Illinois could soon ban diet and muscle supplements for teens
A new bill would prevent minors from buying diet or muscle-building supplements.
Doctors and advocates say the move could help curb eating disorders among teens.
The legislation has passed one committee and is awaiting further review.
CHICAGO - There are a lot of things you can't buy here in Illinois until you're 18, like spray paint or fireworks, and that list is about to get a little bit longer.
In a Fox 32 special report, Paris Schutz finds out what is next in line.
What we know
House Bill 3027, introduced by State Rep. Janet Yang Rohr, D-Naperville, would block anyone under 18 from buying diet pills or muscle-building supplements without a doctor's note or a parent with them.
"So this bill basically says if you are under 18, you cannot buy these diet pills. You cannot buy these muscle supplements unless you have a doctor's note or may be a parent with you," said Yang Rohr.
If you read the label, Yang Rohr points out that many of these products already say for "18 and over."
Right now, there aren't any rules or regulations for retailers to make sure the consumer buying these products is at least 18.
"This type of legislation has passed other states as well. It passed in New York pretty recently. There is legislation in states like California," Yang Rohr said.
The bill has passed the public health committee and has now been referred to the rules committee.
Why you should care
"I have cared for countless youth who have misused weight-loss supplements and then developed an eating disorder that became so significant that they had to be hospitalized," said Dr. Jason Nagata.
Nagata is a pediatrician who specializes in adolescent eating disorders at the University of California, San Francisco, and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
"I've seen 10-year-old patients who are able to get these products, you know, misuse them, even overdose on them without their parents knowing. And then some of them have gone on to develop an eating disorder," Nagata said.
"We actually know, unfortunately, that two-thirds of teenage girls are actively trying to lose weight, and 11% of them have reported using some sort of weight loss supplement," he added.
Nagata says national surveys show 66% of teenage girls across the U.S. are actively trying to lose weight.
"Which is, I think, an astounding percent. Like most teenage girls today, if you ask them, are trying to lose weight now. Not all of them will be using diet pills to do that, but it's actually quite common," Nagata said.
Diet pills aren't the only part of the problem.
The backstory
"These family members came in because their son had basically tried these muscle-building supplements and had a really adverse health effect," Yang Rohr said.
That's what led her to write House Bill 3027. It was introduced earlier this year.
What they're saying
"I think that the goal behind this is really the prevention of eating disorders. And so a lot of advocates for young people with eating disorders or they're concerned parents, and other providers have been really pushing for this at individual states," Nagata said.
Nagata has also consulted with several other states who are working on passing similar legislation.
Local perspective
In some cases, it's young people themselves who are leading the charge for this new law.
Caleb Song, 18, is a senior at Adali Stevenson High School.
"We have a policy brief we typically send out so legislators have something to work off of," Song said. "From there we work with them to create something that would work in their respective state."
He's part of a national youth advocacy group called "Out of Kids Hands," which is also part of an eating disorder prevention program based out of the Harvard Chan School of Public Health.
Song and other teens across the country are trying to drum up support for bills like Yang Rohr's by contacting their state lawmakers and other organizations.
While every generation has struggled with pressure to look good, Song says it's a little harder now because of social media.
"I definitely think because of the fact algorithms now exist to feed people this information it's definitely been more exacerbated," Song said.
Big picture view
The FDA does not regulate diet pills or supplements. So it's up to the states to implement any restrictions on who can or can't buy these products.
What's next
Yang Rohr's bill has passed the public health committee and has now been referred to the rules committee.
The Source
For this story, the Fox 32 Chicago Special Projects team interviewed a nationally recognized pediatrician who specializes in eating disorders and is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the state law maker writing the new legislation and a Chicago area student who is getting involved in trying to see it passed.
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