A Jillian Michaels diet supplement is again the subject of controversy -- this time in the form of a lawsuit claiming that the product contains a "potentially lethal combination of toxic ingredients."
The suit, filed in Los Angeles by a woman identified only as R.D., concerns Michaels's Triple Process Total Body Detox & Cleanse diet supplement, according to TMZ.com. Among the "toxic ingredients" singled out by the suit are Irish moss powder, which the complaint says causes gastrointestinal ulcers; bearberry, which it says can spur nausea and vomiting; Chinese rhubarb, which is labeled a "dangerous diuretic"; and yarrow, a lawn weed that is allegedly linked to dermatitis.
Questionable claims
R.D.'s suit is only the latest in a line taking issue with a Michaels-endorsed product. A class action filed in February called the Jillian Michaels Maximum Strength Calorie Control supplement "worthless," taking issue with Michaels's claims that the supplement would "restrict your caloric intake automatically" and was "like an automatic diet."
Instead, lead plaintiff Christie Christensen found that, shockingly, "her appetite did not decrease, her caloric intake was not automatically restricted, and she did not lose any weight." Christensen apparently believed Michaels's claim that "when you take this compound before main meals, you eat less...but the best part is, you won't even know it."
Another suit, also filed in February, said the Jillian Michaels Maximum Strength Fat Burner contained ingredients that mix to form a "toxic cocktail." Interestingly, that suit also used the phrase "potentially lethal" -- this time with reference to citrus aurantium, an ingredient that it alleged poses cardiac risks.
Star appeal
The very fact that Michaels's name is on the bottle means that her dietary supplements carry extra weight. She was a personal trainer on the hit show The Biggest Loser, in which severely overweight contestants compete to see who can lose the most weight. Her website brands her "America's TOUGHEST trainer" and "one of the leading health and wellness experts in the country." She goes on to claim that "[e]very week she motivates nearly 15 million TV viewers, approximately 2 million subscribers to her Web site and daily e-mail newsletter, and many more radio listeners."
Michaels holds a special sway over consumers struggling with their weight due to her own obesity as a child. Indeed, she claims on her site to have a "unique connection" with Biggest Loser viewers.
R.D. alleges that Michaels and Thin Care International, which markets and promotes the product, "actively and fraudulently" conspired to hide the risks posed by the supplement. She is seeking more than $10 million in damages.
