Dr. Influence

Oh Man.  One of those days.

In the morning I had a customer approach me and ask if we carried raspberry ketones (immediate alarm bells - I've been doing this long enough).

I know what raspberries are, and I know what ketones are - I also know we don't have anything called raspberry ketones.  Okay, no big deal.  Not half an hour later I have another customer come up and ask me if we have ...  wait for it ... raspberry ketones.  My first question to her was 'did you happen do hear about this product on Dr. Oz today?'  Why, yes, indeed she did.  Surprise, surprise.  I also informed her that we did not have said product and that I would look into it.

So I go online and low and behold there is something called the raspberry ketone diet.  Miracle way to lose weight, lots of studies and science behind it - so it says.  I didn't bother to look into the details, just paid attention to who is actually selling the product.  Man oh man.  At the end of my day, five additional customers had asked me if we sold raspberry ketones.  And can you guess how many were middle aged women?  Okay, that wasn't very nice.

We have a pharmacy in the store now, and before I left, I asked the Pharmacist if anyone had queried her about raspberry ketones.  She said no, and that she, too, had not heard of it.  I told her it was on Dr. Oz and that it's for weight loss.  Her answer?  'Maybe if they weren't on the couch watching Dr. Oz, they wouldn't need a weight loss pill'     Oh Snap! ... I love it.

Okay, so my ire is not actually directed at Dr. Oz.  He is a Businessman and a Doctor (in that order).  He can do whatever he wants.  My concern is for the people he is taking advantage of.  Whether you are Paleo, Primal, Vegetarian, or smack in the middle of Conventional Wisdom, you know, you just know deep inside, that there is not a magic pill you can take that will shed body fat in a safe and healthy manner.

And yet, people still want to believe.  They want there to be an easy solution.  And someone like Dr. Oz will all to happily play to their hopes and take their money.  Nice.

Later in the day I had a Rep. stop by and I told her what was going on.  She informed me that one of the large Vitamin store chains in the region actually has someone at their headquarters monitoring Dr. Oz's show for moments exactly like this.  Moments when a bunch of people will walk into their establishment looking for a product they saw on his show.  I'd bet my breakfast they were stocked up on raspberry ketones today.  And if we had five people come into our small store, in our small town,  just imagine what happened across the Nation in large Metropolitan areas.  I shudder to think about it.

The Rep. aslo dropped off a sample of the product you see in the picture.  Caveman Foods.  She knows my lifestyle and though it might be something of interest.  Look at the catch line on the package ... 'WHAT WE'RE MEANT TO EAT'.  Now look at the ingredients list.  Are you frigging serious?  Arrrrgh.



I have no problem with people getting into business and trying to make a buck.  Heck, they can even use the catchy term 'Caveman' and all.  But if they think somebody is dumb enough to actually believe this packaged food with maltodextrin, caramel color, soybean oil, and silicone dioxide is something our ancestors ate ... well, then, they probably think there's someone gullible enough to buy a magic weight loss pill too.  Oh wait.

Man what a day.