Copyright M Live Michigan
Michigan minors would be prohibited from buying supplements for diet and muscle growth under a new bill in the state House. The proposed legislation introduced last week by state Rep. Erin Byrnes, D-Dearborn, targets weight loss and muscle growth supplements that experts say can lead to body image issues, eating disorders and health problems. Byrnes said many young people turn to weight loss supplements in pursuit of unrealistic body standards without understanding the risks involved. She added that many supplements are under regulated and often untested for safety in minors, but still aggressively marketed. “Diet pills are not something children need and marketing them to minors is simply wrong,” Byrnes said. “These products can be dangerous, come with serious side effects and minors who use them are far more likely to develop body image issues, dysmorphia or eating disorders later in life.” While retailers would face a civil fine for selling a prohibited supplement to a minor under the bill, it would still be legal for a minor to possess the prohibited supplement or for a person to give a minor the prohibited supplement. Physical retailers would require customers to prove they’re at least 18 years old by presenting an identification card, like a driver’s license, when purchasing prohibited supplements. Online retailers would be required to ask for a customer’s full name, birthdate and address, then verify the identity and age using a database. A retailer would face up to a $1,000 fine per violation of the bill, if passed. The legislation awaits consideration by a House committee. The legislation includes both specific supplements to be prohibited for sale to minors as well as guidelines that could result in other supplements, like protein powder, being prohibited from sale. To determine which supplements fall under this ban, the Board of Pharmacy within the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) would establish a list of restricted supplements based on a number of factors outlined in the bill. Some supplements named in the bill are creatine, which is used to enhance weightlifting and muscle growth, and supposed weight loss aids, such as green tea extract, raspberry ketone, garcinia cambogia and coffee bean extract. Coffee bean and green tea extracts are often found within pre-workout supplements. Other factors the Board of Pharmacy would use to determine banning a supplement for sale to minors would be: Whether the product’s label or marketing suggests a product will help with weight loss or muscle building Whether the product or its ingredients are generally viewed as helping with weight loss or muscle building Whether the retailer categorizes a product as a weight loss or muscle building supplement “Teens struggling with body image issues are especially susceptible to deceptive marketing, and this legislation would protect them from predatory industries that profit from their insecurities,” said Dr. Kendrin Sonneville, associate professor and director of the Center of Excellence for Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. “This legislation is a pragmatic, cost effective step to safeguard young people’s well-being and affirm that their safety comes before profit.” Byrnes said similar legislation has passed in New York and has been introduced in almost a dozen other states. Dr. Vivienne Hazzard, assistant professor of public health at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, said the legislation is about promoting healthy development. “Across studies, we see a consistent pattern: early use of these unregulated products predicts later harm,” Hazzard said. “By restricting sales of these dangerous supplements to minors, we can take a meaningful step toward preventing eating disorders and promoting healthy development for youth in Michigan.”
