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This time marketing a pill as a supplement has gone too far. A pill called Obecalp (placebo spelled backwards) was released in March of this year targeted at our smallest generation, our children. It is designed to “treat the pain children have when medicine is not really needed”, but the idea that children put in their heads is that mommy is giving them a “pill” to make them feel better. The pill is essentially a placebo and is not designed to do anything at all at $6.00 a bottle for 50 pills.

There are several problems related to this. One is that do we need to always be training our young that a pill cures all problems? The psychological message this sends to the public is totally against all of our wellness and preventive health efforts in a socially marketing way of speaking.
Also, let’s look at the definition of a supplement. A supplement is designed to supplement the diet. It must contain one or more of the following dietary ingredients: a vitamin, a mineral, an herb or other botanical, an amino acid, a dietary substance for use by humans to supplement the diet by increasing the total intake, or a concentrate, metabolite, constituent, extract, or combinations of these ingredients. Clearly, Obecalp, does not meet these requirements and is therefore, not a supplement, although FDA has not issued a final ruling on it.

If determined to be a drug it would have to go through FDA approval. By claiming it has therapeutic benefits, i.e. it relieves pain, the federal trade commission may get involved and ask for scientific documentation of the efficacy of its claims. Despite the “placebo effect” being a well-known documented effect, it is doubtful that this claim is enough to substantiate the marketing claims of Obecalp.

Not only are these regulatory issues a problem, informed consent is a problem. Parents should know that what they are giving their child is essentially a “sugar pill” and not to really expect any change to occur except possibly to “fool” the child into thinking they are better because they took a pill.

Kathy Shattler received her Master of Science degree from Michigan State University in E. Lansing Michigan in Human Nutrition. Her twenty-two years of practice includes holding positions as a Lecturer, Chief Clinical Dietitian and Program Manager. Kathy is the Founder of Nutri-Care Consulting and is currently the Nutrition Director of www.CEU4U.COM, an online continuing education management company for Registered Dietitians and Dietetic Technicians.

Filed under Popular Stories, Healthcare News, Pediatrics, Public Health

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