A current TV advertisement touts a drug that claims to help your body to burn off fat. I believe if you could ask the marketer of the drug if it will make you younger, smarter and whatever else you want to be, the marketer would tell you, "Yes."

Currently there are more than 70 different manufacturers of supplements out there trying to get you to purchase their products. Many contain ingredients that are not approved for use in the United States. That's not because the federal government doesn't want us to be skinny. It's because many of the ingredients can affect other medications like meds for blood pressure or meds that control seizures. Some of these ingredients have been implicated in a depressed person's suicide, and others have even been found to be linked to cancer.

The other problem with supplements is that they are not easy for the federal government to crack down on because there are fewer guidelines for supplements than drugs. It also takes time to stop fraudulent advertising.

Let's make a deal. If a drug or supplement comes along that will help you lose weight without hurting you, I will immediately write about it in this blog.