Jillian Michaels Lawsuit

Speaking of ridiculous claims..... I did a BBL workout this morning, and afterward the dvd kept playing while I did a decent stretch, and Debbie S. of Slim in 6 fame was hocking her wares and they actually said "Lose 10 pounds in the first six days." WHAT?! (swearing omitted)
 
You're so right, Beth! Those little "commercials" are on all the Beachbody workouts. Exactly! They could easily be sued too, but I'm SURE they have disclaimers somewhere. I wonder if Jillian does? She must!
 
I think that no matter what shape Jillian Michael's is in...it really takes away all her credibility for me!

That is why I am glad Cathe sticks to her roots. She is not out there trying to get someone to name a protein shake after her!
 
bitmover said:
Speaking of ridiculous claims..... I did a BBL workout this morning, and afterward the dvd kept playing while I did a decent stretch, and Debbie S. of Slim in 6 fame was hocking her wares and they actually said "Lose 10 pounds in the first six days." WHAT?! (swearing omitted)
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I have BBL too, and I HATE those Slim in 6 commercials where she talks about other workouts bulking you up, etc., like lifting heavy would make girls look like the Hulk so they should stick with their five pound dumbbells and Jazzercise. Whatever. :rolleyes: But I do love BBL. BTW: I've been doing it and Cathe's Muscle Endurance (which is my only full-body/endurance weight routine, hoping to get supersets/push pull soon) this week, and it makes for a GREAT rotation.
 
I wonder who talked Jillian into doing that, I mean, everything she stands for and it doesn't seem to include diet pills. It doesn't really make sense.
 
i really don't get it.every fitness gadget,pill, dvd series makes claims. while i do agree these diet pill companies have to take some responsibility for their marketing, i really think some personal responsibility and common sense need to be used for those wanting to take the pills. if the product didn't work for the person ask for a refund but to sue for millions? really? is that really necessary? does it prove anything or make a point?

i think if some ppl quit looking for a quick fix then none of these companies would be in business in the first place and we can enjoy workouts videos b/c we like them not b/c they claim the biggest results and we can enjoy eating instead of looking for the next diet plan or quick fix pill. plus look at the teeny tiny print it says "in conjunction with a diet and exercise program". granted they make it small print but its still on there if anybody really looks at what they are buying they would see it.

i have thought of going this route before but i think i will struggle with trying it on my own and be proud. some of this stuff just has some scary sounding stuff in it.

kassia
 
Boingo1 said:
You're so right, Beth! Those little "commercials" are on all the Beachbody workouts. Exactly! They could easily be sued too, but I'm SURE they have disclaimers somewhere. I wonder if Jillian does? She must!
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they all have disclaimers and other stuff in the fine print. consumers just don't read them.

You ever seen those ads for Hydroxycut claiming fast weight loss? When you look closer the people in the ads lost 2 pounds per week over many weeks. Not many people think that's fast and most people can lose 2 pounds a week without pills.
 
She has diet pill ads on the TV all the time, at least around here, and several print ads. Always baffled me. I've never bought any of her DVDs, or any of her other stuff, because of those ads. Why? Because she ought to know better, dang it!!! It irks me.

Nan
 
I was so surprised when I heard that she was promoting any kind of weight loss pill -- that's so against what she "preaches" on the Biggest Loser. I guess she got too greedy and wanted more money (even though you know they're paying her mega bucks at the BL - do you need more?!). So I guess she decided to risk losing her credibility over this. BTW -- I've got a few of her workouts and I'm not impressed at all. I never do them because I love Cathe. To me Jillian is very annoying as far as a trainer and her demeanor really bugs me and I just can't get into her workouts. She does so much of her "in your face" stuff because she's on camera (in my opinion). But, although she annoys me, she gets the work done for the contestants on the Biggest Loser, so I guess that's all that matters. Those people definitely need someone annoying to keep them going and they are in a much worse situation than I am!!
 
I'm not a huge fan of her workouts either. I don't really feel challenged by them and for some reason I feel like a lot of them prompt bad form, if that makes sense. They all seem kind of rushed.

I agree with Kassia; some responsibility has to be placed on the consumer. Come on, are you really that naiive to believe that you can lose weight just by popping a pill 2x a day?! A lot of people aren't overweight because they eat when they're hungry; they're overweight because they eat when they're sad, when they're happy, when they're angry, when they're bored...basically any emotion you can think of, regardless of whether they are truly hungry or not. So, if these pills actually did prompt fullness, as they claim, that doesn't necessarily mean you will eat less because if you're an emotional eater, as many of us looking to lose weight are, you're going to eat no matter what!! Not that I'm saying these pills should be used or that they are a way to go about weight loss, but people think 'oh if I take this to feel full then I will lose weight.' Weight loss is so much more complicated than that; it really is something you have to fix inside before the outside shows any improvement. That's just my 2cents.

And really, where did the $5M price tag come about on a $30 product?! As far as I know, this woman wasn't hospitalized or anything. It's really sickening how sue-happy this culture has become.
 
EXCELLENT point melissa. emotional eating is hardly ever taken into account. how many times you ate a great meal felt good then had a bad moment(like fight with a SO,DH etc) and you JUST happen to see a piece of fudge there and ate it without thinking, "hey i am full". i know i just didn't eat my piece of judge at 10:30 at night b/c i was hungry and wanted a snack. i am eating b/c 1)its there and 2)my anxiety is on high at the moment. i ate a very great meal for dinner i should be full and i ate well and stopped when i was satisfied.

if there is a pill that has a genie in it that smacks food out of my hand b/c i am eating emotionally then i might bite LOL.

but you know even a pack of cigarettes tell you on the box you are going to get sick. everything has a label from results may vary to this will kill you. goodness gracious.

while i don't agree with jililan's marketing pills, she really is no different to others out there marketing all sorts of stuff we don't need or may not be to good for us.

i am actually more pissed about her kettlebell incident b/c there is no disclaimer on a kettlebell when you have a trainer that doesn't have a clue!!

kassia
 
It's sad, though, because people SHOULD know better, but I think they only gain knowledge through experience. Even people who have Gastric Bypass Surgery, they still emotionally eat, and gain weight back (even though they physically can NOT be hungry). Prime example: Carnie Wilson.

And I have to say, I dabbled in lots of things along the years to lose weight , diet pills (dexatrim comes to mind), weight loss gadgets, even Weight Watchers (that worked beautifully the first time, but I gained back not maintaining the lifestyle). I've finally learned that it's eating and exercising right (simple!) that makes a healthy fit person.
 
Boingo1 said:
It's sad, though, because people SHOULD know better, but I think they only gain knowledge through experience. Even people who have Gastric Bypass Surgery, they still emotionally eat, and gain weight back (even though they physically can NOT be hungry). Prime example: Carnie Wilson.

And I have to say, I dabbled in lots of things along the years to lose weight , diet pills (dexatrim comes to mind), weight loss gadgets, even Weight Watchers (that worked beautifully the first time, but I gained back not maintaining the lifestyle). I've finally learned that it's eating and exercising right (simple!) that makes a healthy fit person.
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and i really think that ppl that don't follow the advice of experts and friends to not go that route are going to have to learn by trial and error. so that is more or less why i think its unfair for this woman to sue for millions just b/c it didn't work. then again it didn't say if she followed a lifestyle change or not either but if you eat more then you should,not matter what you are taking, you are going to gain weight. i would ask for a refund or something but MILLIONS! unless she has some good cause its going to or she was hospitalized(in which case i would only ask for my medical bills etc.) then i think millions is a little much. total gym didn't work for me but i didn't sue chuck norris and the total gym makers b/c the machine wasn't up to my challenge and i couldn't transition from body parts i wanted to with ease.

kassia
 
lainiefig said:
I'd be willing to bet good money the woman intended to sue before she even tried the product.
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I was thinking the exact same thing.

I've read Jillian's "Making the Cut" (MTC) and I know she has always backed supplements as part of a kind of die-hard, last-minute "cutting" measure. She mentions ECA stacks in MTC - Ephedrine, Caffeine, and Aspirin, which is now illegal because it is a bit dangerous, although it IS evidently effective. Her new supplement line basically seemed to be designed along similar lines - willow bark is the source of aspirin, guarana contains lots of caffeine, and there are other assorted stimulants and diuretics and things in there.

Still, no pill is going to work all by itself. It's misleading to advertise "Just take 2 pills before meals and that's it!" I suppose if a person had very little experience with fitness/exercise/nutrition, it might seem plausible, especially given Jillian's reputation.

I also think it was pretty dumb and shill-tastic of her to endorse this stuff - a few consumers might get some results that might be attributed to the supplements, but seriously, do most people who buy diet pills seriously integrate them with a sensible diet/exercise plan? If I were in Jillian's position, even if I really believed in supplementation, I think I'd decline to have my name on diet pills. Diet pills aren't the most helpful product to help people manage their health - they're mostly really good at generating cash for retailers.

So, to finally meander around to my point, yeah, I think it's possible that the lawsuit was planned. But if the pills were actually effective, there wouldn't be any question of a lawsuit. Nobody gets sued for saying "eat right and move more."

OK, maybe they do (this is America, after all), but probably less frequently than people who get sued for selling snake oil.
 
Yikes, some of the ingredients in her supplements can cause miscarriage. Some of them can prmote excess bleeding. The warnings on these products are insufficient. Ephedrine and yarrow can cause a miscarriage or prevent you from conceiving. As can too much ginger root. You shouldn't take aspirin or NSAIDs with willow bark. They all work the same and have blood thinning properties. Some of the ingredients are contraindicated when taking other herbs or drugs. Some of the ingredients cancel each other out.

I am a big believer in hernal remedies and supplementation. But you need to be educated on the subject. You can end up sick or worse if you don't. Just because something is natural doesn't mean you don't have to be cautious. That bothers me above all else.

The woman suing is seeking class action status. Unless she's in collaboration with the attorneys, she's not seeking damages. She is seeking a change in Jillian's business practices. The only people who get rich in class action suits are lawyers not plaintiffs. Usually, you enter class action when you want to make a point not get money.
 
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