" while being complained
"Do you know how many people are troubled by postpartum obesity?" "How do middle-aged men lose their belly?" ... Recently, some people have put weight loss drugs on multiple short video platforms in the form of scenario stories and expert recommendations.
Some anchors call it the "magic medicine for weight loss" when promoting it.
From the video, the protagonist of these ads is Orlistat capsules.
On many e-commerce platforms, the reporter saw that the monthly sales of Orlistat in many online stores are 50,000+, with a cumulative evaluation of more than 200,000.
When the reporter investigated offline, the sales staff of many pharmacies in Tianjin also said that this is the best-selling weight-loss drug at present.
Is orlistat's weight loss effect really so amazing?
According to the official website of the State Drug Administration, the indication for this drug is: for the treatment of obese or overweight patients (body mass index ≥ 24).
Liang Xiaoyu, director of the Department of Weight Loss and Metabolism Surgery, General Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, explained that orlistat itself is a lipase inhibitor. After taking it, it can inhibit the decomposition and absorption of fat in the intestine, thereby reducing caloric intake and achieving control. The role of weight.
While the sales are booming, this medicine has also encountered a lot of controversy.
The reporter saw in the Black Cat complaint that there were more than 100 complaints related to Orlistat, of which more than 50 complaints were "no effect or rebound", and complaints about side effects such as "diarrhea, headaches, menstruation" and other side effects. .
Haipeng Bai, a staff member of Tianjin Drugs, Medical Devices and Cosmetics Adverse Reaction Monitoring Center, said: "From 2016 to the present, 9 reports of orlistat adverse reactions have been reported within Tianjin, focusing on abdominal pain, diarrhea, blood in the stool, etc."
The false propaganda of "magic drug" is too outrageous
Many interviewed experts believe that the Internet is the main position for Orlistat's promotion, and various short video platforms have become the main promoters.
Chen Xuhui, director of the Internet Information and User Behavior Research Center of the Business School of Tianjin University of Finance and Economics, said: "In recent years, short video platforms are one of the new areas where false advertising is rampant."
-Hit the side ball.
When a certain video advertisement promoted a certain brand of Orlistat, it declared that "Orlistat, a time-honored brand in China, has an experience of 9.9 yuan", and it has been viewed tens of thousands of times.
The reporter contacted a manufacturing company in Chongqing, and the company's staff who received quality complaints replied that the company has cooperated with a Chinese time-honored enterprise to "own technology, other people's brand, and OEM production."
The "Regulations on the Use of the "China Time-honored Brand" Logo" clearly states that the "China Time-honored Brand" logo can only be used on products or services that are consistent with the title of "China Time-honored Brand", and the scope of use shall not be expanded.
Xing Jianhua, vice president and secretary-general of Tianjin Time-honored Brands Association, said that expanding the use of "China Time-honored Brands" in conjunction with other products for publicity is false publicity.
-Swap the concept.
"One capsule works and breaks down the fat layer by layer." "The holy product for weight loss"... "Being thin" has become the "uniform caliber" for propagating Orlistat.
Many experts said that orlistat is actually an "anti-obesity drug", which reduces fat "increase" rather than "stock", and at most plays the role of "not continuing to get fat".
Orlistat can only play an auxiliary role in calorie control, and cannot be used blindly as a "magic bullet" for weight loss.
——Talk about it.
Some short videos on online platforms say that taking Orlistat is “no anorexia, no diarrhea”, “safe and effective, no side effects and no rebound”.
Haipeng Bai said that different specifications of orlistat will basically clearly specify 4 to 6 adverse reactions on the drug instructions.
For example, symptoms such as fatty stools, fecal incontinence, abdominal pain, and dental discomfort are prone to occur.
The reporter also saw from part of the instructions for orlistat that "rare reports of severe liver damage such as acute hepatocyte necrosis or acute liver failure occurred after the listing."
Ms. Yang, a Tianjin citizen who has taken Orlistat, said bluntly that she had experienced fecal incontinence after taking the medicine.
Online platform exaggerated sales need to be corrected
Chen Xuhui believes that it is necessary to continue to refer to actual cases, improve the legal system, further strengthen the regulation of e-commerce platform sales, and try not to leave unscrupulous merchants with opportunities to exploit loopholes.
Experts believe that out of interest impulse, some businesses will inevitably exaggerate product features from various angles. Platforms and regulatory authorities can implement a "blacklist" system to pull some anchors who wantonly conduct false propaganda and commit repeated offences into the "blacklist". , In order to play a warning role.
Consumers must remain rational. Experts say that consumers should consult their doctors to lose weight, read more drug instructions, and don't trust the exaggerated propaganda on the Internet. There are not so many "magic drugs" to rely on. Losing or maintaining weight is a long-term habit. At the same time, to enhance the awareness of rights protection, Chen Xuhui, Li Yingjuan and others reminded that if consumers buy goods online, they must keep good evidence such as chat records, promotional screenshots, consumption receipts, etc., in order to protect their rights in case of disputes.