Consumer Confidential: Weighty lawsuit, bogus pills, bad tans

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Here’s your trippy Tuesday roundup of consumer news from around the Web:

--This is heavy. Weight Watchers is suing rival diet company Jenny Craig over ads that it says are misleading and deceptive. Weight Watchers is taking issue with a purported study that the ads say favors Jenny Craig’s pre-packaged meals over Weight Watchers’ slim-down approach. Weight Watchers says there’s no such study. No immediate word from Jenny Craig about that allegation.

--Speaking of slim-down approaches, the Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers about bogus versions of the diet pill Alli. The counterfeit pills are missing a key ingredient and instead contain a chemical that could harm you. So far, the scammy pills have been sold only online and there are subtle differences in packaging from the real thing. If you have any concerns about Alli, contact the agency.

--Lastly, one more tidbit from our friends at the FDA. They say they’re going to take a closer look at tanning beds. Turns out those UV-heavy devices pose a cancer risk. You think?

-- David Lazarus