back to article Stop taking drug advice from Kim Kardashian on Twitter, sighs watchdog

Robert Dean may be questioning his career decisions. The division director of US drug regulator the FDA has warned the public that Kim Kardashian's social network pages are not a particularly reliable source of medical advice. In an open-letter [PDF], Dean said endorsements from celebrity buttocks Kardashian were misleading …

  1. This post has been deleted by its author

    1. John H Woods Silver badge

      "Err, doesn't that link in the article deserve an [NSFW] tag ..." -- 1980s_coder

      and maybe an NSFB tag, too!

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Coffee/keyboard

      If you can deal with the hyperemesis invoking photos until the bitter end, the one and only tag for the piece is [NSFW] on that page. The Reg owes me a tablet. Whether for nausea or acid corrosion to my Hisense Sero.

      1. Fred Flintstone Gold badge
        Thumb Up

        Re: hyperemesis

        Thanks for that - at least I learned a new word :)

        1. asiaseen

          Re: hyperemesis

          Is it a posh word for "sick as a parrot"?

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      If there was no booty link would not have seen this

      1. Joe Harrison

        Epic fail! Nobody is going to give them 3.4M for that, because jealousy.

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Err, doesn't that link in the article deserve an [NSFW] tag, given that it contains pictures of her topless?

      I thought it was *extremely* suitable for bankers. Oh, wait..

      In all seriousness though, it is hard to find anyone I could possibly care about less. Or it would be Kanye or whatever his name is. On my personal meter of People Who Matter, they're off the scale on the "Not" end.

    5. d3vy

      What did you expect when you clicked on the hyperlinked words GIGANTIC ARSE?

    6. asiaseen

      Given that the link was labelled "gigantic arse" that might be a clue to NSFW-ocity

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    If you take advice off Kim Kardashian on Twitter then you are stupid. Please do not procreate and make an orderly exit from the gene pool. Thanks.

    1. Khaptain Silver badge
      Coat

      "Please do not procreate and make an orderly exit from the gene pool."

      Is that a mutually inclusive or exclusive request ?

    2. Mark 85

      I suspect that we can still add Oprah's advice about Dr. Oz to this list? I realize she's no longer front page news but.....

      While we're at it, shouldn't any celeb be on the list? I'm reminded of the celeb who's still quoted about what vaccination can cause.

      1. Fungus Bob

        Re: While we're at it, shouldn't any celeb be on the list?

        Let celebrities make all the medical endorsements they want - its a kinder, gentler (albeit slower) way to raise the planet's IQ while lowering the population than declaring Open Season on people every leap year.

    3. Dan 55 Silver badge

      Perhaps the FDA should post that to her Twitter feed, it would have more of a change of getting to the people who need to read it more than a PDF on their website would.

  3. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
    Windows

    The feel when!

    Am I reading excerpts from "Stand on Zanzibar" again? Goddammit, John!!

  4. Zog_but_not_the_first
    Facepalm

    Truly

    This is the End of Days.

    1. LaeMing
      Go

      Re: Truly

      Nah, just a population re-adjustment in the making.

  5. JayBizzle

    I get the joy of listnening to drug adverts from the USA and the side effects listed are longeest part of the ad. After hearing them I would wonder why anyone would bother getting them.

    Warning may cause premature death but your headache will be gone.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Warning may cause premature death but your headache will be gone.

      My personal favourite is still advising people to fight a persistent light cough by taking a strong laxative.

      After that you will not *dare* to cough :)

      1. Avatar of They

        Not that odd as it happens.

        Wasn't too long ago they (NHS) used to prescribe smoking for those that had shortness of breathe like bronchitis or asthma. The oddity was that smoking meant you worked the inhalation of your lungs more and in a stronger exercise that normal breathing, which actually improved your breathing (Or so I am reliably informed)

        1. Robert Carnegie Silver badge

          Not too long ago?

          NHS started in 1948. Smoking found to cause cancer, 1950 (if not counting questionable research in the actual "Third Reich"). Not a lot of time for advice to smoke to be given.

          1. Pookietoo

            Re: Not a lot of time

            Medics can be very conservative - many who started working for the NHS at its founding had been in practice for decades before then, and probably continued to offer the same treatments for decades after.

    2. chivo243 Silver badge

      I just returned from a visit to the states, and you are so right! I couldn't believe the disclaimers at the end of every drug commercial. May cause rectal bleeding was the funniest one!

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Na, funniest is "may cause erectile dysfunction" - usually at the end of an advert for viagra or similar.

      2. Captain DaFt

        My "favorite" was the migraine medication whose main side effect was "May cause migraines".

        Uh, No Thanks!

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Drug advice ?

    My arse, product placement.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Her arse, product placement

      FTFY

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Go

        Re: Her arse, product placement

        LMFTFY

        Her copious arse, product placement.

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siCnBQb7NeM

    2. P. Lee

      Check if money changed hands from company to Kim.

      If so, its advertising and slap her with a big fat fine.

  7. Crisp

    Drugs for morning sickness...

    If I were Kim I'd be very wary about endorsing something like that.

    Then again, she's probably never even heard of Thalidomide.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Drugs for morning sickness...

      If I were Kim I'd be very wary about endorsing something like that

      remember Sam Fox and the slimming tea?

      1. cat_mara

        Re: Drugs for morning sickness...

        "Remember Sam Fox and the slimming tea?"

        I'm afraid not, but do you mean to say that El Reg passed up a chance to namedrop both Kim Kardashian AND Sam Fox in the same article?!

        I am disappoint. "IT tabloid" indeed...

        1. gazthejourno (Written by Reg staff)

          Re: Re: Drugs for morning sickness...

          Not all of us are in the retirement home just yet, y'know. I had to Google Sam Fox (and thank feck there's no IT nazis at Reg Towers when I hit image search!)

          1. Vic

            Re: Drugs for morning sickness...

            I had to Google Sam Fox

            There is no hope...

            Vic.

            1. P. Lee
              Coat

              Re: Drugs for morning sickness...

              > I had to Google Sam Fox

              Perhaps he was hungry for love and hungry for fun.

              1. Vic

                Re: Drugs for morning sickness...

                > I had to Google Sam Fox

                Perhaps he was hungry for love and hungry for fun.

                And is tone-deaf...

                Vic.

          2. x 7

            Re: Drugs for morning sickness...

            Sam Fox?

            You do know that she is a follower of Sappho? Although she has sung with Hawkwind, so thats something in her favour

    2. Charles Manning

      Thalidomide???

      Yup you should stop drinking sugary drinks like Thalidomide when you're preggers. It goes straight to your hips.

    3. drexciya

      Re: Drugs for morning sickness...

      That's the first thing that come up for me as well. Interestingly, the non-teratogenic isomer of thalidomide seems to have some uses nowadays.

      As to the whole Kim thing; I read something about a TV host who couldn't stomach having to "report" about those creatures anymore and walked off-stage. Now if everyone would do that, the world would become a better place.

      1. This post has been deleted by its author

        1. x 7

          Re: Drugs for morning sickness...

          "So, it might be OK to use to treat leprosy etc. with thalidomide, but you wanna be damn sure you're not pregnant when you're taking it."

          and indeed that is becoming an issue in south america now

      2. Sean Nevin
        Paris Hilton

        Re: Drugs for morning sickness...

        I remember that! It was Mika Brzezinski on MSNBC who refused to report on Paris Hilton.

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3T34hzHJG2c

        Paris, because, well...

      3. R Callan

        Re: Drugs for morning sickness...

        Agreed, but leprosy is not a very common disease and it is nearly impossible to catch. Even then, non-teretogenic thalidomide is not recomended for use by women of child bearing age.

        1. Jos V

          Re: Drugs for morning sickness...

          R Callan, I think you should do a quick search for "leprosy armadillo".

          Be careful when you try to shoot'em dead too.

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Drugs for morning sickness...

      She'll probably decide to call her next daughter Thalidomide. "Wot a pre'y name, sahnds just like a Greek I'land, dunnit".

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Root-te-toot, Apples and Pairs....

        @Flatpackhamster; Are you implying that Kim Kardashian comes from Sarf Lahndaahn, or is she just perfecting the accent for her upcoming guest role in EastEnders? ;-)

        That aside, yeah, I can imagine her saying something as stupid as that. >:-(

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Root-te-toot, Apples and Pairs....

          Not knowing anything about her, I assumed she was related to the Southend Kardashians, noted for their enormous family, their tarmaccing skills and their tendency to relieve churches of the unwanted lead from their roofs.

    5. Turtle

      @Crisp Re: Drugs for morning sickness...

      Whether she's heard of thalidomide or not, she'd be glad to hawk it if someone paid her to.

  8. DrXym

    Start handing out fines

    Kardashian is clearly shilling for some firm who paid her a lot of money to tweet this guff. The FDA should be slapping her with a hefty fine instead of a stern warning. Make it clear to all celebs that the rules concerning the advertising of drugs, diet pills and snakeoil apply equally to their tweets as it does for other forms of paid promotion.

    1. Rich 11

      Re: Start handing out fines

      That would put Gwynneth Paltrow out of business.

      Good.

    2. Pascal Monett Silver badge

      I believe that all "celebrities" that dole out pseudo-medical advice should be arrested and tried for reckless endangerment.

    3. Turtle

      @DrXym Re: Start handing out fines

      "The FDA should be slapping her with a hefty fine instead of a stern warning. "

      She could go to court to have the fine quashed, especially as she has a defense that would guarantee her victory: she could plead ignorance.

      1. x 7

        Re: @DrXym Start handing out fines

        "The FDA should be slapping her"

        with an arse like that she'd never feel it

  9. Steve Evans

    "can cause drowsiness and should not be taken before any activity requiring mental alertness"

    So no side effects that would be detectable in a reality TV star then...

    1. Francis Boyle Silver badge

      Or indeed anyone who 'follows' her.

  10. A K Stiles
    Facepalm

    Could they do the same thing?

    For all the 'celebrity' 'medical' 'advice' about immunisation and homeopathy too?

  11. x 7

    "the drug can cause drowsiness and should not be taken before any activity requiring mental alertness"

    Her husbands probably happy then - he doesn't have to listen to her for a while

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      "the drug can cause drowsiness and should not be taken before any activity requiring mental alertness"

      Ah, that explains a lot :)

  12. Steven Roper

    They shouldn't correct her

    She's doing the human race a favour.

    If anyone is stupid enough to follow her advice and consequently kills themselves AND their future offspring, then Darwin's principles are operating perfectly in helping to ensure the continuing improvement of the human gene pool.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Fortunately, we don't allow advertising of prescription-only medicine (POM) to general public in UK. But just as in US the marketing authorization holder is responsible for what is said in promotion of any of their medicines. In this case it seems the MAH is a repeat offender. Their regulatory affairs people need a bollocking if they weren't trying to enforce the rules, if the marketing dept was ignoring regulatory affairs then they need a double bollocking, and if senior management is a fault then they need their pension plans and share options redistributed to the poor. To encourage the others....

    1. Pookietoo

      Re: "we don't allow advertising of prescription-only medicine"

      You should qualify that with "to the public". Drug companies spend plenty bringing their products to the attention of medical professionals.

  14. PassiveSmoking

    Seeing as how the last really famous morning sickness pill was Thalidomide, I think I'd definitely want somebody more qualified than a celebrity endorsing it.

  15. Lamont Cranston

    And I thought that talking meercats giving financial advice was the daftest marketing technique.

    The human race never ceases to amaze.

    1. Teiwaz

      Re: And I thought that talking meercats giving financial advice was the daftest marketing technique.

      Meerkats have triple her I.Q.

      ...and are a tenth as shrill and irritating.

  16. nijam Silver badge

    I realise it makes me an awful person, but I couldn't help thinking that perhaps someone could persuade her to tweet about how cyanide cures morning sickness. (And it's probably cheaper and "more natural" than some naff proprietary drug.)

    1. This post has been deleted by its author

  17. Schlimnitz

    'Buttocks' Kardashian

    Nice one, though it would be ambiguous, as I believe there are several Kardashians (each with several buttocks).

    I am simultaneously repulsed and fascinated by the fact that people can be famous just for being famous, and nothing else.

    And though it's fun to scorn them, who's raking in the millions for not doing anything much? I figure they have the last laugh.

    1. Doctor_Wibble

      Re: 'Buttocks' Kardashian

      "each with several buttocks"

      Related to the four-assed monkey of legend then?

    2. Bluto Nash

      Re: 'Buttocks' Kardashian

      ...and now for something completely different

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqosS6DBwhA

  18. Graham Marsden
    Facepalm

    "Stop taking ANY advice...

    "...from people on Twitter without checking it with reputable sources!"

    FTFY

  19. d3vy

    "should not be taken before any activity requiring mental alertness"

    Can't imagine that will be an issue for her, or any of her "followers"

  20. Efros

    FDA Warning Letter

    Not their first time according to the letter. Seems they did something similar a couple of years ago, fines should now be imposed, on the Kardashian bint too. The stuff that gets advertised in the US as having some kind of pharmaceutical property is just mind boggling, the purveyors seem to make their cash from the mindless masses and get out of Dodge before the behemoth that is the FDA wakes up.

  21. 2Nick3

    Most shocking!

    "Kardashian, a high school graduate..."

    That's easily the most shocking statement in the whole article!

    1. graeme leggett Silver badge

      Re: Most shocking!

      Graduated with what though?

      1. Efros

        Re: Most shocking!

        Presumably a High School Diploma, but to be honest from what I've seen it probably could be replaced with an attendance certificate.

  22. sisk

    Why would anyone take advice of any kind from a woman whose judgement is so sorely lacking that she's bringing the spawn of Kanye West into the world?

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