Research Ethics: Are they forgotten?

As companies in the fitness and dietary-supplement industry dig deeper and deeper for that "over the top" product to sell to consumers, the lines of research ethics become more and more blurred.  The major reason for this is that the industry is not regulated as much as it should be.  Ever notice the "before and after" pictures in magazines advertising health products and supplements? Sometimes it doesn't look remotely like the same person.  Or how about those ridiculous claims on the label? Where has that 'guarantee' been proven?  Research ethics are on the decline regarding the fitness and supplement industry, which is a great cause of concern to us, the consumers.

 

 Most of these far fetched claims are made in the muscle-building world, such as MuscleTech Nitro-Tech's claim that by taking the powder you will gain 14 pounds of muscle in 2 weeks.  14 pounds of muscle in 2 weeks? Get real.  Where is the evidence to back this up?  However, evidence or not, customers see that flashy claim and get trapped into thinking it is liquid gold.  In my opinion, these claims are unethical as companies trick their consumers into buying these products.  

In addition, product labels frequently show percentages regarding the amount of people who have increased muscle mass, or the amount of people who have lost weight to get more of a firm body.  once again, where is this research being done? There are no credentials or evidence proving that this research isn't just made up to increase sales. 

Dr. Lindsay Moore's article, "An Industry in Crisis: Are Consumers Getting What They Deserve", points out the loss of moral standards and research ethics within the industry.  She touches upon the history of the industry and how ethics have worsened within the field.  She describes how incorporating pharmeceudical effectiveness opened the flood gates to supplement claims whether they are scams or not. 

 "These products intensified the implication of pharmaceutical effectiveness and drove the industry as ingredients in condition-specific formulations. They unlocked a Pandora’s Box of questionable products, unreliable dosages, absence of or minimal active ingredients, non-scientific claims, marketing hype, and, de facto, consumer exploitation."

In my personal opinion, ethics within the fitness and supplement industry are diminishing more and more.  People each day get scammed by fitness and dietary-supplement industries by their erroneous claims to get a better, healthier body.  This is not ethical, and the way I see it, the FDA needs to step in and place stronger regulations on the fitness and supplement companies who are scamming consumers.  Research ethics within the industry are very slim and will continue to diminish unless the government takes action.