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News
Release
For Immediate Release
August 6, 2001
Contact: Nancy White
215-513-7300 ext 225
Natural
Marketing Institute Participates In Launch Of The Dietary
Supplement Information Bureau™
Harleysville,
PA; August 6, 2001—Providing some of the mounting evidence
that consumers want greater access to information about vitamins, minerals, herbs
and specialty supplements, the Natural Marketing Institute (NMI) participated
in the launch of one of the most far reaching public education campaigns ever
to focus on the health benefits, safety and regulation of these important products.
Of special significance, the campaign features a new web site – www.supplementinfo.org – where
consumers, health professionals, educators, policymakers and the media can conduct
individualized searches about the industry or any supplement product.
According
to Maryellen Molyneaux, NMI's President, "The use of the
Dietary Supplement Information Bureau's™ web site will help close
the education gap with dietary supplement consumers, and provide much-needed
information to enhance the usage and benefits received from vitamins, minerals,
herbs, and specialty supplements."
At
a news conference in New York on July 30th, Molyneaux
joined with political leaders, public health experts,
and industry executives to unveil the Dietary
Supplement Information Bureau™, a repository of science-based information
about all aspects of supplementation. Backed by noted experts in the fields of
nutrition, integrative medicine, pharmacology and supplement regulation, the
bureau is a first of its kind: the first education arm for the industry that
is designed to turn the "E" in the Dietary Supplement Health and Education
Act (DSHEA) into a national priority. Enacted in 1994, DSHEA not only gave consumers
greater access to dietary supplements but also called on manufacturers and retailers
to provide meaningful information about using these products.
"
As more and more Americans are taking an active role in maintaining and improving
their health, they need good, reliable information about the health benefits
and responsible use of dietary supplements," said Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA),
one of the original sponsors of DSHEA in the Congress. "Research has been
mounting about the health benefits of supplements. We need to make sure that
consumers have ready access to the latest science-based facts so that they can
evaluate these products and use them effectively."
To
address this challenge, the Dietary Supplement Information
Bureau™ will
use multiple channels -- the mass media, public service announcements, the Internet,
and point-of-purchase materials -- to give the public complete, authoritative
information about the uses, benefits, supporting science, precautions and recommended
dosage levels of the most widely consumed dietary supplements.
The
campaign is the outgrowth of a comprehensive national
survey on the use of dietary
supplements. Presented by Molyneaux and entitled the Dietary Supplement Barometer
Survey, the research finds that while most consumers use supplements regularly,
some lack specific information about the benefits and effective use of these
popular products. Data from The Health & Wellness Trends Database, NMI's
annual, nationally projectable consumer study and the DSEA's Barometer
Survey, conducted specifically for DSEA in July of 2001, indicate that a great
majority of Americans believe in the benefits of supplements and take them on
a regular basis. For example, 85% of Americans report taking dietary supplements
in the past year, and 57% report using at least one of these products more than
once per day. Strikingly, 17% of Americans report using vitamins or minerals
for the first time during the past year, while 11% used herbal supplements for
the first time in the same period, proving the need for consumer education on
proper usage of these products.
Some
specific reasons consumer give for their use of supplements
include: to feel better (72 percent), to help prevent
getting sick (67 percent), to help
get better when sick (51 percent), to live longer (50 percent), to build strength
and muscle (37 percent) and for weight management (12 percent). At the same
time, some Americans report taking supplements for a
specific health reason (36 percent)
or for sports nutrition (24 percent). In addition, a third of adults (33 percent)
say that they take supplements on the advice of their doctor. See the attached
PowerPoint presentation for more information.
Molyneaux
also presented findings indicating that demand for dietary
supplements corresponds with a strategic shift in how
consumers view health and wellness.
The data shows that more than half of all consumers believe that dietary supplements
provide benefits comparable to or even unmatched by those found in prescription
drugs, with fewer side effects. More than ever before, consumers feel empowered
to manage their health and are either actively using supplements or are researching
information about them.
The
Dietary Supplement Information Bureau™ will focus immediate public
education efforts on explaining how supplements work in the body and providing
specific information on dosage levels and potential adverse reactions.
The
Dietary Supplement Information Bureau™ is a project of the Dietary
Supplement Education Alliance™, an industry coalition created to promote
the responsible use of vitamins, minerals, herbs and specialty supplements. The
information developed by the bureau is vetted by a scientific advisory board
comprised of: Joseph Betz, Ph.D., American Herbal Products Association and former
FDA staffer; Jeffrey Blumberg, Ph.D., Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research
Center on Aging at Tufts University; Jerry Cott, Ph.D., Psychopharmacology Consulting
Services; David Heber, MD, Ph.D., UCLA Center for Human Nutrition; Sheldon Hendler,
MD, Ph.D.; University of California at San Diego; James LaValle, R.Ph., Central
State College of Health Sciences; Barbara Levine, RD, Ph.D., The Rockefeller
University; Forouz Ertl, DVM, U.S. Pharmacopeia; and Ronald Watson, Ph.D., University
of Arizona Medical School.
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