A new push from the California state legislature would ban the sale of diet pills and weight-loss supplements to children under 18 years old.
This is hugely important.
As The Stanford Daily notes, compelling research has linked weight-loss supplements and diet pills with the development of anorexia (the most dangerous mental health condition).
Further, these supplements are often unsafe, period.
Stanford Doctor Neville Golden says many of them are associated with “elevated heart rate, high blood pressure, and increased nervousness.”
Additionally, 25% of ER visits for supplemental toxicity are related to diet pills.
I hear a lot of Christians these days complaining about the “woke body positivity” movement, and it’s deeply saddening to hear the scorning coming from the church, because this kind of shaming is a significant cause of the most dangerous and disturbing disorders of all — those related to eating.
Let’s hope this bill passes, and spurs other states (and countries) to follow.
Meanwhile, if you struggle with an eating disorder…
Find a psychiatrist here.
Find a therapist here.
[Painting: Carmel by the Sea, Keith]