Perls Thomas T
Geriatrics Section, Boston Medical Center, Robinson 2400, Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2004 Jul;59(7):682-91. doi: 10.1093/gerona/59.7.b682.
To assess the presence of quackery in the anti-aging industry, the Internet was surveyed for web sites marketing anti-aging products as well as those providing consumer advice regarding quackery and hucksterism. The United States Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and its amendments were reviewed, particularly as they pertain to dietary supplements and human growth hormone. Anti-aging quackery and hucksterism are pervasive on the Internet and in clinics advertising anti-aging treatments. Review of the marketing techniques of the industry revealed 15 common ruses used by many in the industry to market their products. Federal law states that distributing or administering human growth hormone for anti-aging or age-related problems is illegal. Nonetheless, anti-aging clinics thrive, administering human growth hormone to thousands of gullible and oftentimes vulnerable patients. Anti-aging quackery has become a multimillion dollar industry exacting great monetary, health, and social costs. Consumers and health care providers alike are wise to educate themselves on how to recognize quackery. Congress must reassess the wisdom of the 1994 Dietary Supplements Health and Education Act, which facilitates and, in numerous cases, endangers Americans on a grand scale. In the case of some substances such as human growth hormone, adequate legal safeguards are impotent without adequate resources allocated to enforcement agencies.
为评估抗衰老行业中存在的欺诈行为，我们对互联网进行了调查，查找推销抗衰老产品的网站以及提供有关欺诈和江湖骗术消费者建议的网站。对美国联邦食品、药品和化妆品法案及其修正案进行了审查，特别是其中与膳食补充剂和人体生长激素相关的部分。抗衰老欺诈和江湖骗术在互联网上以及宣传抗衰老疗法的诊所中普遍存在。对该行业营销技巧的审查揭示了业内许多人用于推销其产品的15种常见伎俩。联邦法律规定，为抗衰老或与年龄相关的问题分发或施用人体生长激素是非法的。尽管如此，抗衰老诊所却蓬勃发展，向成千上万轻信且往往易受伤害的患者施用人体生长激素。抗衰老欺诈已成为一个价值数百万美元的行业，造成了巨大的金钱、健康和社会成本。消费者和医疗保健提供者都应明智地了解如何识别欺诈行为。国会必须重新评估1994年《膳食补充剂健康与教育法》的合理性，该法案在许多情况下促成并大规模危及美国人。就某些物质如人体生长激素而言，若没有为执法机构分配足够资源，适当的法律保障措施将无能为力。
