TWO major states in the US now have laws that have banned popular supplements, and there are more on the way.

Experts have warned the supplements targeting weight loss and muscle growth pose a serious health risk, but there are some who disagree with the legislation.

In 2025, over half a dozen state legislatures have introduced bills targeting dietary supplement products.

In particular, lawmakers fear that minors will be negatively impacted by the pills.

The fear is they could contribute to eating disorders in young people, and the pills are not subject to FDA approval before they are marketed.

Industry representatives have clashed repeatedly with those criticizing the products, particularly those held by STRIPED (Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders.

The group is group based at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Boston Children’s Hospital.

S. Bryn Austin, director of STRIPED, said: “The writing is on the wall: Lawmakers and communities across the country want to see some common sense guardrails put in place to protect children.

“Sellers are targeting children with misleading promises of magical weight loss or muscle gain on social media, in pharmacies, at the gym — practically everywhere — often without their parents or any responsible adult in their lives knowing.”

Several bills have been introduced banning the sale to minors, including one in Washington.

Sen. John Lovick, a Democrat representing the 44th Legislative District, and one of the bill’s sponsors, told SupplySide: “There is nothing more important to me than making sure we are protecting young people.

“A high school student working with STRIPED came to speak with me about the risks associated with minors taking over-the-counter weight loss, diet and muscle-building supplements.

“The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has cautioned against teens using these products, and we know that adolescents and young adults, especially women, who use OTC pills have a much higher risk of being diagnosed with eating disorders.”

The AAP has noted that “it is difficult for the consumer to differentiate products with ingredients subject to strong FDA oversight from products that are subject to the looser controls, as allowed by the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act.”

STATE ACTION

Two major states have already passed legislation banning minors from buying them, in New York and New Jersey.

In New York, minors have officially been banned from buying diet pills or supplements intended for muscle building or weight loss.

Jazz Jennings’ Weight Loss Journey

Jazz Jennings dropped 70 pounds after changing her eating habits and everyday routine. Below is everything Jazz has said about her fluctuating figure.

• In early 2021, Jazz revealed in an Instagram post that she gained 100 pounds and suffered from a ‘binge-eating disorder.’
• That year, during a confessional interview on her reality series, I Am Jazz, the TV star confessed she felt ‘humiliated’ after her mom started monitoring her eating and often experienced ‘fat-shaming’ from her family.
• In a December 2021 episode of I Am Jazz, Jazz admitted she was taking a ‘bad medication’ to help her slim down during her adolescence due to her parents wanting her to be smaller.
• In June 2022, the TV personality revealed she exercised twice a day to shed the pounds.
• Weeks later, Jazz shared a photo of her weight loss progress and received support from her brother, Sander.
• In January 2024, the YouTuber announced she had dropped 70 pounds and felt ‘happier and healthier’ than ever.

The law took effect in April, and bans the sale to under 18s specifically.

Violations of the law will result in civil penalties of up to $500 in the state.

There were those who opposed the law, including the Council for Responsible Nutrition, a nonprofit trade group made up of dietary supplement manufacturers and distributors

Their injunction motion was denied, leading to the council slamming the decision as “unscientific” and “meritless”.

The group stated: “If we stand by and allow this law to go into effect, it won’t help young people with eating disorders, but it will stop families in the Empire State from purchasing the trusted nutrition products they use to keep their families healthy.”

One of the main criticisms of the New York bill is that it’s too vague and could restrict access to broad categories of supplements.

Carlos Gutiérrez, vice president of state and local government affairs with the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA), said: “Protecting minors’ well-being is a shared priority, particularly regarding age-appropriate product use.

“However, the law in New York and similar proposals elsewhere contain broad language that blurs the line between weight management products and general wellness supplements.”

Kyle Turk is the director of government affairs for the Natural Products Association (NPA), has also called the bills “misguided”.

He said: “State legislators backing bills to restrict access to dietary supplements are overstepping their bounds, undermining personal choice and public health in the process.

“These misguided efforts ignore the crucial role supplements play in supporting wellness.

“Together as an industry, we must ensure consumers’ rights to access safe, effective products are protected and that these bills are defeated at every turn.

“The future of the industry depends on our success.”

MORE LEGISLATION INBOUND

In New Jersey, a bill introduced in 2024 that is still actively in the current legislative session, proposes a civil penalty of $750 for companies breaking the minor rule.

Other states that have introduced legislation include Massachusetts, Illinois, Washington, Texas and Maryland.

In those states, there has been voiced support for the legislation.

In Massachusetts, Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa commented: “I was a teenager in the ‘90s when I saw a lot of teens abusing these pills.

“We’ve spoken to teenagers now who have expressed a great deal of concern with the abuse that they are seeing and the desire to see [the products] more regulated, at least for the under-18 population, which is something that Massachusetts has tried to do in numerous spheres to make sure that our kids are being protected from substances for which they may not fully understand the consequences of taking.”

Legislation was also introduced in New Hampshire and Virginia, but has since been thrown out.

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If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the National Eating Disorders Association at 800-931-2237, or chat with volunteers online