 | Register Now! | | |
|
Want to post to the discussions? Comment on a Blog? Register Now.
|
|
|
| NPI Community Blogs | | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Location: Blogs Marc Ullman FYI Blog |
|
| Posted by: marc |
12/10/2007 12:03 PM |
Last week Len Monheit commented on the plethora of media coverage that followed a press release issued by a group called itself Informed Choice that purported to have data demonstrating that up to 25% of dietary supplements are contaminated with steroids. This week, that story continues to have legs.
On December 4th, the International Herald Tribune picked up a press release issued by a heretofore unknown group calling itself Informed Choice. Purporting to be an industry and consumer friendly organization, the group announced that it had conducted “tests” on 52 randomly purchased dietary supplements, and that 13 of them showed evidence of steroid contamination. The rest of the media immediately picked up on the story and presented its findings as indisputable fact.
None of the mass media stories noted that Informed Choice neglected to inform anyone either of the identity of the supplements tested or the methodology used in testing those products. No data was given concerning whether one or multiple samples were tested or over what time period the products were acquired by the group. There was simply an announcement that if you purchased a dietary supplement, there was a one-in-four chance that you would be buying a product adulterated with steroids. The media then simply repeated this claim as fact.
Today, nearly one week later, this story is still news. Both the San Jose Mercury News and the New York Daily News have picked up the story that convicted felon and designer steroid peddler Victor Conte has arranged a meeting with outgoing World Anti-Doping Agency chief Dick Pound. The purpose of this meeting is ostensibly to discuss how to clean out cheaters in sport. Both stories also observe that Conte, today, is in the business of selling dietary supplements.
This leads me to two rhetorical questions:
1. What would the media reaction have been if an industry trade association issued a press release announcing simply that it had tested 50 dietary supplements and none were found to have any issues with misbranding or adulteration?
2. When and how did Victor Conte become the face of the dietary supplement industry?
|
|
| Permalink |
Trackback |
Comments (1)
|
Re: Supplements/Steroids for Sports Redux
|
By suzanne on
12/13/2007 12:07 PM
|
|
I think we all agree that the media's willingness to report this story without real facts is disturbing, but not surprising. And who's behind Informed Choice? That's the real question. I can't find any information on them. Does anyone know?
|
|
|
|
|