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Saturday, July 07, 2007

I REALLY Despise This Zetia TV Commercial

Am I the only one who absolutely despises with a passion that infamous Zetia TV commercial that's been running this year? You know the one--a fat woman pretending to be a cooking show host on The Food Network cooking up a bunch of carb-loaded dishes while talking about her "high" cholesterol despite eating "healthy" and that she needs a prescription drug like Zetia made by Merck to help lower her cholesterol.

Just in case you may have missed it, watch the one-minute ad NOW:


There's so much I'd like to say about this asinine commercial that I'll transcribe it line-by-line for you along with my commentary in between. ENJOY!

FAT LADY: "Millions of people watch me cook, but I watch what I eat."

Um, only on a fake cooking show could you claim "millions" watch you. I'm sure Emeril and Rachael Ray get the largest audiences on The Food Network, but their numbers aren't in the MILLIONS. Come on! And then to trot this obviously overweight woman out as the poster child for being healthy making the claim, "I watch what I eat." Yeah, she watches every single bite of those high-carb foods go right into her mouth!

FAT LADY: "Still, when my doctor checked my cholesterol, it was slightly higher than we'd like."

Hmmm, I wonder why that could be? Can you say carbohydrate overload?! Doesn't she realize that high-carb diet does a doozy on HDL and triglycerides?

FAT LADY: "We talk about stains--a good option!"

This is the most annoying part of the entire commercial. Statins very clearly are NOT a "good option" for dealing with a problem that doesn't really exist. That's why there are multiple class action lawsuits filed against the companies that make these drugs. They're bad news and should not be taken by ANYONE!

FAT LADY: "For me, he chose Zetia. It works differently. Statins work mainly with the liver. Zetia works in the digestive tract like some other medicines. But Zetia is unique in the way it helps block the absorption of cholesterol that comes from food."

Well, this would matter if cholesterol was raised by consuming cholesterol in the diet. Respected bestselling low-carb author Dana Carpender explains why in her latest book Every Calorie Counts. Well worth reading!!!

FAT LADY: "Zetia, along with a healthy diet, lowered bad cholesterol by an average of 30 points, that's 18 percent!"

What if we didn't have Zetia, Ms. Fat Fake Cooking Show Host Lady? Would that "healthy diet" just be making us sicker by raising our cholesterol? Perhaps if you started livin' la vida low-carb, you would see IMPROVEMENTS in your lipid profile and wouldn't need no stinkin' drug. Gee, now there's an idea!

FAT LADY: "It complements what I'm already doing."

Obviously what you are "already doing" ain't working so hot! The low-carb lifestyle could really help you there, ya know!

VOICEOVER ANNOUNCER: "Zetia may not be right for people who have ever had liver problems, are nursing or pregnant, or may become pregnant. Your doctor will decide if Zetia is right for you."

Oh, he won't decide. But that Merck pharmaceutical rep sure will put enough ($$$) incentive ($$$) in front of him to coerce him into suddenly realizing that Zetia is "right" for a whole lot of his patients. It's disgusting how pills are being distributed like candy with no regard for what the patient REALLY needs to be healthy.

VOICEOVER ANNOUNCER: "Unexplained muscle pain or weakness could be a sign of a rare, but serious side effect and should be reported to a doctor right away. Common side effects included tiredness and stomach pain."

Hmmm, these "side effects" sound awful familiar to the ones that statins cause. Haven't they read the results of the "Statin Effects Study" from the University of California at San Diego? Zetia will very likely be the next phase of this ongoing investigative study.

FAKE COOKING SHOW PRODUCER: "3-2-...."

Oh, and he looks so real faking a countdown before the cameras roll!

FAT LADY: "Cook It Healthy!"

Can you imagine the laughing stock this lady would be if she was REALLY the host of a cooking show called "Cook It Healthy?" Talk about your irony of all ironies! Plus, that nasally voice would get to be a bit too obnoxious for me if I had to suffer through a half-hour show with her yappin' away about her low-fat recipes. Yippee...NOT!

FAT LADY: "Ask your doctor if Zetia is right for you. Zetia. A different way to help fight cholesterol."

It's no different than what we've seen before because it still pretends that you need a drug to take care of your cholesterol. Wanna REALLY know how to get your cholesterol under control? You can start by reading the absolute best book on the subject by Australian independent researcher Anthony Colpo called The Great Cholesterol Con.

Let me know what you think about Zetia after reading that book!

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9 Comments:

Blogger Unknown said...

I was amused at this post :) I'm back on blogger again and have a Low carb blog to keep me on track! You're linked there.

Take care,
Heather in Sweden

7/08/2007 1:05 AM  
Blogger Madeline Mason said...

Hi Jimmy!

Kudos to you for your fabulous and funny commentary on "The Fat Lady Cooks Zetia!" LOL! Every word you said about this disgusting commercial is true (and I thought I was the only one mocking the woman's nasaly whining!)

I'd like to add one (I think, rather shocking) overlooked observation- the words that appear on the screen for about 10 seconds, stating that, "Zetia has not been shown to prevent heart disease or heart attacks." Oh really? Then exactly why are we supposed to take this medication? Oh yeah, I forgot- blah blah blah and follow the $$$$$$$!!!!!!!

7/08/2007 7:15 AM  
Blogger Jimmy Moore said...

Yeah, I noticed that too, Madeline. But that's called a CYA! ;)

7/08/2007 8:22 AM  
Blogger Jimmy Moore said...

A doctor friend of mine who is on the Kimkins diet wrote the following comment to me today:

Zetia is no better than anything else they come up with. They love to push drugs...I do not.

My recommendations for lowering a real cholesterol problem are: Low Carb, Exercise, Niacin, 25 grams fiber, omega 3 fish oil and red wine in that order!!!

I say real problem because a one time blood test is not enough. You need a thyroid panel and a fasting lipid panel to really evaluate
if it is a high cholesterol problem.

Additionally, weight loss in itself often lowers cholesterol. Statins and Zetia effect your liver and should be only used as a last resort.

I've asked the pharmaceutical reps, how does this work? And don't tell me the mechanism I know that already.

My question refers to risk of stroke/heart attack...there is no proof that these drugs lower your risk. They cannot claim that.

Muscle death (rhabdomyolysis) and ensuing kidney failure do occur with these drugs. Why take that risk, when you can do those 6 things mentioned above?


WHY INDEED!

7/08/2007 5:24 PM  
Blogger Mr F. said...

Thanks for the funny post. She's nauseating.

- Shakespeare Fat

7/08/2007 6:49 PM  
Blogger Joe Norton said...

Hilarious post. Found this off of the comment you left on my blog.

7/08/2007 9:07 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

I make comments to her while she's talking, telling her she wouldn't have high cholesterol if she's cut back on the carbs, lol!

7/08/2007 9:32 PM  
Blogger Jen said...

Watching this commercial caused me to have Meridia "flashbacks". The graphic depicting the cholesteral being grabbed from food and being eliminated from the body is Meridia-esque, also reminds me of Olestra which is "unabsorbable". The "stomach cramps" in the warnings are common with both of these "diet aids". A more fitting commercial would have been a staff doing all the cooking in the kitchen and the fat chef commentary being shot from the bathroom, which she wouldn't be able to leave.

7/09/2007 5:24 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

I took one of those cholesterol drugs for a couple of years. When I started low-carbing it my doctor told me that my cholesterol would go through the roof. He, of course, was wrong. Pill pushers!

7/09/2007 1:08 PM  

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