999 Fitness Essence

Foreign Product Alert
2009-108
June 29, 2009
For immediate release

Health Canada is advising consumers not to use the following products specified below due to concerns about possible side-effects. More info

Source of Alert: U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Product Names: 999 Fitness Essence
Manufacturer / Place of Origin: Unknown

Product Description
999 Fitness Essence is promoted as a "natural" or "herbal" dietary supplement used for weight loss.

Reason for Warning
The FDA warned consumers not to buy or use 999 Fitness Essence after it was found to contain the undeclared pharmaceutical ingredient sibutramine.

Sibutramine is a prescription drug used to treat obesity. It should only be taken under the supervision of a health care practitioner.

Health Canada is aware that there may be other products on the market labelled with names similar in meaning to 999 Fitness Essence but not necessarily the same ingredients or directions for use. The information in this alert refers only to the product labelled as 999 Fitness Essence. Should Health Canada find this product or other similar products on the Canadian market that pose a health risk, Health Canada will inform Canadians and take appropriate action.

Possible Side-Effects
Side-effects associated with sibutramine include increased blood pressure and heart rate, dry mouth, difficulty sleeping and constipation.

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Media Enquiries:
Health Canada
(613) 957-2983

For more details on these Foreign Product Alerts, please visit the Health Canada Web site.

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These products are not authorized for sale in Canada and have not been found in the Canadian marketplace, but it is possible they may have been brought into the country by travellers or purchased over the Internet.

Canadians who have this product are advised not to use it, and should consult with a health care professional if they have concerns about their health related to the use of this product.

Drugs and natural health products that are authorized for sale in Canada will have either an eight-digit Drug Identification Number (DIN), a Natural Product Number (NPN) or a Homeopathic Medicine Number (DIN-HM) on the label. These numbers indicate that the products have been assessed by Health Canada for safety, effectiveness and quality.

Health Canada advises Canadians to contact the Health Products and Food Branch Inspectorate at 1-800-267-9675 if they find the products listed above in the Canadian marketplace.

For more information about the information contained in this advisory, please contact Health Canada's public inquiries line at (613) 957-2991 or toll-free at 1-866-225-0709.

As of the date of this posting, no adverse reactions suspected to be associated with the use of this product have been reported in Canada.