Am I the only one who absolutely despises with a passion that infamous Zetia TV commercial that’s been running this year? You know the one–a fat woman pretending to be a cooking show host on The Food Network cooking up a bunch of carb-loaded dishes while talking about her “high” cholesterol despite eating “healthy” and that she needs a prescription drug like Zetia made by Merck to help lower her cholesterol.
Just in case you may have missed it, watch the one-minute ad NOW:
There’s so much I’d like to say about this asinine commercial that I’ll transcribe it line-by-line for you along with my commentary in between. ENJOY!
FAT LADY: “Millions of people watch me cook, but I watch what I eat.”
Um, only on a fake cooking show could you claim “millions” watch you. I’m sure Emeril and Rachael Ray get the largest audiences on The Food Network, but their numbers aren’t in the MILLIONS. Come on! And then to trot this obviously overweight woman out as the poster child for being healthy making the claim, “I watch what I eat.” Yeah, she watches every single bite of those high-carb foods go right into her mouth!
FAT LADY: “Still, when my doctor checked my cholesterol, it was slightly higher than we’d like.”
Hmmm, I wonder why that could be? Can you say carbohydrate overload?! Doesn’t she realize that high-carb diet does a doozy on HDL and triglycerides?
FAT LADY: “We talk about stains–a good option!”
This is the most annoying part of the entire commercial. Statins very clearly are NOT a “good option” for dealing with a problem that doesn’t really exist. That’s why there are multiple class action lawsuits filed against the companies that make these drugs. They’re bad news and should not be taken by ANYONE!
FAT LADY: “For me, he chose Zetia. It works differently. Statins work mainly with the liver. Zetia works in the digestive tract like some other medicines. But Zetia is unique in the way it helps block the absorption of cholesterol that comes from food.”
Well, this would matter if cholesterol was raised by consuming cholesterol in the diet. Respected bestselling low-carb author Dana Carpender explains why in her latest book Every Calorie Counts. Well worth reading!!!
FAT LADY: “Zetia, along with a healthy diet, lowered bad cholesterol by an average of 30 points, that’s 18 percent!”
What if we didn’t have Zetia, Ms. Fat Fake Cooking Show Host Lady? Would that “healthy diet” just be making us sicker by raising our cholesterol? Perhaps if you started livin’ la vida low-carb, you would see IMPROVEMENTS in your lipid profile and wouldn’t need no stinkin’ drug. Gee, now there’s an idea!
FAT LADY: “It complements what I’m already doing.”
Obviously what you are “already doing” ain’t working so hot! The low-carb lifestyle could really help you there, ya know!
VOICEOVER ANNOUNCER: “Zetia may not be right for people who have ever had liver problems, are nursing or pregnant, or may become pregnant. Your doctor will decide if Zetia is right for you.”
Oh, he won’t decide. But that Merck pharmaceutical rep sure will put enough ($$$) incentive ($$$) in front of him to coerce him into suddenly realizing that Zetia is “right” for a whole lot of his patients. It’s disgusting how pills are being distributed like candy with no regard for what the patient REALLY needs to be healthy.
VOICEOVER ANNOUNCER: “Unexplained muscle pain or weakness could be a sign of a rare, but serious side effect and should be reported to a doctor right away. Common side effects included tiredness and stomach pain.”
Hmmm, these “side effects” sound awful familiar to the ones that statins cause. Haven’t they read the results of the “Statin Effects Study” from the University of California at San Diego? Zetia will very likely be the next phase of this ongoing investigative study.
FAKE COOKING SHOW PRODUCER: “3-2-….”
Oh, and he looks so real faking a countdown before the cameras roll!
FAT LADY: “Cook It Healthy!”
Can you imagine the laughing stock this lady would be if she was REALLY the host of a cooking show called “Cook It Healthy?” Talk about your irony of all ironies! Plus, that nasally voice would get to be a bit too obnoxious for me if I had to suffer through a half-hour show with her yappin’ away about her low-fat recipes. Yippee…NOT!
FAT LADY: “Ask your doctor if Zetia is right for you. Zetia. A different way to help fight cholesterol.”
It’s no different than what we’ve seen before because it still pretends that you need a drug to take care of your cholesterol. Wanna REALLY know how to get your cholesterol under control? You can start by reading the absolute best book on the subject by Australian independent researcher Anthony Colpo called The Great Cholesterol Con.
Let me know what you think about Zetia after reading that book!
