Leptoprin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Leptoprin is an herbal supplement marketed by "A.G. Waterhouse", a front for Basic Research of Salt Lake City, Utah. It was formerly known as Anorex (see anorexia). Despite the pharmaceutical-sounding name, the company that makes Leptoprin (and Leptopril) is not a pharmaceutical company.

The method of advertising the product is unique, and begins with the question "When is a diet pill worth $153 a bottle?" The ad goes on to claim that Leptoprin is "developed for the significantly overweight", that it is "much too powerful" for the "casual dieter".

There is also a less expensive "generic" version of the formulation called Leptopril, which is advertised as being developed by "Generix Labs". The two products are in fact exactly the same, being marketed to two different consumer personalities by the same company.^[1]

Analysis

While the advertisement makes this sound as if this diet aid is different from other over the counter diet products it is in fact not significantly different from other diet aids.

Some of the statements made during the advertisement, presumably with the intention of impressing the potential buyer, are that the product is:

1. Patented - what many people don't know is that any specific formulation of chemicals, vitamins, or herbs can be patented, regardless of whether they are effective. Many vitamin complexes have patented formulations, as do some herbal formulations.

2. Backed by a published clinical trial - While this was published in a journal called Current Therapeutic Research (Volume 60, Issue 4 , April 1999, Pages 220-227), the results of the trial (not mentioned in the commercial) were not clinically significant between the control group (non-Leptoprin) and the Leptoprin group. The trial did not determine that the product was effective for weight loss.

3. Designed for the significantly overweight - While it may have been designed for the significantly overweight, the published clinical study did not support its efficacy for this group of people.

Ingredients

The ingredients of Leptoprin/Leptopril are:

Vitamin B6 25mg (1250% RDA)
Acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin) 324mg
Caffeine 200mg
Green Tea Extract (no amount listed)
L-Tyrosine (no amount listed)
Kelp 100mg
Ephedrine 20mg
Cayenne (no amount listed)
Rice flour base

The Ingredients of Leptoprin SF are:

Calcium (amino acid chelate) 132mg (33.3% RDA)
Leptoprin-SF 1493.5 mg A trademarked proprietary blend of the following:
- Calcium phosphate
- Commiphora Mukul Extract
- Garcinia cambogia (HCA 125 mg)
- L-Tyrosine
- Acetylsalicylic acid 162.5 mg
- Dipotassium Phosphate
- Sodium Phosphate
- Disodium Phosphate
- Phosphatidyl Choline
- Scutellaria (root)
- Bupleurum (root)
- Epimedium (herb)
Rice flour base

There is nothing in the product that cannot be purchased less expensively in other brands or products. For this reason, many people believe this advertising campaign is deceptive.^[2]

External links

Leptoprin label. www.3fatchicks.com. Retrieved on 2006-07-13. Listing ingredients [PDF].
When is a diet pill worth $153? NOT when it's Leptoprin!. www.thecybertruckstop.com. Retrieved on 2006-07-13.
Review of Leptoprin. Fitness Infomercial Review. Retrieved on 2006-07-13.
I Love Leptoprin. lee.org. Retrieved on 2006-07-13.

References