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Jillian Michaels, her diet pills and the questionable US legal system

Posted: 14/02/2010 at 09:04am by Rich Leigh, weight loss expert, Fat Free Fitness

Take one fitness and weight loss star, mix it with one box of ‘what was she thinking?’, add two parts ‘ridiculous, money-grabbers’ and you have where we’re at right now with Jillian Michaels.

Jillian Michaels, star of hit NBC show, "The Biggest Loser," is being sued by Christie Christensen  and piggyback-claimant Stephanie Creer, who both claim they didn’t lose weight with diet pills endorsed by Michaels.

Christensen said she was ‘duped’ into buying the "Jillian Michaels Maximum Strength Calorie Control" product last month, and is seeking class-action status for the case, filed in Los Angeles.

The lawsuit specifies that the pills did not lessen Christensen's appetite and that she didn't shed any pounds as the product promised.

A photo of trim Michaels and her endorsement of the supplement appear on the product’s package, billing her as "America's Toughest Trainer." It also includes the claim "Two Capsules Before Main Meals and You Lose Weight...That's It!"

Now, I have a serious, serious issue with people within the public eye, especially one who people look up to with such regard, endorsing anything so quick-fix as diet pills. The dollars in her eyes must have obscured the view that diet pills can never be anything but a stop-gap, a diversion from the path of healthiness, which will inevitably lead to a good-looking physique (apologies for terribly journey-based metaphor. Will have a word with myself). I am disappointed that somebody who publicly represents the fitness industry I’m so proud to belong to would put her name to something which promotes anything other than a healthy, balanced diet and activity.

As the lawsuit states: "Ms. Michaels knows better - taking two pills before eating does not miraculously cause weight loss."

My disappointment however should not overshadow the ridiculous, self-seeking nature of this lawsuit. Us Brits, and I imagine many others internationally, have a certain view of the American legal system, one that in our mind allows anybody to sue anybody else, for pretty much any reason that pops into their head, presuming they can afford the initial legal costs.

Christensen, whose suit notes that she has "struggled" with her weight for her entire life and bought "Calorie Control" because of Michaels’ endorsement, is a greedy, unbalanced person in my eyes.

The suit seeks damages to the tune of $5+ million – a sum so blatantly contrived it is small wonder her representation had her stop there. I mean, how do you come up with a figure like that in the first place? How do you put a value on a situation that is no different to the circumstance you would have been in had you not bought said wonder pills?

The pills have (surprise, surprise) not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for their claim to help weight loss, but this whole scenario is especially worrying, given that the issue of obesity has no other role model out there, despite being such a big problem in America and the UK. I cannot see how Michaels can recover from this with respect from both the fitness industry and consumers intact.


Jillian Michaels' diet pills

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Comments

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Rich. I'm with you there. My sadness is divergent however, as on one hand I believe the justice system enables ridiculous claims on the part of individuals... and on the other hand, I believe that established fitness professionals get too comfortable. If Jillian didn't believe herself to be untouchable, I don't think she would've endorsed such a ridiculous claim. What does this teach us though? Who's more at fault here? Epic irresponsibility aside, what right does the plaintiff have to 5 million?

Posted by: Corey Springer, 14/02/2010 at 10:11am

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I totally agree - like Michaels felt she didn't need the respect of her fitness peers anymore. Any exercise role model knows they cannot possibly endorse diet pills for Joe Bloggs-public-consumption, unless they think that consumer love for them is big enough to warrant losing support from other trainers and nutritionists etc. I do love hearing some of the legal claims from across the pond though, some of them are so funny :)!

Posted by: Rich Leigh, 14/02/2010 at 03:38pm

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Agreed. I wonder how it will all turn out though.

Posted by: Corey Springer, 14/02/2010 at 06:29pm

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