NATION IN BRIEF : WASHINGTON, D.C. : FDA Wants Diet Pill Taken Off Market

The Food and Drug Administration said it wants Cal-Ban 3000 diet tablets and capsules taken off the market because they can cause throat obstructions and their weight-loss claims are unproven. The FDA sent a letter to Health Care Products Inc. of Lutz, Fla., saying the agency would take legal action if the company does not stop distribution of the product, whose main ingredient is guar gum, which swells with water and creates a sense of fullness when eaten. The agency cited reports of 17 cases in which people experienced throat obstruction after using the product.