Efforts to Age-Restrict Access to Supplements in NJ

Washington, DC—Industry associations are sounding the alarm on New Jersey State Assembly Bill A1848, which would prohibit the sale of certain dietary supplements to minors. The Natural Products Association (NPA) and the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) testified in opposition of the bill during the NJ State Assembly Health Committee.

“Once again, state legislators are ignoring science and common sense,” said Daniel Fabricant, Ph.D., NPA President and CEO. “Despite failing to identify a single dietary supplement that causes eating disorders, Assemblyman Conaway and his Trenton cronies failed their constituents by advancing legislation that cripples public health. Consumers deserve access to products that support their overall health and wellness. Unfortunately, today in Trenton, the freedom of choice took a significant blow today. We are urging all wellness advocates to email and call their New Jersey state representatives urging their opposition to A1848 when the bill comes before the entire State Assembly.”

In his testimony, CRN President and CEO Steve Mister said: "Currently there is not credible scientific data tht the products identified in this bill lead to or cause body dysmorphia, eating disorders, or other mental health issues. None. Now let's be clear there is no medical literature, despite what the proponents of the bill will tell you, that demonstrates a causal relationship between the use of these products and the onset or exacerbation of eating disorders. They will talk about prospective associations that X exists when Y exists, but that does not mean that X causes Y or that Y causes X. There is simply no evidence that these products cause the problems, and so restricting these products will have no effect on solving the problem."

Behind the push for age restriction

The Harvard-based organization STRIPED (Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders) claims that dietary supplements, especially those that they refer to as diet pills, cause eating disorders. As Susan J. Hewlings, Ph.D., RD, and Douglas S. Kalman, Ph.D., RD, have explained to WholeFoods Magazine readers: "Part of their efforts have been to propose age restricted legislation in various states, including New Jersey, Rhode Island, New York, California, Colorado, Missouri, Maryland, and Massachusetts...While the details of the proposed legislation vary from state to state, the main objective of all of them is to limit access of teens to specific dietary supplements that they refer to as 'weight loss' or 'diet' supplements," Drs. Hewlings and Kalman explained. "These include protein, creatine, branched chain amino acids, and diet pills, which are not clearly defined. The research they reference to support their platform is full of scientific holes, which are discussed in a recent review published in Nutrients."

Efforts to protect access to supplements

NPA and CRN have been fighting such efforts across the U.S. In recent developments, age restriction efforts in California faltered. But across the country in New York, Governor Kathy Hochul (D-NY) signed A.5610/S.5823 into law to ban the sale of certain weight loss and sports nutrition dietary supplements to New York consumers under the age of 18. Retailers who fail to comply with the law, which went into effect in April 2024, are subject to fines.

For an update on where the science stands, and the current state of regulatory, join the live education session Setting the Record Straight on Dietary Supplements, Eating Disorders, and Mental Wellness, taking place on October 1, 2024, at the Naturally Informed Stress and Mental Wellness virtual conference. The event is free to attend. Drs. Hewling and Kalman will discuss the science, while Rick Collins, Founding Partner at Collins Gann McCloskey & Barry PLLC, will provide a regulatory update.