Table 2.
Expert responses describing national legal frameworks and pre-market regulation of weight-loss supplements (WLS) across thirty countries (n 30)
| Questions† | n of yes responses (excluding ‘Don’t Know’) | % | Number of ‘Don’t know’ responses | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country has a specific legal framework for WLS (n 23) | 7 | 29·2 | 6 | 20·0 |
| Country limits the ingredients or substances used in WLS (n 25) | 15 | 60·0 | 5 | 16·7 |
| How the safety of a new WLS is determined* (n 25) | – | 5 | 16·7 | |
| Independent evaluation of product samples | 13 | 52·0 | – | |
| Safety information provided by the manufacturer | 19 | 76·0 | – | |
| Literature search by regulator(s) | 2 | 8·0 | – | |
| Regulator(s) does not confirm safety | 1 | 4·0 | – | |
| Country requires the safety of a new WLS to be established through scientific criteria (n 28) | 18 | 64·3 | 2 | 6·7 |
| How the efficacy of a new WLS is determined* (n 26) | – | 4 | 13·3 | |
| Independent evaluation of product samples | 9 | 34·6 | – | |
| Efficacy information provided by manufacturer | 11 | 42·3 | – | |
| Literature search by regulator(s) | 3 | 11·5 | – | |
| Regulator(s) does not confirm efficacy | 12 | 46·2 | – | |
| Country requires the efficacy of a new WLS to be established through scientific criteria (n 25) | 13 | 52·0 | 5 | 16·7 |
| New imported WLS are subject to the same regulations as new locally produced WLS (n 26) | 22 | 84·6 | 4 | 13·3 |
| Country has a registration requirement for WLS (n 30) | 19 | 63·3 | 0 | 0·0 |
| Country has a licensing requirement for WLS (n 23) | 10 | 43·5 | 7 | 23·3 |
| Country has a registration requirement for WLS manufacturers/producers (n 25) | 19 | 76·0 | 5 | 16·7 |
| Country has a licensing requirement for WLS manufacturers/producers (n 23) | 14 | 60·9 | 7 | 23·3 |
*
Question allowed respondents to ‘check all that apply’; responses are not mutually exclusive.
†
Sample size varies depending on number of ‘don’t know’ responses. Sample sizes listed per question have excluded the number of ‘don’t know’ responses for that question.