--- title: Senate Cautions Dr. Oz on Weight-Loss Tips description: A hearing over deceptive advertising claims canonical: https://time.com/2891194/dr-oz-claire-mccaskill/ author: Becca Stanek article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-06-17T20:04:57.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-01T08:57:33.655Z article:section: Politics og:title: Senate Cautions Dr. Oz on Weight-Loss Tips og:description: A hearing over deceptive advertising claims og:url: https://time.com/2891194/dr-oz-claire-mccaskill/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb7410357686f0f14/69869802361760de2990caa0/doctor-oz.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3492 og:image:height: 1964 og:image:alt: Consumer Protection og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Senate Cautions Dr. Oz on Weight-Loss Tips twitter:description: A hearing over deceptive advertising claims twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb7410357686f0f14/69869802361760de2990caa0/doctor-oz.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Lawmakers Caution Dr. Oz on Weight-Loss Tips > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=62c0207d-b4e6-43e0-a104-285c4dd4d4e0&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Watch: Dr. Oz Answers Lawmakers on Weight Loss Tips [Watch (HLS stream): Watch: Dr. Oz Answers Lawmakers on Weight Loss Tips](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/nKXHk4UQ.m3u8) (2:11)  _Published 2014-06-17. Watch: Dr. Oz Answers Lawmakers on Weight Loss Tips_ by [Becca Stanek](https://time.com/author/becca-stanek/) ## Becca Stanek Jun 17, 2014 8:04 PM UTC by [Becca Stanek](https://time.com/author/becca-stanek/) ## Becca Stanek Jun 17, 2014 8:04 PM UTC Lawmakers warned the TV personality Dr. Mehmet Oz on Tuesday to proceed with caution when offering weight-loss tips. Missouri Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill called the host of _The Dr. Oz Show_ to testify at a hearing on weight-loss scams and deceptive advertising for weight-loss products after recent endorsements made on his show. “Your credibility is being maligned by fraudsters and frankly being threatened by the notion that anybody can take an itty-bitty pill to push fat out of their system,” McCaskill said to Oz during the hearing. McCaskill cited the example of Oz’s recent suggestion that viewers to take FBCx, a diet pill, to get back on track if they cheat on their diets. _The Dr. Oz Show_ website champions the pill as one of “3 Ways to Get Your Fat to Eat Itself.” Oz defended his recommendation, explaining that FBCx is essentially fiber and that his family uses the pill. He said he believes he has techniques that will work for people trying to lose weight and he wants people to try them so they can feel better. “I fill a need to fuel passion in peoples’ lives about what they can do,” he said. The hearing follows enforcement actions taken this year against companies engaged in deceptive advertising. Last month the Federal Trade Commission announced it is suing Pure Green Coffee, alleging “it capitalized on the green bean diet fad by using bogus weight-loss claims and fake news websites to market its dietary supplement.” McCaskill told Oz that he is not only a celebrity but also a doctor, and cautioned him to be responsible in using his influence. Oz expressed concerns that he’s being censored. “When I feel as a host of a show that I can’t use words that are flowery or passionate,” he said, “then I feel that my power has been disenfranchised.” ## Transcript We feature cleanses and new diet programs by promising authors. And many of these are controversial as are the supplements we research and profile. But would rather have a conversation of this material on my stage, than in back alleys. I don't get why you need to say this stuff cuz you know it's not true. So why, when you have this amazing megaphone. And this amazing ability to communicate. Why would you cheapen your show? I actually do personally believe in the, in the items I talk about in the show. I, I passionately study them. I recognize that often times they don't have the scientific [ UNKNOWN ] to present as fact. But nevertheless I would give my audience the advice I give my family all the time and I've given my family these products. In January you called. [ UNKNOWN ] quote, lightning in a bottle. And a miracle flower to fight fat. That was just in January. so, I, I, I really hope, I, I know you know how much power you have. I know you know that. You are very powerful. And power, comes, with power comes a great deal of responsibility. And I know you take it seriously and I know care about your listening audience, and your viewing audience, and I know you care about America's health. So, I, and you are being made an example of because of the power you have in this space. and, and we didn't call this hearing to beat up on you, we did call this hearing to talk about a real crisis in consumer protection. And you can either be part of the police here, or you can be part of the problem and we're just hopeful that you will do a better job at being part of the police. Well, I came here because I want to be part of the solution, not be part of the problem. You mentioned FBX, which is basically, a fiber and we know that fiber, when taken correctly, has been a very effective tool for weight loss for the reason that I stated. Your, your comments about the, the language I use is well heard and I appreciate it. 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