A new preface for "The XXL Syndrome"?

Extrait Le Point 08/17/2006 's article "Charlatans of the thinness".

(...)In July, the European leader of the medicinal plants, Arkopharma, found himself with the dock. Its former chairman [ml: founder, majority shareholder and current chairman of the board of trustees], Max Rombi, was condemned to 30.000 euros of fine for “fraud” by the correctional court of Toulouse. It is after having consumed capsules containing powder of Chinese plants provided by Arkopharma that two women from Toulouse (France) developed since 1993 an irreversible renal insufficiency. The laboratory, which ensures to have carried out all possible controls, rejects the fault on its Chinese supplier. The case will be judged again soon in appeal. Just like that which carried out in November 2005 the ex-owner of Arkopharma in front of the correctional court of Nice. This time, two women from Nice (France) had died of the continuations of a cancer of the urinary tracts following the consumption of capsules containing roots imported by Arkopharma. Max Rombi, which refuses to believe that its capsules could start cancers, has been sentenced to serve three years in jail with deferment for manslaughter. As many dramatic accidents which do not discourage the candidates with the loss of weight. The slimming products indeed account for 30% of the sales turnover of the food complements, with, like engine, 4,3,2,1 Thinness, of Arkopharma, and its 12% of shares of market. (...)

Comment:
The article also mentions there's been neurological and cardiac problems in two women one of whom is deceased due to the consumption of ephedra (Ma Huang). Now at least six of the asiatitrats contained ephedra sinica (Ma Huang). Apparently Arkopharma 's US subsidary - aka Health From The Sun - still commercializing ephedra (see its 4.3.2.1 Diet products).

To read the article please click here.

Uneasiness

As we're leaving messages in forums we can see comments such as "That was in the early 90's...", "Those arkocapsules are not sold any longer...", "Arkopharma is a huge company internationnally respected...", "Mr Rombi is the one responsible, not Arkopharma...". Sentences that terribly show how much their authors don't feel concerned. After all while it doesn't happen to them...

The thing is some Arkopharma products lots are regularly and discretely removed from the market cautiously as not to make waves (see recent list from the French agency for sanitary safety). Before asiatitrat was withdrawn there were victims already. It's not because a product is withdrawn from the french market that it's withdrawn from the foreign ones. And when it's finally removed it's always after a non-negligeable laps of time. Arkopharma expanded not due to its "fame" but as part of a strategic economic international growth. Sure the firm makes 47% of its turnover out of France but are the consumers and potential consumers of its products well informed when products lots are withdrawn when they are and what for? Do they know some arkocapsules are responsible for serious health damages including death of women? Do they know herbs used in those arkocapsules do not have the properties claimed by Arkopharma? Do they know Max Rombi - then Arkopharma's CEO and founder and current chairman of the supervisory board - has been condemned for fraud and misleading advertisement for a product other than asiatitrat? At last would the authors of those comments trust a company which supporting its ex-CEO and founder and current chairman of its supervisory board doesn't seem to have retained its lesson by not acknowledging its mistakes - and therefore not assuming its responsabilities for the products involved and the firm has commercialized - and which unique defense policy consists in the systematical denial of facts in despite of overwhelming reports?

Once again we're inviting the authors of those comments to read our previous posts and articles, and we're still encouraging our readers to leave any comment they might have in our blog. We hope our readers we'll realize this is a problem that concerns all of us at last. In their constant fight for justice the victims will always be disadvantaged without such take of conscience and hence without the support of the public opinion in front of Max Rombi ex-CEO founder and current chairman of the supervisory board of Arkopharma, which realizes an annual turnover of approx. 230 millions euros, company that is still supporting him and which majority of shares is owned by the Rombi family.

Prevention Better Than Cure

In some forums and blogs we've seen how people looking to lose weight orientate themselves to Arkopharma products with lots withdrawn from the market. For the purpose of sparing complications similar to the asiatitrat victims' we're leaving posts and comments in those forums and blogs briefly introducing the terrible experience the women whom have absorded asiatitrat arkocapsules in their hope to lose weight are going through. What more could we possibly do? If only those women had received such warning notice before absorbing those damn capsules...