Press Room

ACE Endorses Government Regulation on Dietary Supplements
Institute of Medicine Issues New Report Calling for More Reliable, Standardized Products

Posted: Jan 20, 2005 in

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Jan. 20, 2005 – Recently, the Institute of Medicine, part of the National Academy of Science, issued a report urging Congress to require tougher standards for dietary supplements and their manufacturers. The American Council on Exercise (ACE), America’s non-profit fitness advocate, wholeheartedly supports the notion of increased government regulation and standardization of the supplement industry.

The report recommends Congress take action by requiring improved quality control of supplements and incentives to study the efficacy of the products. Currently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate the sale of dietary supplements unless the FDA can prove them harmful.

ACE has been a long time advocate of product reliability and firmly believes the general public should be made aware of deceptive or misleading supplement claims.

“If a product is labeled ‘natural,’ it doesn’t necessarily mean it is safe or harmless,” said Dr. Cedric Bryant, ACE chief exercise physiologist. “Making an uninformed decision to take a supplement could lead to serious health problems and even death if mixed with other medications.”

Statistics show Americans are not heeding many experts’ warnings regarding supplement use. The Institute of Medicine reports 18.9 percent of Americans had taken a dietary supplement in 2004 and the supplement industry made over $18 billion in sales in 2002.

“ACE advises the general public take the safer road to achieving their fitness goals through sensible eating and regular exercise,” said Bryant. “Fitness professionals must remember to stay within their scope of practice and encourage their clients interested in taking supplements to consult with a properly credentialed health professional.”

About ACE
The American Council on Exercise (ACE), America’s Authority on Fitness, is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the benefits of physical activity and protecting consumers against unsafe and ineffective fitness products and instruction. As the nation’s “workout watchdog,” ACE sponsors university-based exercise science research and testing that targets fitness products and trends. ACE sets standards for fitness professionals and is the world’s largest non-profit fitness certifying organization. For more information on ACE and its programs, call (800) 825-3636 or log onto the ACE Web site at www.acefitness.org .