Products with banned substance.

Women Suffers from Health Problem after Consuming Illegal Weight Loss Product

Reported from Singapore, a woman suffers severe heart failure after she consumed an illegal weight loss product that contains an undeclared banned substance. Amid this case, The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has raised the alert on BB Body, the product’s name, alongside other three health products after five consumers reported serious adverse reactions to them, including severe heart failure.

Other diet products are Bellow Smaze and Choco Fit which contain sibutramine, as well as Seahorse Chop Du Zhong Ba Ji Wan which contains dexamethasone, a potent steroid.

The woman in her 50s claims to develop extremely fast heart rate after consuming BB Body for about three months and now suffers from severe heart failure that regulates her to have a defibrillator implanted to maintain her heart rhythm. A long term medication for her heart failure is done as well.  

Another case also comes from a younger woman of age 20s that developed palpitation and insomnia, and subsequently had suicidal thoughts after taking Bello Smaze for four days. She was recommended by her friend that consumed it as well and also experienced the same symptoms. A woman in her 30s also experienced palpitations after consuming Choco Fit for only two days.

The authority stated that these effects are mainly caused by sibutramine contained in the products. It was already banned since 2010 due to an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes. These products contained of dangerous chemical content are widely distributed via e-commerce and social media platforms with lures of “no side effects” and “fast weight loss within days”.

The HSA advises consumers to be more careful on choosing health products and to not be easily lured by the promising quick and miraculous effects or any exaggerated claims. Consumers should also avoid buying health products from unfamiliar sources overseas and be extra cautious when buying things online, as it can be hard to be certain where and how these products were made.

Source: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/weight-loss-drug-severe-heart-failure-sibutramine-steroid-hsa-11590574