Word: olestra
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1990-1999
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...Kessler managed to offend as well those who cheered his moves against Big Business. He approved olestra, a fat substitute that can cause diarrhea and cramps, and BST, a hormone injected into cows to increase milk production--arguing in both cases that his decision was based on sound science. The FDA under his regime was faulted for being too laggard in approving new drugs, even though Kessler cut the waiting time from 33 months to 19 months...
...potato habits. Just three weeks ago, a U.S. Department of Agriculture researcher presented a fat substitute made from the hulls of oats, corn and soybeans. If it is remotely palatable, it is sure to sell. History suggests, however, that it won't make much difference. Despite the arrival of Olestra last winter, despite NutraSweet and 1% milk, despite an estimated $33 billion spent every year on diet books, over-the-counter medications, health-club memberships and low-calorie foods, the flab still remains, entrenched solidly on waists, hips and thighs. News of a truly effective weight-loss drug will have...
...BATTLE OVER OLESTRA IS FINISHED. After decades of study and deliberation, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has made its long-awaited decision on the controversial fake fat, which was featured three weeks ago on the cover of TIME. The federal agency announced last week that it was approving the use of olestra--with conditions...
Nevertheless, the agency is requiring foods made with the synthetic compound to carry a label warning that olestra "may cause abdominal cramping and loose stools" and that it "inhibits the absorption of some vitamins and other nutrients." "There are real effects in some people," says Kessler, though he notes that the agency considers them "annoying" rather than "medically significant...
...critics stress potential problems. Calling olestra a "public-health time bomb," Michael Jacobson of the Center for Science in the Public Interest predicted that "it will cause everything from diarrhea to cancer, heart disease and blindness." If only there were a product that could strip the fat from the inflated claims of both sides...