Is Weight-loss tea back to haunt us?
Did you see the Today Tonight report on alternative medicines last night? Very exciting, albeit rather badly reported, stuff! This is all especially confusing for consumers when it comes in the same year that many medical schools started adding a swag of proven complimentary medicines to their teaching agenda.
It got me to thinking – what is natural or complimentary healthcare anyway?
To me, “going natural” with your health care means:
1. Taking an active interest in your body systems and how they work in a healthy state.
2. Talking to a range of healthcare professionals to learn about then do things to support your own health state – exercise, yoga, eating well.
3. Avoiding all the bad stuff that might result in your not being healthy.
4. And when you do have a health issue, probing the knowledge of all kinds of healthcare practitioners including Doctors, Naturopaths, Physios etc.
5. And only then, consider some kind of medicine or supplementation regime that might help.
Natural health is all about using your nouse.
But back to Today Tonight – if you were someone who thought that natural health care was about popping pills from the health food store (as distinct from the pharmacy) then you’d have some reason to feel some disappointment right now.
The Federal Department of Health & Ageing made public in a briefing document to the government the details of a TGA investigation which showed that a 90% non-compliance rate was found in a review of about 400 new alternative medicine products listed last financial year. The exact nature of the non-compliance was not discussed on the show, but reportedly relates to labeling. Less than 3% of products were removed. A spokesperson for the TGA said many of the requirements made were the result of relatively minor matters such as the wrong-sized font being used on labels. Most matters of non-compliance could be rectified but that about half a dozen of the products were removed from the market by the TGA. The Federal Government is reviewing how therapeutic goods are regulated this year.
Regardless of the regulation structure around us, we all benefit from the health supplement industry getting its act together with labeling. Anyone aged 40+ will appreciate the font size just has to be right! But let’s not throw wholly credible natural approaches to health out with the dodgy imported weight-loss tea.
Natural health is about using your brain and getting to know your body. Many credible natural health companies go to great pains to educate consumers on natural health care strategies beyond just supplementation. They employ in-house Naturopaths, run informative websites, sponsor fun-runs, and often offer services above and beyond the standard unit-sales bottom line that is acceptable in many other industries.
Yours,
The Dark Mistress
The Balance Blog – A reflection on virtual life versus embodied life; ostensibly finding sunshine, holistic fitness, natural weight-loss and stress relief for an obsessed workaholic screen addict, with the occasional dig at the World Wide Web.
