RE: BIO/LAW: FDA and Olestra

From: < (f27846532@mindspring.com)
Date: Sun Feb 18 2001 - 03:00:09 MST


At 11:09pm -0800 2/17/01, < wrote:
>>They read a warning on these *strange* *new* chips
>>that they *may cause digestive upset*, they hear on the news that they
*may
>>cause digestive upset*, their friends tell them as they pop a chip in
their
>>mouth that they *may cause digestive upset*, they eat the chips
>>and--surprise!--*digestive upset*!

>Perhaps, but then tobacco smokers might just be imagining their
>health problems because of cigarette warnings, too.

**Well, with cigarettes we have tons of scientific evidence of their
negative effects. And lung cancer/heart disease/etc. are not immediate
reactions, so aren't as likely to be effected by placebo.

>Remember that these problems were originally reported before these
>warnings were required. The warnings were implemented after initial
>reports indicated the problems. It may be true that the warning make
>people more wary and sensitive to the problems, but the initial
>problems reports predate the warnings, not vice versa.

**Ok. I don't discount the fact that some people may have gastrointestinal
problems from eating Olestra products, but I think the side effects are
probably over-exagerated, and are probably not much (if any) worse than
those caused by eating (or over-eating) any other junk food.

GM



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