Consumer, Patient Safety, and Public Health Groups Petition the FTC to Stop the Deceptive Online Marketing of Unapproved Weight Loss Drugs

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A National Consumers League Review Finds the Promotion by Several Online Telehealth Platforms Misleads the Public About the Safety of Compounded GLP-1 Products and Violates FTC’s Prohibition Against False and Deceptive Advertising

Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829

Washington, DC, – Now that a Presidential memorandum directs the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure accuracy in direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising and the September 9 MAHA Report calls on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to apply its existing authorities to DTC telehealth companies, the National Consumers League (NCL) and 12 patient safety, pharmacy, women’s health and minority health organizations have submitted a petition asking the FTC to launch an investigation of the deceptive marketing practices of telehealth platforms promoting weight loss drugs.

Reinforcing the July 17, 2025, letter to the FTC from Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), urging a probe of the questionable online marketing surrounding GLP-1 agonists, the petition provides a roadmap for the FTC to investigate the direct-to-consumer advertising practices of telehealth platforms that promote compounded GLP-1 drugs through tactics that violate the FTC’s prohibition against false and deceptive advertising. These practices include ads that expose consumers to unsubstantiated claims and misleading inferences regarding the comparable safety, efficacy, and ingredients used in compounded GLP-1 products. As described in the petition, there has been a 1200 percent increase in “violative or problematic” GLP-1 related ads since 2022, resulting in an alarming amount of misleading information that causes consumer confusion, leads to risk-taking behaviors, and perpetuates fraud.

“Compounded GLP-1s are not the same as FDA-approved medications – and not knowing the differences puts American consumers at risk,” said Sally Greenberg, CEO of the National Consumers League (NCL). “The FTC must act swiftly to stop deceptive advertising and protect consumers from potentially serious health problems associated with compounded GLP-1 drugs.”

Based on an in-depth analysis NCL conducted in April 2025 of the headings, claims, omissions of fact, and use of visuals and hyperlinks contained in widely disseminated TV and digital ads promoting compounded GLP-1 drugs, these practices fall into three categories that violate the Federal Trade Commission Act: 1) ads that omit  “material risk information,” such as side effects and contraindications, 2) content that contains statements and omissions that would mislead a reasonable consumer regarding FDA approval, and 3) unsubstantiated claims regarding product safety and efficacy. Some examples include:

  • Broadcast and digital ads that completely omit all risk and safety information about compounded GLP-1 products
  • Ads that only include brief, superimposed risk declaimers stating that GLP-1 drugs “may differ in risks, benefits, and side effects”
  • Putting risk disclosure information in small, hard-to-read type and flashing it quickly in TV spots
  • Making implied claims of FDA approval and/or the sameness with the branded drug by juxtaposing images of compounded drugs with easily recognized FDA-approved products, or stating that the compounded version has the “same active ingredient”
  • Using terms like “clinically backed weight loss treatment,” “doctor trusted,” and “trusted by experts” with no substantiation

The following organizations joined with the National Consumers League in submitting the petition: Aimed Alliance, American Medical Women’s Association, Association for Safe Online Pharmacies, Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, Health Equity Coalition on Chronic Disease, HealthyWomen, League of United Latin American Citizens, MANA, A National Latina Organization, National Asian Pacific Center on Aging, National Council on Aging, National Hispanic Council on Aging, and the Partnership for Safe Medicines.

Because deceptive advertising too often deceives consumers into believing that compounded GLP-1s are as safe as branded versions, only cheaper and easier to obtain online, the petition documents the harm in serious health problems related to dosing errors and reactions to harmful ingredients in compounded GLP-1 products. As of September 9, 2025, the FDA has received 1,424 reports of adverse events associated with compounded GLP-1 drugs, including reports of 329 hospitalizations and 23 deaths, while poison control centers have seen a nearly 1,500 percent increase in calls since 2019 due to overdose or side effects.

Additionally, patient safety advocates warn that many compounded GLP-1s use active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) sourced from China, where quality standards vary and APIs may go uninspected. Further, the petition points to new health risks for consumers as compounders and telehealth companies pivot to promoting “personalized” versions of GLP-1s with added vitamins or microdoses of GLP-1s that have never been studied.

“When drug compounders use added substances or altered dosages to evade restrictions on copying FDA-approved medications, they endanger consumers by dispensing products that have not been proven safe or effective for their intended uses,” said Michael C. Barnes, counsel to Aimed Alliance. “By promoting and selling drugs that have not undergone rigorous clinical trials and FDA review, compounders also erode the integrity of the U.S. drug approval and marketing system.”

While deceptive advertising of compounded GLP-1 drugs is a national problem that perpetuates fraud, advocates are especially concerned about the influence of highly deceptive ads on women, the primary users of GLP-1 drugs, including girls 14 years and younger who are increasingly motivated to take microdoses of a GLP-1 drug to control their weight.  However, those at greatest risk of harm are women of color, who the data show tend to be more susceptible to scams offering cheaper, potentially fraudulent or counterfeit alternatives online, through bodegas or illegitimate channels.

Additionally, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) asserts that Latinas are especially vulnerable to deceptive Spanish language ads on television, radio, and social media, as well as through informal networks – community centers, neighborhood bodegas, and Spanish language Facebook groups – where oversight is nonexistent.

“This is a worst-case scenario for the Latina community,” said Ray Romano, LULAC’s Director of Research and Policy. “For many Latinas, especially those with limited English proficiency, these ads may be their only source of information about compounded GLP-1 drugs. Latina patients are also desperate for affordable treatment, which is why this exploitative marketing creates an especially dangerous pipeline for fraud and harm.”

Study Methodology
Months in development, the petition draws on research on telehealth marketing of compounded GLP-1 products, including a content analysis conducted by the NCL of the headings, subheads, claims, omissions, and the placement of visuals in television and digital ads widely disseminated online in the first half of 2025. The petition also incorporates input from stakeholders focused on patient safety, consumer fraud, and populations especially vulnerable to online misinformation.

The full petition can be found here.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. The organization’s mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Crackdown on Deceptive Weight Loss Drug Ads Marks Victory for Consumers

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Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829 

Washington, DC – Justice delayed was justice denied to millions of Americans who have been exposed to a flood of deceptive advertising about the safety of the same weight loss drugs that the Food and Drug Administration warns are not approved and “could be risky for patients.”  Now, FDA is standing up for consumers by sending 100 cease-and-desist letters that tell online sellers of compounded GLP-1 drugs that it is a breach of FDA regulation to tout the benefits of the weight-loss drugs without any mention of side effects and to stop this “false or misleading” marketing.  

“Americans need a cop on the beat to protect them from the rampant disinformation now circulating online that causes consumers to tune out the advice of the FDA and leading medical societies and opt for drugs that may cause harm or could be fakes, says Nancy Glick, Director of Food and Nutrition Policy. The National Consumers League welcomes FDA’s commitment to monitor the content and claims of companies promoting GLP-1 weight loss medicines and other prescription drugs and to enforce prescription drug advertising regulations aggressively. 

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)      

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.    

Fraud, Counterfeits, and Unsafe Doses: NCL Sounds Alarm on Compounded GLP-1 Market

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 Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829 

Washington, DC –  On behalf of the millions of consumers who have been lulled into believing that compounded GLP-1s are safe and effective for weight loss, the National Consumers League (NCL) appreciates the Food and Drug Administration’s updated policy statement warning that these drugs can carry significant health risks and should only be taken by patients who cannot tolerate the widely available FDA-approved GLP-1 medicines. 

Specifically, the FDA’s statement makes clear that: 

Compounded GLP-1s are unapproved products that do not undergo the FDA’s review for safety, effectiveness, and quality before they are marketed.  

Compounded GLP-1s carry significant safety risks and may cause serious adverse events, hospitalizations, and in some cases death. These adverse events are directly linked to dosing errors when patients measure and self-administer incorrect doses of the drug, and in some cases, when health care professionals miscalculate doses of the drug.  

The FDA has received 1,150 reports of adverse events related to compounded versions of semaglutide and tirzepatide as of July 31, 2025. Because federal law does not require all compounders to submit adverse reaction reports, these numbers are the tip of the iceberg in terms of harm to consumers. 

The FDA is aware of fraudulent compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide marketed in the U.S. that contain false information on the product label.  

The FDA is also aware that counterfeit GLP-1s are widely available online and may contain the wrong ingredients, contain too little, too much, or no active ingredient at all, or other harmful ingredients, and are illegal.  

Similarly, the agency is warning the public that bad actors are illegally selling directly to consumers unapproved ingredients falsely labeled “for research purposes” or “not for human consumption,” which are extremely dangerous. 

Making these concerns known is necessary to protect the public, but the National Consumers League calls on the FDA to take the next step by issuing regulations that will actually solve these problems and keep Americans safe. 

Unless the FDA acts forcefully, the tide of misleading online marketing of compounded GLP-1 drugs will continue, and the public will be faced with a “caveat emptor” approach that requires patients to fend for themselves. As a consequence, consumers will continue to choose treatments that may increase their health risks or opt for fraudulent and counterfeit drugs, including dangerous products that are falsely labeled “for research purposes” or “not for human consumption.” 

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)      

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.    

CDC Guts Food Safety Net: A Dangerous Gamble with American Lives

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Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829 

Washington, DC – In 1736, Benjamin Franklin advised the people of Philadelphia that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Our famous forefather was talking about fire prevention but his words should now be directed to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which recently cut its Food Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) to track only infections from two foodborne pathogens, Salmonella and Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli (STEC).  

It is true that Salmonella and STET are among the top contributors to foodborne illnesses in the U.S. Yet, another six major pathogens – Campylobacter, Cyclospora, Listeria, Shigella, Vibrio, and Yersinia –also contribute to the estimated 48 million cases of foodborne illness in the US every year. And now, CDC has decided that it will be up to the states participating in FoodNet to determine if and how they will track and report illnesses from these pathogens.

It is worth remembering that the CDC created FoodNet in 1995 as a response to the 1992–1993 Jack in the Box E. coli outbreak, when over 700 people were badly sickened and four children died from eating hamburgers containing the deadly strain of Escherichia coli O157:H7 bacterium. It was a national scandal the country vowed not to repeat. “Sadly, the CDC has decided to play Russian Roulette with the health of Americans because states simply do not have the ability to coordinate information and data beyond their borders,” says Nancy Glick, Director of Food and Nutrition Policy at the National Consumers League. Therefore, the detection and information-sharing about major food pathogens will become more difficult and the spread of foodborne disease outbreaks will be more likely.

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)      

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.    

The National Consumers League Applauds the Reintroduction of the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act; Urges Swift Action

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Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829 

Washington, DC – Months after the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) determined in a proposed rule that Medicare Part D should cover anti-obesity medications as a “medically necessary” service for people with the disease of obesity, the National Consumers League today applauded the reintroduction of the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA) in the 119th Congress as a critical step towards realizing this goal.  

Introduced in the Senate by Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), TROA aims to advance obesity care for older Americans by expanding access to intensive behavioral therapy (IBT) beyond the primary care setting and by allowing Medicare Part D to cover FDA approved anti-obesity medications (AOMs), including new injectable drugs called GLP-1s (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists). As such, TROA’s passage would end discriminatory and out-of-date Medicare policies and remove one of the biggest obstacles impeding access to quality obesity care by ensuring Medicare beneficiaries with obesity will have the same access to GLP-1s as those prescribed these drugs for treatment of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.  

When TROA was first introduced during the 113th Congress in 2013, 37.7 percent of adult Americans, or one in three adults, were living with obesity, and the American Medical Association responded by officially recognizing obesity as a serious disease requiring treatment. Now, obesity affects 41.9 percent of US adults  – more than 100 million people – which makes obesity the most prevalent chronic disease affecting Americans, significantly eclipsing the other most prevalent chronic diseases: heart disease, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, cancer, chronic lung disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, and stroke. Even more significantly, more than 230 medical conditions are directly linked to overweight and obesity, meaning these diseases worsen as the degree of obesity increases. Thus, obesity today is responsible for an estimated 400,000 deaths a year and costs the US economy an estimated $1.72 trillion annually. 

Also of note, the science of obesity treatment has changed significantly since the Medicare Part D program went into effect in 2006, resulting in new therapeutic agents, such as GLP-1 drugs, that can help people lose up to 20 percent of their weight in 26 months. Calculating the potential savings resulting from better health outcomes when obesity is treated, studies are beginning to project the potential savings to the economy from covering obesity medications. One recent study published December 5, 2024, in JAMA Network Open, estimated that a 10 percent weight loss resulting from obesity treatment saved $2,430 in reduced medical expenditures, and for a 25 percent weight loss, the reduction in health expenditures is $5,444 per person.  

Besides these reasons, the National Consumers League welcomes the reintroduction of TROA as a way that Congress can drive nationwide adoption of the Obesity Bill of Rights, issued by NCL and the National Council on Aging (NCOA) in 2024. The Obesity Bill of Rights defines quality obesity care as the right of all adults and establishes eight essential rights, including the right for older adults to receive quality obesity care and the right to coverage for the full range of treatment options so Americans with obesity will get the care specified in medical guidelines.  

Accordingly, NCL looks forward to working with Senators Cassidy and Lujan to build support for TROA and to working with the sponsors of the companion House bill, which will be introduced soon. At a time when so much is at stake for the health of older adults, TROA can be a catalyst for Congress to help older adults realize these rights and improve the standard of care for millions of Americans with obesity.  

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)      

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.    

Nancy Glick

World Food Safety Day 2025 is a call to action

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By Nancy Glick, Director of Food and Nutrition Policy

Most Americans know about Earth Day and World AIDS Day. But World Food Safety Day, an observance established by the World Health Organization (WHO) and celebrated around the world on June 7, largely goes unnoticed in the U.S.  

This is why the National Consumers League is flagging June 7 as a day when consumers should stop and think about the importance of preventing foodborne illnesses. Each year, this collection of diseases sickens an estimated 48 million people in the U.S., resulting in 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths, according to the  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The toll in costs to the nation is as much as $90 billion annually in medical expenditures, lost productivity, and premature deaths.  

Foodborne illness is not a new problem. Since NCL’s founding in 1899, the organization has been fighting to protect Americans from exposure to the harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites, and chemical substances in food that cause foodborne illness. We helped expose the unsanitary practices of the meat-packing industry, which led to the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906, laying a foundation for the nation’s first consumer protection agency, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). We also championed the passage of the Federal Meat Inspection Act of 1906 (FMIA), a landmark law aimed at guaranteeing meat is slaughtered and processed under sanitary conditions and ensuring adulterated or misbranded meat and meat products are not sold in interstate and foreign commerce.  

After these successes, NCL focused on pesticide residues in food, putting pressure on lawmakers to protect consumers from impure, improperly labeled products by passing the first pesticide legislation in 1910. We next fought to establish the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and to enact the Food Quality Protection Act in 1996, which set stricter safety standards for pesticide residue levels in food.  

Then came the infamous 1993 foodborne illness outbreak when people ate undercooked hamburgers at Jack-in-the-Box restaurants in Washington state, Idaho, California, and Nevada. The hamburger meat was contaminated with E. coli O157: H7 bacteria, a potentially deadly strain, and the pathogen severely sickened approximately 700 people, caused 171 hospitalizations, and killed four young children.  

This tragedy propelled NCL and other consumer and food safety organizations to fight to transform meat and poultry inspection and many things changed.
E. coli O157: H7 was declared an adulterant in raw ground beef, triggering a mandatory testing program for the organism in federally inspected plants and retail stores. The FDA issued rules requiring that the food industry follow a food safety management system called Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) that identifies, evaluates, and controls hazards throughout the food production process, from raw materials to the finished product.  

Later, with the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act in 2010, the FDA ushered in a series of food safety regulations and new systems, such as the proficiency testing program that integrates the FDA’s Food Emergency Response Network (FERN), the nation’s food laboratories at the local, state, and federal level that collectively test food for pathogens and contaminants to prevent foodborne illness. Similarly, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) published a proposed rule to require poultry producers to use new technologies for early detection of foodborne pathogens to keep Salmonella-contaminated chicken carcasses and poultry parts from entering the market. 

But, even with these developments, the nation is not where it should be to keep the food supply safe. In late 2024, an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak linked to romaine lettuce sickened 89 people across 15 U.S. states, resulting in 36 hospitalizations and one death. The FDA investigated the outbreak and traced it to romaine lettuce, but the agency chose not to publicly announce the outbreak, which food safety advocates believe was a failure to protect the public.  

And now, the Trump administration is taking steps that could seriously roll back food safety protections. Among the actions, the administration has laid off scientists at food safety labs and eliminated two important food safety committees comprising top scientists and researchers with expertise on regulatory standards. Additionally, the administration delayed a requirement that food companies and grocers rapidly trace contaminated food through the supply chain and pull it off the shelves. Sadly, the administration also withdrew the USDA proposed rule to reduce Salmonella risk in poultry.  

Officials at the Department of Health and Human Services have issued statements proclaiming food safety as a priority concern. But, unless there is a strong, coordinated, and comprehensive food safety system in the U.S., there will be declining public confidence in the food supply. More significantly, we are likely to witness an increase in outbreaks and illnesses that could have been prevented.  

This is not a time to hope for the best. Foodborne pathogens are widespread, and they can kill. Accordingly, NCL and many concerned consumer and food safety organizations will continue to speak out about putting the safety of the public ahead of deregulation and federal cost-cutting.  

NCL urges FDA and consumers to take action as GLP-1 shortage ends, but “infodemic” continues

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Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, (202)-207-2829

May 22 Conclusion of Mass Compounded GLP-1s Should Bring Clarity but Confusion Reigns

Washington, DC — Despite the end of the GLP-1 shortage and May 22 FDA-issued deadline for companies to stop mass compounding of the products, the National Consumers League (NCL) is concerned that the epidemic of GLP-1 misinformation will continue to confuse consumers with fake products that can put their health at risk. Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and consumers have roles to play in responding to the “infodemic.”

According to the FDA, as of today, companies should no longer mass-produce compounded GLP-1s. If they do, they will be in violation of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act and may be subject to penalties, recalls, and other sanctions. While NCL understands the role of compounded drugs as customized medications created by pharmacists or physicians in individualized cases that combine, mix, or alter ingredients to meet a specific patient’s needs, like a swallowing disorder, they are not appropriate for mass production and distribution. They also pose more potential risks to patients.

Because compounded drugs do not have the guardrails, nor have they been tested in large populations, there are risks associated with them, and they therefore should never be produced on a mass marketing basis except in very limited situations where the FDA has declared a shortage of drugs in high demand. That was the case with shortages of GLP1 drugs from 2022 to several months ago, to meet the high demand.

The May 22 deadline should provide clarity for consumers who need GLP-1 medications. After this date, only products that are “FDA-approved” or have been through the FDA process and are proven safe and effective in large populations and prescribed by a medical professional should be on the market. We must ensure compounders abide by the FDA’s rules. However, NCL is concerned that the marketing of compounded and other nonlegal weight loss products will continue beyond the deadline and continue to confuse consumers and patients who are managing chronic diseases like obesity.

Our concerns are not unfounded: We recently released a national survey of perceptions of compounded GLP-1 products sold online, showing that there is significant confusion about GLP-1 products amongst women. Key findings include that more than 70% believe compounded GLP-1s are only on the market if they have been tested and proven safe, and more than half (53%) think compounded GLP-1s have received FDA-approval. Neither of these claims is true.

For the sake of consumers across the country, we urge the FDA to enforce federal law and its long-standing safety-guided standards for compounded products now that GLP-1 products are no longer in shortage. We also call on consumers to take the following steps to learn the facts about GLP-1s and understand what’s FDA-approved, what’s fake, and what might put their health at risk:

  1. If a product says, “Doctor Approved,” and not “FDA-Approved,” it is likely a compounded versions of GLP-1s that are not permitted after May 22: if you see them, it’s a red flag.
  2. Educate yourself by going to The Weight Truth website (https://nclnet.org/weight-truth/),
  3. Be aware that FDA-approved GLP-1s are not available in gummy, chewable, patch, nasal, or sublingual forms.
  4. Ask the healthcare provider or company selling you the GLP-1 if it’s the FDA-approved brand product. You can also reach out to the FDA-approved manufacturers to determine whether you have authentic medicine.
  5. Report fake GLP-1s to us through The Weight Truth website (https://nclnet.org/weight-truth/

In addition to raising awareness amongst consumers about the misinformation surrounding compounded GLP-1s, NCL is also reiterating its appeal to Congress to pass the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA), a critical piece of legislation that will allow more older Americans to be treated with FDA-approved anti-obesity medications under the Medicare program.

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)    

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org. 

America’s second obesity crisis is an infodemic of disinformation about GLP-1 weight loss drugs

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Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829

The National Consumers League Launches a New Mobilization, “The Weight Truth,” to Combat the Infodemic of Disinformation Surrounding GLP-1 Drugs; New White Paper Identifies Nine Priorities for Action

Washington, DC – With mounting evidence that an infodemic of disinformation about GLP-1 weight loss medicines has become America’s second obesity crisis, the National Consumers League (NCL) – a leading non-profit fighting fraud in the marketplace – today released a white paper as a blueprint for policy changes to combat the flood of false information circulating online about GLP-1 products and launched an ambitious national anti-disinformation effort called the Weight Truth with the online hub, www.weight-truth.org, to drive action.

“Despite the promise of GLP-1 drugs to help Americans with obesity achieve a significant weight loss and improve their health status, an escalating ‘infodemic’ of disinformation online is causing consumers to opt for ‘cheap, easy and doctor approved’ products that may cause harm or could be fakes, “said Sally Greenberg, NCL’s CEO. “Infodemics are dangerous, which is why NCL is raising awareness of this serious health hazard and calling for a national mobilization to arm people with the facts about GLP-1s and to protect the public through legal and regulatory efforts.”

Disinformation Is Rampant
Coinciding with the end of a national shortage of branded GLP-1 medicines and the withdrawal of compounded versions from the market, the Weight Truth will help the public decode misinformation about these weight loss medicines at a time when researchers warn of an “alarming” amount of disinformation online that is sowing distrust in health institutions and encouraging consumers to opt for products promoted as “doctor approved” that FDA warns “can be risky for patients.” Consumers are also subjected to a flood of false claims about supposed new forms of GLP-1s, such as patches, shakes, gummies, drops, and versions with untested additives, without evidence that these products even work. Documenting the reach of this false information, one recent study estimated a 1200 percent increase in “violative or problematic” GLP-1-related ads between 2022 and 2024 (the time when FDA-approved GLP-1 drugs were in shortage).

New Poll Reveals the Consequences of Disinformation
Yet, the most persuasive data comes from a new NCL-commissioned survey of 1,500 women ages 18-55 fielded by Dynata, LLC in March 2025, which finds that 85 percent of women with obesity believe the false claims made in online ads. When respondents were shown a fictional ad for a compounded GLP-1 drug and were asked what the term “doctor approved” meant to them, 55 percent said the drug was “endorsed by medical professionals,” and 31 percent said the drug was “safe to use.” Reinforcing these viewpoints, 71 percent of the women polled said they believe compounded GLP-1s are only on the market if they were tested and proven safe, and more than half (53 percent) think these medications received FDA approval. Additionally, 49 percent think compounded versions have the same active ingredients, and 41 percent say the doses are the same as the branded drug. None of these perceptions are accurate.

“The Weight Truth is an essential tool that will help thousands of consumers navigate a weight loss market rife with bad actors promoting non-FDA-approved GLP-1s. People living with obesity deserve accurate information and access to safe, affordable, and effective care that allows them to succeed during their treatment journey,” said Dr. Angela Fitch, past president of the Obesity Medicine Association and Chief Medical Officer of knownwell.

Disinformation Is Dangerous and Leads to Serious Health Consequences
Underscoring why these findings of the new survey matter, NCL’s white paper – Compounding, Counterfeits, and Confusion: Confronting the Infodemic of Disinformation on Obesity Treatments – documents what happens when disinformation causes consumers to opt for medicines that the FDA does not review for safety, effectiveness, or quality before they are marketed. Regarding compounded GLP-1 drugs, patient safety advocates point to exemptions from standard product labeling requirements, which leave consumers without information on side effects, contraindications, and possible adverse effects and opens the door for marketers to tout the benefits of compounded GLP-1s without disclosing the risks. Moreover, the FDA warns that not undergoing a pre-market review increases the potential that drugs will have quality issues, such as contamination, sub- or super-potency, or incorrect dosing. Beyond compounded GLP-1s, patient safety advocates and state attorneys general point to drug counterfeiters and bad actors who put consumers at risk for harm from exposure to contaminated ingredients, undisclosed chemical agents, and dosing errors by illegally selling the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) in GLP-1s directly to consumers online with dosing instructions.

“Disinformation about GLP-1 medications puts patient safety at risk, and The Weight Truth initiative is urgently needed to fight back. Every person affected by obesity deserves access to trustworthy, evidence-based information about their care options,” says Joe Nadglowski, President and CEO of the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC). “No one should be forced to navigate a sea of confusing or misleading claims that jeopardize their health and well-being.”

Documenting the potential health consequences from dosing errors and exposure to the wrong ingredients,
 FDA has received over 775 adverse event reports as of February 28, 2025, which includes reports of 17 deaths and over 100 hospitalizations. Moreover, poison control centers report nearly a 1,500 percent increase in calls since 2019 related to overdosing or side effects of injectable GLP-1 usage. Importantly, because most compounding pharmacies are not required to report adverse events from compounding drugs, the FDA indicates it is “likely that adverse events from compounded versions of GLP-1 drugs are underreported.

A Blueprint for National Actions
Because infodemics are dangerous, NCL’s white paper calls for collective action to combat the epidemic of false and misleading claims about GLP-1 weight loss drugs and policy changes to protect consumers during national drug shortages where there is a large mass market for these drugs. Toward this end, NCL’s blueprint identifies nine
priorities for action:

  1. Make Combating Infodemics a National Priority
    The growing threat of misinformation requires a unified national response, and NCL’s anti-disinformation initiative, the Weight Truth, can be the model for educating consumers and being a platform for clinicians, advocates, and policymakers to advance policy changes to protect consumers.
  2. Increase Coverage and Affordability of FDA-Approved GLP-1 Weight Loss Drugs
    Because increasing coverage of FDA-approved GLP-1 drugs is the best way to put a damper on an exploitative market for these products, the National Consumers League and many advocates are working to secure coverage through Medicare and state Medicaid programs and private insurers in order to help reduce patients’ out-of-pocket costs.
  3. Enforce Existing Drug Advertising Rules
    During the national shortage of GLP-1 drugs, online advertising proved effective in convincing consumers that compounded versions were essentially generic versions of branded drugs. Thus, the FDA can help stem the infodemic by monitoring content online and enforcing existing prescription drug advertising regulations.
  4. Explore a New Role for the Federal Trade Commission
    The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has a strong regulatory framework to address deceptive marketing and ensure that advertising claims are truthful and substantiated, including health claims. Since FTC is taking aim at food companies that are developing “GLP-1 friendly” products, there is an opening for the FTC to take enforcement actions against companies that make false or misleading claims about GLP-1 drugs and to assert that supplements, gummies, patches, and related products are not forms of GLP-1s.
  5. Increase Pharmacovigilance of Online Pharmacy Websites
    During the national shortage of GLP-1 drugs, illegal online pharmacies were actively selling semaglutide without
    a prescription and shipping unregistered and falsified products. These pharmacies pose a major threat and should be a focus for enforcement efforts by the FDA and state boards of pharmacy.
  6. Intensify Federal and State Efforts to Protect Consumers from Counterfeiters

Counterfeit products are entering the U.S. supply chain. As identified by the FDA, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and many state Attorneys General, key areas for enforcement are sellers using online app-based platforms to supply consumers with GLP-1 products containing insulin or “animal grade” ingredients and illegally selling the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) in GLP-1s directly to consumers.

  1. Implement Labeling Rules for Compounders
    Not having labeling information on side effects, contraindications, and possible adverse events leads patients to underestimate the risks of compounded drugs and potential dosing errors. Given the millions of consumers who may take compounded drugs if/when there is another large and prolonged national drug shortage, the same labeling rules should apply to both branded and compounded copycat drugs during a shortage.
  2. Require Compounders to Submit Adverse Reactions Reports to FDA

Adverse event reports are often the way the FDA learns of safety issues with compounded drugs, which is why the agency should have accurate information on safety issues during a national drug shortage.

  1. Require Compounders to Disclose Information on the Composition and Distribution of Compounded Drugs

Currently, compounders are not required to disclose the source of their Active Product Ingredient (API), the main ingredient in making compounded GLP-1s, nor report the number of doses sold. Having access to this information during a national shortage will improve surveillance efforts and build trust in the integrity of compounded products.

“Everyone requires accurate information to make health care decisions that are best for ourselves and our families, and we rely on regulators to protect us from misleading claims about medical products,” said Michael C. Barnes, Counsel to Aimed Alliance. “The FDA, state boards of pharmacy, and state attorneys general can and should take enforcement action against suppliers of unapproved drugs and deceptive advertisers. Aimed Alliance supports NCL and federal and state health and safety officials’ efforts to protect consumers in the health care marketplace.”

About the Weight Truth Initiative

To combat false information circulating online about GLP-1 products, NCL commissioned new opinion research and consulted with leading obesity specialists, disinformation authorities, law enforcement officials, and regulatory experts to assess the infodemic, understand how the unregulated marketplace for GLP-1s operates, and determine what can be done to protect the public through education and policy change. Based on this assessment, NCL developed the Weigh Truth initiative, including an online hub – www.weight-truth.org – to arm people with the facts about GLP-1s and advance policies to prevent exploitative markets from operating during national drug shortages when there is a large mass market for compounded drugs.

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About NCL

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL applauds West Virginia lawmakers for food dye/additives ban bill 

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Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications 202-207-2829

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL) applauds West Virginia lawmakers for the passage of House Bill 2354. This bipartisan legislation amends the State Code regarding adulterated food and drugs, banning harmful food additives and dyes in processed food products sold in the state. Among the banned substances are Red Dye No. 3, Yellow Dye No. 5, Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA), Propylparaben, Red Dye No. 40, Yellow Dye No. 6, Blue Dye No. 1, Blue Dye No. 2, and Green Dye No. 3 – all deemed unsafe for consumption.

The bill passed the House on February 28 with a 93-5 vote and was introduced to the Senate. Last week, the Senate amended the bill, and now it must return to the House for a vote to concur with the changes. If the House passes the amended legislation it will go to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law. If enacted, the legislation would ban food products containing the colors in school nutrition programs beginning on Aug. 1, 2025, and then extend to all food sold statewide on Jan. 1, 2028.

“West Virginia is leading the way in protecting public health by banning dangerous dyes and additives from its food supply,” said NCL CEO Sally Greenberg. “It’s well known that these synthetic dyes and additives pose serious health risks, and the Mountain State is showing others how to take bold action to safeguard their residents.”

In December, NCL also urged the FDA to issue a federal ban on Red No. 3, a petroleum-based colorant known to cause cancer in laboratory animals. The FDA issued the order to revoke authorization for the use of FD&C Red No. 3 on January 15, 2025. Manufacturers who use the dye in food and drugs will have until January 15, 2027 (food and supplements) or January 18, 2028 (ingested medications), to reformulate their products.

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

Nancy Glick

Preventing foodborne illness is worth the investment

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By Nancy Glick, Director of Food and Nutrition Policy

“We’re not going back” is a rallying cry not usually associated with food safety policy. But if the Trump Administration heeds the call from the trade association for the processed meat industry to withdraw a needed proposed food safety rule, Americans will indeed go back to facing preventable foodborne illness outbreaks. 

The rule in question – to allow USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to establish standards that will keep Salmonella contaminated chicken carcasses and poultry parts from entering the market – comes at a time when Salmonella infections are on the rise in the U.S.  According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Salmonella bacteria cause over 1 million human infections in the United States each year, putting more Americans at risk for serious illness, including fever, bloody diarrhea, and sometimes life-threatening complications. Moreover, CDC estimates that foodborne Salmonella causes 29 illnesses for each case that is detected – meaning significantly more people are getting sick than records show.  

The National Consumers League (NCL), as part of the Safe Food Coalition, praised FSIS for issuing the proposed rule in January 2025, as did many public health and medical societies. Why? One reason is because chicken is a major source of illness from Salmonella, causing an estimated 195,634 illnesses each year at a cost of $2.8 billion annually, according to Consumer Reports. In fact, CDC estimates that about one in every 25 packages of chicken at the grocery story are contaminated with Salmonella.  

The other reason is the good news. Today, advances in technology make it possible for inspectors to rapidly detect and mitigate Salmonella and other foodborne pathogens throughout the poultry supply chain. Thus, the FSIS rule is predicated on new technologies for early detection of foodborne bacteria.  

But, the Meat Institute, speaking for the $227.9 billion meat and poultry processing industry, has asked the Trump Administration to withdraw the rule as a way to reduce “burdensome” regulations. The group says the new FSIS rule, which was three years in the making, will “add cost to the production and supply of food, exacerbating food price inflation to the detriment of consumers.”  

However, NCL actually speaks for consumers, and we challenge this position. Polls show that Americans favor stronger food safety oversight. In a 2022 survey, 74 percent said it would be worth a 1 to 3 percent increase in the cost of food to pay for added safety measures.  

Moreover, Americans recognize that foodborne illness has widespread consequences, both in terms of people’s lives and costs to society. Starting with the human toll, CDC estimates that 48 million people get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 people die each year from foodborne diseases. In terms of the cost to the economy, a study by researchers from USDA’s Economic Research Service puts the cost to the economy at $75 billion (in 2023 dollars) annually, which includes medical care, lost productivity, and premature deaths, including those associated with secondary chronic illnesses.   

For all these reasons, Americans are not willing to give up food safety protections for the possibility of saving a few pennies when buying poultry products. Instead, consumers – along with public health officials and infectious disease specialists – are calling on the Trump Administration to finalize enforceable safety standards for poultry products as part of the new “Make America Healthy Again” initiative because the FSIS rule will result in safer food and fewer illnesses.