Professor's CortiSlim ties raise credibility concerns

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Nov 2, 2004 | by Associated Press

Critics question how Shawn Talbott can teach nutrition at the University of Utah while he's involved with CortiSlim, a product under fire from the Federal Trade Commission for allegedly deceptive advertising.

The FTC said Talbott was a business partner and product formulator in the making of CortiSlim.

It said there is no proof CortiSlim causes rapid weight loss or that it is backed by 15 years of scientific research, advertising claims that have coaxed more than $50 million from desperate dieters,

The FTC filed a lawsuit Sept. 30 in federal court in Los Angeles that alleges the part-time professor and his California partners used false and deceptive advertisements. The suit seeks an unspecified amount of money to be refunded to customers who bought the pills.

Talbott, who has a doctorate in nutritional biochemistry, said the university picked him for his real-world experience and knew about his CortiSlim connections.

Wayne Askew, head of the university's nutrition department, said that as long as Talbott does not endorse specific products in the classroom or use his university affiliation to sell them, the school will stand by him.