I wrote a blog post in October last year about Simply Slim after a discussion about the drug at bookclub one night.
For those living under a rock… it’s a weight loss miracle cure that’s not sold by pharmacies, but by agents and random people who have set up camp in shopping centres across the country (that in itself is a worry!). It was/is touted as a natural weight loss pill and hundreds and thousands of women have been buying it and losing oodles of weight.
However with the weight, comes horrific side effect, some of which I blogged about at the time.
The point of my new blog post… KUDOS to the medical council for FINALLY investigating this stuff!
According to the Government Gazette, the MCC has suspended the sale of the product with immediate effect. And according to Timeslive the levels of sibutramine found in the product are above legal limits and after many complaints they’re suspended the product.
I get between 20 to 30 hits on my blog post every day from google searches like “simply slim complaints” and “simply slim dangers” and “has anybody experienced side effects of Simply Slim” and “simply slim side effects”.
My stats have been telling me that there’s a HUGE problem with it.
And on top of that, one of my friends has been told categorically by her doctor that her heart problems are directly related to her taking the drug!
I’m sorry, but that’s not normal. I know that a lot of people swear by it, and have lost oodles of weight on it… but people… you’re killing yourselves early!!
I just hope they actually shut the whole operation down. And yes, I feel sorry for the agents. They’re really in the middle of this mess, after being given “medical” training on the stuff and being told that there’s nothing wrong with it, and it’s safe to take. Ja right!
And I’m NOT going to respond to people who comment saying I have no idea what I’m talking about… this is my opinion! I know people have gotten their lives back on the stuff because they’ve lost so much weight in the process, that’s not the issue… the issue is how much of your body you’ve irreparably damaged by taking it.
I shudder to think of what the long-term effects may be… the ones that will only be discovered in a few years/ months time.
What happens to the people who’ve bought it and are taking it? They’ll continue until they run out… 🙁
I stand behind the belief that all drugs harm your body. There are things one might HAVE to take to survive, but it is doing something bad to the rest of you while you are doing. Drugs to lose weight is a bad idea. it will never teach you how to take proper care of your body, so in the end…you only have the drug…which is hurting your body.
What a relief! Goodness knows how many people have been and will be affected by the drug – so sad. Self-inflicting damage to the body when there are so many terminal and other diseases the body has to cope with. Healthy diet and correst exercise = weight loss. Simple!
It BLOWS my mind that people are:
a) DYING to be skinny and
b) not understanding the very *simple* concept of weight loss and maintenance: a LIFELONG commitment to eating healthy and exercise. There is no “solution”. No diet. No pill. No gimic.
I don’t understand why people don’t get it when it’s really so simple and because of their desire to be skinny the damage their heart. SO SAD.
These drugs have to be exposed…
I try warn people of Aspartame on my blog as I was told I have suspected MS and to give up all products containing Aspartame…as this sometimes causes the same side effects of MS and many other problems.
Having done research on this – I am shocked at how bad this poison is for us.
So has it been suspended or not? There was a debate on the radio about who was reporting what…
I was considering taking these tablets, thank goodness I read your blog and now know about the terrile side effects.
My health is far too precious, Id rather live with the few extra kilos.
I am the media spokespperson for Simply Slim. I declare this upfront so that there is no ambiguity.
There are some incorrect assumptions being made here. Simply Slim was shocked to learn of a positive test for the Schedule 5 substance Sibutramine as all previous tests had proved negative for this substance. Sibutramine has not been found in all capsules, but only in a small percentage of the batch tested. The quantity of Sibutramine in each capsule that tested positive varies, which has some interesting implications.
Taking Weight Loss products is a personal choice, and one is entitled to one’s opinion on this matter. Simply Slim has been extremely successful in helping a lot of people adopt a healthy lifestyle and those who have benefitted from the use of the capsules (and there are many of them) are upset at the recall.
The directors of Simply Slim have a very good relationship with the MCC and are working with them, and the relevant authorities to determine how Sibutramine infiltrated some of the capsules.
This story is far from over
Well Lance I’d say that reflects even worse on your product, that your quality control isn’t able to maintain consistency in your products. Who knows what else is creeping in there that the MCC is NOT testing for?
Lance I would be very interested to hear what your thoughts are on how sibutramine infiltrated your product? Each tablet was individually wrapped and if it were tampered with we would be able to see so I doubt it was the agents as the pills were tested up in Joburg and CT and in both cases came back positive for sibutramine so it would mean a conspiracy between the agents nationwide….which I doubt. What would they have to gain?
If the MCC does approve your new “tablets” that don’t containt sibutramine I am 99 % positive that it won’t be as effective as the previous pills and your satisfied clients will turn into dissatisfied clients. I guess the proof will be in the pudding and only time will tell.
I’m also curious as to why SS ignored all the bad side affects people were complaining about. I myself sent through 3 mails to Simply Slim without any response but I got a response within ten minutes when I sent through a possible order to the same email address. I’m sorry but Simply Slim has lost all faith and should indeed be up for fraud.
Dear Lance
Bullshit.
Not even your quality control can be that bad.
What’s happened here is fraud plain and simple. The more statements I read from Simply Slim “spokespeople” the more convinced I am. “Interesting implications”, pfft, your a conspiracy theorist I presume?
“Taking weight loss products is a personal choice” you say, indeed it is, but how many people would have taken Simply Slim had your advertising material included “might contain sibutramine” and “possible side effects include v-tach and death”.
Any product even remotely associated with Simply Slim can be approved by the Pope and I still wouldn’t take it. I learned my lesson the hard way.
@Lance – I’m sorry, but “only a small percentage” is not good enough. When it comes to medical products there should be no error, and your quality assurance should pick up any errors before shipping to customers.
The one big problem I have with these products is that fairly little scientific research is being done to prove it’s effectiveness. And when proper research is done it’s often found that these products are harmful. Carte Blanche had a story a few years ago about the number of weight loss products BANNED in countries like the USA being freely available in shopping centres in South Africa. It is a real problem.
You’re right that taking weight loss products is a personal choice. Maintaining the healthy lifestyle though is the more important part of the equation, but in reality people just want the pill as a magic solution. I’m married to a dietician and she sees a lot of people that go from one quick fix diet to the next to try and lose weight. Very few people are prepared to make long term lifestyle changes.
Lance,
I hope your arms strong because you have a lot of explaining to do.
I don’t know which is worse, an unethical company or an incompetent one.
YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT!!!!
Only joking….couldn’t resist 😉
Seriously though, where can I get this stuff in the States? I don’t care about the side effects…I just want a slim body.
Again, only joking…(ducking from the brick you’re throwing my way…)
Why would anyone who is not going to gain from a monetary point of view ‘slip’ subatrimine into the product. It is a known slimming drug – which works. So how and why would parties unknown to the manufacturers add it to sabotage the product? What does the little man in the production process gain from it (or an outside party)? From what I can tell this is what made the product deliver such succesful results!?
I am curious about the claim that heavy metals were also found in the tablets – which could result in complications such as colon cancer 10 or so years down the line!?
I find the desire and social pressure to appear healthy rather than actually being healthy very disturbing.
Clearly Simply Slim is very, very sorry….that they got caught out. Just like Tiger Woods.
the product sucks big time, i am suffering from horrible headaches, feeling dizzy and i can’t focus. i haven’t even lost. my mouth is dry 24/7 i drink over 4lts a day but that doesn’t help. i am scared for my life. One friday i almost fainted, i went to bed i cudn’t even lift my hands. i had left the tv on but cidn’t wake up to turn it off. was convinced that i wouldn’t wake up in the morning. Hope there won’t be any life long side effects. i thank God to be alive.i only took the product for 15 days.
Watch Carte Blanche Consumer Thursday at 7:00 for the Simply Slim story. Think it will be interesting…
Hi Nomtha,
I used simply slim for over 3months. NO SIDE EFFECTS AT ALL. and i lost 10kg.
As a qualified dietician, I should say that people get headaches from the “detox”, feel dizzy because of no eating… or eating too little. And DUE, you’re supposed to be thirsty, from only drinking more water you can loose weight.
Maybe this drug is not healthy, but off course you will have symptoms if you dont eat, or if you eat less than your body is used to. Any doctor or dietician can tell you that.
I really had no side effects, I made sure I ate enough through the day not to feel dizzy, and I loved drinking all that water.
4Litres of water detox your body, that is why you had headaches. I think you’re little bit a drama queen saying you couldn’t lift your hand to switch off the TV.
I think it is fat jealous people that the product doesn’t work for that is making this big fuss. Come on people. All products doesn’t work for EVERYONE. If simply slim didn’t work for you, try something else like excersize. I tried the high protein diet, and acetually picked up weight. Everything or every diet is not going to work the same for everyone.
i am normally very anti taking any type of pill, but after hearing about SS and how absolutely herbal it was and seeing the ingredients, i decided to give it a try. Oh my gosh..in the first 2 days i had serious heart palpitations (160 bpm) and severe insomnia. I phoned a number given on the pamphlet and spoke to someone who obviously had no medical background and was told to cut down to half the dosage. I did this and was able to sleep better, and the heart rate came down a little. I then emailed the company (?) and told them about my side effects which by this time included not only extreme dry mouth which could not be satiated by litres and litres of water, but my skin started drying out too suddenly aging me! No lies, i looked at least 5 years older because of my dry skin condition. I had no response from my email. Having had a medical background, you’d think me pathetic to carry on with the pills, but when you’re desparate for something to help your appetite, you want to believe that it will work! It is now 3 months after having taken a months supply and i have been suffering from headaches, depression, mood swings and believe it or not dryness of the mouth still. These people should be made to take their own product for at least 6 months! The public should be warned that “natural” products can be seriously dangerous. I would love to know what the long term side effects are if one only took the drugs for a month??
hay jeanette uhm listen im in gr8 and we have to do a expo soon and i have decided to do it about simply slim and i want to improve simply slim by using ingredients that won’t give you side affects and i’v been to several websites but i just can’t find the information I’m looking for and I’ve read your blog and all and I really think you can help me!!!! PLEASE email me at marinet.berthold@gmail.com i would really appreciate your hints. PLEASE PLEASE!!!! ASAP
Hi there, what kind of information are you looking for?