Encyclopedia of Diets - A Guide to Health and Nutrition

Purpose

According to information contained in the Herb-

alife website, the company sells its products to con-

sumers so they can manage and control their weight,

add nutritional supplements to their diets, and provide

personal care items to their daily body regimen.

Weight management and weight-loss products include

protein snacks, enhancers for energy support,

enhancers for appetite support, and enhancers for

digestive support. Nutritional supplements sold by

the company include herbs,minerals, andvitamins.

Some of its nutritional supplements are devoted to

specific body parts such as the heart and digestive

system, and on certain physical and mental conditions

such as stress, energy/fitness, and aging. Its personal

care products emphasize nutritional and herbal ingre-

dients such as aloe vera andvitamin C, and deal with

such matters as skin essentials and skin revitalizers,

anti-aging, body essentials, hair essentials, and

fragrances.

The Herbalife mission, according to its website, is

to ‘‘change people’s lives by providing the best busi-

ness opportunity in direct selling and the best nutrition

and weight management products in the world.’’ The

company states that it provides safe weight control

products that supplement a balanced low-calorie diet

and a regular exercise program. Its weight manage-

ment and nutritional products use macronutrient and

micronutrient food formulas.Macronutrientsinclude

carbohydrates,fats, and proteins, which together pro-

vide most of the energy needed by humans. Micro-

nutrients are essential elements (minerals and

vitamins) that are needed in minute quantities for a

healthy body. Such essential elements include chro-

mium, cobalt, copper, iron,manganese,molybde-

num,selenium, andzinc.

As part of their advertising and marketing strat-

egy, Herbalife relies on testimonials from health pro-

fessionals. Customer testimonials also appear on the

company’s website.

Description

The company was incorporated in 1979, but

essentially started operations in February 1980 when

its first distributor, Mark Hughes, began selling Herb-

alife products from the trunk of his automobile. As his

customers tried and liked the products Hughes’ busi-

ness quickly grew. He rented an office and a ware-

house in the Beverly Hills, California area, and soon

developed a network of distributors.

Within two years, the company had grown to over

two million dollars in sales through its distributorships

in the United States and its sole distributor in Canada.

Vehicles all over the United States were seen with the

company’s slogan: ‘‘Lose weight now, ask me how!’’.

At this time, the Herbalife plan recommended only

one meal each day, which was supplemented with

protein powders and nutritional pills.

By 1985, Herbalife was listed onINC.magazine’s

fastest growing private companies. Its five-year profits

from 1980 to 1985 went from $386,000 to $423 million.

More than 700,000 distributors in the United States,

Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia had total

gross sales of about $500 million.

In 1994, Hughes started the Herbalife Family

Foundation in order to help children worldwide. In

1996, Herbalife reached one billion dollars in sales.

However, four years later, Hughes died from an over-

dose of alcohol and doxepin (a psychoactive drug with

antidepressant and anti-anxiety properties).

Today, signs posted on telephone poles, fences,

mailboxes, newsstands, vehicle windshields, and other

public structures and locations state such slogans as:

‘‘Lose Weight Now—Ask Me How’’, ‘‘Have a Com-

puter?—Work from Home’’, and ‘‘Lose 30 lbs in 30

days!’’. These and other advertising means are often

seen promoting a way for people to earn cash. When

people call the toll-free number or browse the listed

website they are directed to Herbalife.

Precautions

Historically, there has been controversy with

Herbalife due to the way the company operates its

business. This controversy, specifically, has been

directed to potentially dangerous ingredients in some

KEY TERMS

Botanical—Relating to plants.

Doxepin—A psychoactive drug characterized with

helping treat depression and anxiety.

Macronutrient—Any carbohydrate, fat, or protein.

Micronutrient—Essential elements needed for

human life such as minerals and vitamins.

Pyramid scheme—A fraudulent act in which per-

petrator(s) recruit other people to pay money to

those above them in a structured hierarchy with

the expectation that they will get a portion of that

money.

Herbalife