There's a slimming product on the auction site eBay that's being advertised and marketed to children as young as 3-year-olds. JuniorSlim is a herbal supplement for helping those below 12 to lose the extra weight or prevent weight gain. Doctors, however, are sound off the alarm regarding the product as it can potentially be harmful to children.
According to Daily Mail, one JuniorSlim bottle costs $53 (£43) on eBay and other e-commerce sites and its sellers are advertising this as a weight loss product for kids. It's supposed to be a "healthy" alternative because it contains "natural" ingredient like fennel, dandelion and astragalus.
Some parents have also shared their testimonies about the result of JuniorSlim on their children on Naturally Savvy. They say that aside from losing weight, the kids seem to be more energetic and active because of the diet pills. "The changes have been astounding - both girls have shed their baby-fat and are looking absolutely lovely," parents Cheryl and Steve said.
A weight-loss product, called JuniorSlim, aimed at children as young as three is being sold by traders on eBay. ... https://t.co/ONLhNqaprr
— Thus Spake (@thus_spake) January 1, 2017
Doctors, however, warn that the ingredients are laxatives, which aren't supposed to be given to children at all, especially in large amounts. Frequent use of laxatives can lead to the body absorbing nutrients less, when children's bodies are still developing. It can also lead to children developing an acidic blood and in some cases it has been linked to psychiatric problems, according to the New York Times.
One pediatrician was shocked to find the product on Amazon. "I am appalled at the idea of diet pills for children," she wrote in her review of the product.
The way the products are also being advertised is dangerous and misleading. Watchdog groups such as the National Advertising Division (NAD) and the Advertising Self-Regulatory Council (ASRC) have already called out the manufacturer of JuniorSlim for this practice, Nutra Ingredients USA reports.
Buyers need to be more discerning about purchasing weight loss pills for kids. Experts advise parents to instead foster proper diet and exercise so that their children won't have any use for diet pills at all.
