Since 1999, USANA and its distributors have used the Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements written by Lyle Macwilliam as proof that their supplements are the best in the industry. Every edition of the book granted USANA supplements #1 in the industry. I also found that many USANA distributors purchased the book to use as a sales tool when trying to persuade someone to join USANA. For several years this had seemed very odd to me so I did some research. Every time I looked into it, I found more and more ties between USANA and the Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements. Their relationship is truly symbiotic. The following are my findings.There are 4 editions to the Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements. The First edition came out in 1999, Second edition in 2001, Third edition in 2003 and Fourth edition in 2007. USANA has been chosen #1 in every edition since the first edition. In fact, the first edition of the book chose USANA as the baseline to compare all other brands to.
One of the individuals listed on the book is Gregg Gies who was responsible for research, editing and layout for the Comparative Guides editions 1 through 4, was a USANA distributor #285320. I questioned Nutrisearch (Lyle Macwilliam's corporation for his books) about this and they informed me that before Gregg joined NutriSearch he purchased USANA product and at the time the only way to get the product was to sign up as a distributor (no preferred customer option). I was also told that he let the distributor lapse between ten and twelve years ago. Yet, the first edition came out in 1999, twelve years ago. It should be noted that this distributor ID achieved a leadership level of Sharer, which does not seem consistent with someone who only wanted product.
I think there is a conflict of interest here because Lyle Macwilliam basically hired a USANA distributor to perform the research for a book that ranks USANA #1 while trying to portray itself as an independent source of information regarding the nutrition industry. Gregg was also Co-Owner of NutriSearch at one point in time. Currently, he is only considered as a consultant. Although, when contacting NutriSearch, their replies to me also carbon copied Gregg at a NutriSearch email account. I'm not aware of companies giving their consultants email accounts.
Knowing that Gregg Gies was a USANA distributor around the time Lyle hired him to do research for the Comparative Guide, what do you think about the following statement made by NutriSearch?
"The research, development, and findings are the sole creative effort of the author and NutriSearch Corporation, neither of whom is associated with any manufacturer or product represented in this guide."
Another name listed on the Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements is Ian Black. He is responsible for the book's cover design. He is a professional graphics artist. He is also a Silver Director USANA distributor #90155 as is his wife, who is a 1-star diamond director #43050. How is it that Lyle Macwilliam wrote a book claiming to be an independent guide to the nutrition industry that chooses USANA #1 in all four editions ends up hiring a USANA distributor to do the book's cover design?
I asked NutriSearch if anyone there is a USANA distributor. They responded by telling me no one at NutriSearch is a USANA Associate. When bringing to their attention that Gregg Gies and Ian Black are USANA associates, NutriSearch responded stating that Gregg is a consultant and Ian is not and never was "employed" at NutriSearch.
Then there is Dr. Ray Strand. He is listed as one of the "Independent Nutritional Experts" used for the Comparative Guide's "Blended Standard". Ray Strand has been on USANA's medical advisory board since the 1990s, which isn't that big of a problem since the medical advisory board members are not paid a salary by USANA, but only stipends. However, Ray Strand and his wife were USANA distributors making hundreds of thousands of dollars off their downline. Their distributorship was called "AMARA Enterprises, Inc." This is a huge conflict of interest, especially when USANA mysteriously manages to rank #1 in every edition. During USANA's third quarter of 2011, Ray Strand has since left USANA to join a different MLM company, ARIIX. Their USANA distributorship appears to also have ended.
I questioned NutriSearch about Ray Strand's distributorship with USANA and NutriSearch's "independent nutritional expert" claim. NutriSearch stated that Ray Strand's recommended daily nutritional supplementation along with the eleven other authors used as references for the Blended Standard is published work in the public domain. So what? The problem I have is the usage of the term "Independent". To me, the term implies the twelve individuals used for the Blended Standard do not have a financial ownership with any of the companies listed in the book or financial motives on the outcome of the data represented in the book. Clearly, the fact Ray Strand was a USANA distributor even before the first edition of the book came out and the fact he contributed directly to the results presented in the Comparative Guide (USANA being #1 out of over a thousand choices) means Ray Strand is not an independent authority.
Yet, NutriSearch finished by stating that these independent nutritional experts are associated with different nutritional product lines and does not bias the scoring of any of the products listed in the Comparative Guide. I strongly disagree...
I should also point out that another one of the independent authorities used for Lyle's Blended Standard is Michael Colgan. He was also a USANA distributor in the 1990s. His distributor ID was #89201 and was listed under the account name "Colgan Institute". It is unclear when he left the USANA distributorship and it may be close to the time the first edition of the Comparative Guide was written.
Another interesting piece of evidence is that the 1st edition of the Comparative Guide To Nutritional Supplements (1999) appears to have been written for USANA distributors to use as a sales/recruiting tool. The following was written on Lyle's website macwilliam.net back in 2001:
Why is the USANA graph flat, with everything at 100%?I believe Lyle Macwilliam's response to the FAQ on his old website suggests he is answering a USANA distributor's question. The "your clients" refers to the USANA distributor's prospective customer/recruit. Seems quite obvious to me the motive behind the book - to sell it to the hundreds of thousands of USANA distributors.
The reason the USANA graph appears as a series of yellow bars, all set at 100%, is because this represents the comparison standard. In other words, it represents USANA compared to itself. Why did we do this? The purpose was to establish a benchmark where all products would be compared to the USANA standard - this allows your clients to clearly see how the vitamin formulation they use stacks up to the USANA formulation.
From an archived copy of USANA's unitogether.com website which sells many books related to USANA including the 2nd edition of the Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements (2001), the following is the description for the book:
Fully revised and updated - Lyle MacWilliam's Comparative Guide puts the USANA Essentials against over 250 of the most common nutritional supplements on the market today. Through his incredible research, Mr. MacWilliam shows both how and why the USANA Essentials are second to none. This best seller was updated for the USANA 2001 9th Annual International Convention and it's better than ever.So the book was updated for USANA's convention which I believe was so it could be sold to all of the participating distributors at the event. So of course the book will rate USANA #1.
Dr. Christiane Northrup, M.D. - USANA Distributor ID# 2040175
Dr. Gerald Lewis, M.D. FRCP, FRACP - USANA Distributor ID# 203463
Dr. Laz Bannock, Ph.D. - USANA Distributor ID# 2290764
Dr. Denis Waitley, Ph.D. - USANA Distributor ID# 70541
Dr. Christine Wood, M.D. - USANA Distributor ID# 348
So out of the thousand plus supplements presented in the book, Lyle and his team were not capable of producing anyone else to praise his book other than USANA distributors? I find this very deceiving and dishonest. USANA associates would only need to tell the person they are trying to recruit to look at the back of the book and claim that five doctors trust the book and so should you, so join my downline today (before you find out the truth).
Then there is the fact that Lyle Macwilliam was on USANA's Medical Advisory Board from 2003 to 2006, the time the fourth edition to the comparative guide was being produced. I was quite vocal about this on the Yahoo USNA stock message board (where I began sharing my research since 2006). Finally after criticizing that fact for several months, Lyle Macwilliam left USANA's medical advisory board and USANA made the following statement on their Ask Andy website (which is no longer made available for some unknown reason):
So Lyle finally figured out that after 3 years of being on USANA's medical advisory board, that it created an impression of bias for the Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements... Really!?"Lyle shares his expertise as a consultant with a number of nutritional manufacturers and, for this reason, was asked to join USANA's Medical Advisory Board after the release of the third edition of the Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements in 2003. He served on the Medical Advisory Board until 2006. Lyle decided to leave the position, in part, because he felt that that it might have created an impression of bias for his work. Lyle is neither an employee of USANA Health Sciences nor an Independent USANA Associate."
Do I need to mention that USANA received their NSF stamp only a few weeks before the fourth edition of the comparative guide came out awarding USANA the top rank again, only achievable by having a third party certification, i.e. NSF. Seems that while Lyle was on USANA's medical advisory board, information about what USANA had to do to keep #1 status was also coordinated. It was even admitted by Lyle that after the third edition, other companies adjusted their formulations and leapfrogged USANA. So how was it that USANA was able to then reformulate their product to be #1 again?
Lyle wrote the following after publishing the 4th edition: "In fact, for at least the last three years of the third edition’s run, it had been false to say USANA was ranked #1 in our research. Even though our guide still showed this product as the best in the field, other products had already eclipsed it, simply by adjusting their formulations to improve their score on our rating criteria, possibly with little or no regard for the scientific evidence supporting their changes. They simply wanted to be #1."
Lyle Macwilliam claimed the following regarding USANA and the Physicians Desk Reference:
"USANA nutritional products are listed in the Physician’s Desk Reference, one of a select few nutritional supplement manuacturers to merit such high recognition of product quality." - FAQWhat Lyle does not understand is that the PDR does not endorse nor offer any type of credibility for the products listed in their book. In fact, all the products listed are paid advertisements. USANA had to pay a fee to have their products listed and USANA got to chose which book to listed it in (PDR for drugs or the PDR for Herbs & Supplements). USANA chose the book for drugs. Then USANA claims their supplements are better than the rest of the vitamins because they are listed in the PDR for Drugs. Because of Lyle Macwilliam's lack of understanding regarding the PDR, he decided to repeat the same nonsense USANA did. So much for any real research. But of course the research for the Comparative Guide was done by a USANA distributor (Gregg Gies).
In Conclusion: I believe Lyle Macwilliam chose USANA to be #1 in his book from the very beginning back in 1999. Lyle hired a USANA distributor "Gregg Gies" to do research for his book. For the past 12 years, USANA has remained #1 in every edition of the Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements. Yet, USANA spends less than 1% of their net revenue on Research & Development (incredible if you ask me). Why research when the author of the Comparative Guide is on your medical advisory board. From the research I have done, I believe there is a symbiotic relationship between USANA and NutriSearch where one is dependent on the other. USANA's main source of praise for their product is the Comparative Guide. I have no doubt the main source of Lyle Macwilliam's sales comes from USANA distributors themselves. If one looks back at the way Lyle sold his Comparative Guide, he did so priced as bulk purchases.
According to Macwilliam.net 9 years ago regarding their 2nd edition:
1-9 books $15.95 per copy
10+ books $14.95 per copy
25+ books $13.95 per copy
50+ books $12.95 per copy
And where can you get a copy of the book? Lyle suggests buying from him directly or from USANA's website "Unitogether.com" which was a site used to sell sales tools and other books to USANA distributors. This book was intended to be sold to USANA distributors as a sales aid. Any time a USANA distributor recruits somebody into their downline, you can be almost certain that the Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements was used to claim USANA was #1 in the industry. Lyle also appears at just about every USANA event as a key speaker. I would like to know what other vitamin manufacturers Lyle is a key speaker for.
I'm glad you're back, it's been interesting reading your blog. USANA was using that exact same guide book you talked about at the presentation I went to. It's interesting how USANA claims the guide was written by an independent third party yet they admit publicly that many of the clinical trials that produced positive results for them were done by USANA or USANA hired "experts". I wonder what game they're playing at.
ReplyDeleteI can predict some USANA fans/associates saying that the content of the book is legit, "Lyle Macwilliam is a third-party researcher, blah blah blah [state curriculum vitae here] blah blah blah [state whatever his achievements are here]", that "USANA supplements are better blah blah blah [insert apple or whatever test here] and made them feel better", "You're just negative blah blah blah won't make you rich and healthy blah blah just attacking USANA", "USANA is number 1 with their products certified with this, approved by that and used by these famous and topnotch athletes" and so on and so forth.
ReplyDeleteThey're just being too optimistic in my opinion. Probably I can do the same by thinking rainbows, candies and unicorns all day.
Merry Christmas for those who believe in it, and for those who don't, Happy Holidays.
Great investigation keep up the good work to keep the MLM playing field even.
ReplyDeleteRod Cook
http://www.mlmwatchdog.com
Even though there is conflict of interest and obvious bias in the book, I still looked for the non-USANA top vitamins in it. The "cheapest" (35$ for 180 tablets) one was Source Naturals' Life Force Multiple.
ReplyDeleteBeen taking it ever since :)
At least:
1- It's good.
2- Affordable. One bottle will last you 180 days if taken once a day, 90 days if taken twice a day or 45 if taken two tablets twice a day (preferably).
3- Available at Amazon and other online retailers. That means no SOUL-SELLING, CHECKING ACCOUNT-VAPORIZING MLM!
The author also wrote a book for the best vitamins for children. USANA came in... (drums) SECOND PLACE! The best one is called Mega Kid, again available online, away from soul-stealing network marketing, made by the same company who does the vitamins that I personally take and mentioned above (Source Naturals). I'm gonna buy it for my niece, nephew and friends' children. It costs "only" 20$ for 120 chewable tablets (once a day).
I hope it helps.
To watchdog,
ReplyDeleteI wrote a few comments in your last post, I was the one requesting more info on the studies of over intoxication. (which I think you forgot to share the link to, :) )
If the Comparative Guide is solely produced to sell to Usana distributors than that is disgusting. The poor new distributors who don't know any better. Buying a book, to use to sell vitamins to other people, and Lyle getting the kick backs on the sales.
Although the comparative guide seems flawed, how does one explain the apple test? I have done many of these test personally many times (unfortunately when I was trying to sell the vitamins as a distributor and getting no where)and Usana's vitamins did keep the apple alive the longest. The only other vitamin that performed just as well were True Star vitamins are from Canada. No disputing this.
Being concerned for my health and my family's well being, I want to take the best vitamins. Not best from being ranked in Comparative Guide, but best in regards to producing tangible health benefits. The apple test is pretty compelling, so if not Usana, then who?
What I have also found disappointing about Usana is the notion that none of the athletes and or celebrities endorsing Usana, are not paid to speak on behalf of the company. However they do receive other incentives including free vitamins, and probably a lot of other free stuff (trips, prizes etc.). So when Usana claims that nobody is paid to endorse the company, it is not accurate and this information is being used to persuade potential prospects.
Your insight that Usana spends less the 1% of the net revenue on Research and Development is equally disturbing. If anyone has ever attended a live event, or went to convention, all they do is brag about their research and development etc.
Every once in a while, I will get re-energized to start working the business again thinking that this time will be different. Well my business center has been active now over three years. I just looked at my volume report, and see my right leg producing a whopping 27 points this week. 27 POINTS!
This after 3 years of being active. This means that everyone below me,(people I enrolled, or people my upline enrolled underneath me for the past 3 years) hasn't been able to generate any new sales or have anyone in their businesses (associates or preferred customers) with autoshipments this week. But Usana still takes out their $100+ autoshipment from my account each and every month. Nice huh.
To put this into perspective, one needs at least 500 points in a week on both right and left side, to earn $100 check. My feeling of being re-energized to work the business ended in about 5.8 seconds. Why would anyone want to subject themselves to this kind of punishment, mentally and financially?
As watchdog and many others have said, the only way to make money in MLM is to constantly recruit new associates repeatedly over a long period of time. The people making all the money, are very good sales people, who are sell a dream that only the people at the top can live.
To logic, in the previous post, you made a comment about an online business for approximately $25. What is all that about?
Last time I checked, humans aren't apples. You could use food preservatives which inhibit the oxidation of food to keep apples looking fresher for a longer period of time but you probably don't want to put that stuff in your body.
ReplyDeleteAs for an online business for $25, there are people who make money with websites. Hosting can cost as low as $5 a month for 1 site or $10 for unlimited sites. A domain will typically cost about $8 a year or so.
Of course, that's just to set things up. You'll have to put in the work in order to make money but in terms of expenses, that's all you need to get started. It'll be a business that you can actually build and sell for a profit. OR you can just set up a blogger blog like this site all for free but it's smarter to own your own sites.
At logic, yup I think you are correct. Apples aren't humans. Good for you. The apple test wasnt testing preservatives. The apple test was testing one vitamin compared to another. Given the similarity in cell structure on a microlevel, I think it is fair to compare apples to apples (no pun intended) on how the vitamins would and do perform in our cells.
ReplyDeleteYou obviously are dead set against the business which is fine, but until there is another vitamin out there that performs as well as Usana's in the apple test, I think it is also fair to conclude that Usana's vitamins do perform the best. The apple test is probably the only true unbiased test we have to test the purity and potency of supplements.
It is also interesting to note that even though the Comparative Guide may have some favoritism to it, I have performed many apple tests myself. In all my tests, I used many different vitamins ranging from 0 star rated vitamins to 5 star rated vitamins including Usana. In EVERY single test, the apples receiving nutrients from 0 - 1 star rated vitamins decayed the fastest, followed by the 2-3 star rated vitamins, followed by the 4 - 5 star rated vitamins. After 25 days the apple being supplied by Usana's was still alive and vibrant.
So while someone maybe profiting from the book sales, the apple tests results confirm the information in the book from a quality perspective. There is no disputing that.
If you are so concerned with helping people, then you shouldn't try to persuade them away from supplements that do perform the best. The supplements aren't cheap, but arent the most expensive either, and people who care about their health and want to take the best supplements will pay for them.
@Anonymous^
ReplyDeleteAs with every company, there are good products and bad products. USANA is no exception and I don't doubt that SOME products within their line are actually good. The problem is the way USANA sells those products. They don't sell their products via retail or wholesale. In fact selling their products to the general public is secondary to their company. What they are really selling is the (false) opportunity to make money. If USANA really wants to help people with their vitamins, they should allow retailers to carry their products instead of having distributors buy them at outrageous prices every four weeks then sell them at ridiculous prices.
@Anonymous (apple tester) - Is this apple test something that scientist/nutritionist perform as well or just something Usana came up with? By the way, according to an Ariix rep, Ariix vitamins did better than Usana in the apple test.
ReplyDeleteHave you tried it on any other types of fruit? How about living things like a gold fish?
Also, can you provide me with studies that show that people who take Usana vitamins are 10 times healthier than people who take something like Centrum, since it costs 10 times more?
Why is it that not all scientists/nutritionists agree that vitamins are indeed completely necessary? You won't find anyone saying not to drink water but just curious as to why not every doctor recommends vitamins?
Not trying to be a smart ass here, just want to know.
And if YOU and Usana really want to help people, how about selling these things at a lower, more affordable cost?
@Logic from apple tester above
ReplyDeleteI am not a distributor anymore as I couldn't make the business work and ended up losing a lot of money. So I don't recommend the business to anyone and can appreciate the watchdogs forum to alert potential distributors of the hardships they will face. But I do take the products everyday. I don't like paying the prices so I am with you on making the products more affordable too.
I also don't really like the autoshipment program. Seems like it takes almost 2 weeks to receive the product, then in another 2 weeks, they deduct money from your account again before you have even finished your bottles. Now I just make orders when I need to. If they sold the products in stores, that would also eliminate the shipping costs which are annoying. I also believe their are hidden fees built into the shipping costs which I don't like.
I have been looking at finding alternative supplements that are high quality and the only other one I have found yet is True Star from Canada. They appear pretty good and also scored high in the Comparative Guide. But believe it or not, their vitamins actually cost more than Usana's, so I havent switched yet.
I also have done a lot of research on medical industry. What I have learned is that doctors are primarily only taught on how to diagnose diseases and on perscribing medicines for those diseases. Obviously, surgeons receive other training as well. These doctors really do not receive any education on supplements and their effects on the body. I have also spoken to many doctors about this, some were Usana reps, and others were not, and they all confirmed this. I am not making any claims here, just sharing what I have learned through research and testimonies.
I have not seen any physical studies yet comparing people on centrum for a long period of time and people on Usana. There are so many other variables to take into account though (diet, exercise etc) that a study like this would be challenging to conduct.
I can only tell you personally that before Usana, I had health issues. I was taking Mens Health and they didnt do anything. I started taking Usana's essentials, fish oil, proflavanol 90, and CoQ10, as well as increased my dietary fiber intake, and excercised more. In few months, I went back to the doctors and saw drastic improvements. My doctor had no explanation but told me to keep doing what I was doing. I don't attribute my health benefits soley to Usana, but do know Usana had to play a part.
I am curious about doing the apple test on a gold fish. In all seriousness that could be feasible test. That would be interesting. I have not tried it on any other fruit, but you peaked my curiousity so I might just have to try for my own knowledge.
There is another test I used to do to test the quality of fish oil. I would pour water in a styrofoam cup. Then cut open a fish oil capsule from Usana and pour it inside the cup. Then in a few minutes, the water started pouring out of the cup as the fish oil corroded the styrofoam. Not every fish oil was able to do this and when I researched, pure fish oil is one of the only substances that can corrode stryofoam. So I take Usana's fish oil too. :)
If Ariix's vitamins prove to be better than Usana's and cost less then I would have no hesitation to switch. I have really no loyalty to Usana anymore but just havent found a good alternative yet. If I am not mistaken, I think the watchdog had a previous blog post stating their was a toxic ingredient in Ariix's supplements so I am already on guard to their products. I am also very cautious given the rapid development of the company in such a short period of time. No way could they have the quality controls in place. If I learned anything from my time in Usana, I did learn a lot about how supplements were made and what to watch out for.
@Apple Tester - If you ever do the goldfish test, please share your results.
ReplyDeleteIn any case, the Comparative Guide really doesn't sound like the go to book when it comes to judging vitamins for the reasons stated in Watchdog's article above.
I haven't seen the comparative guide and I'm not sure how big their ranking list is but if Usana is #1, couldn't you go with say, #10 or 20 if the price is a lot less but still scored highly? I just don't believe the price is justified. If you take one that is half the cost of Usana, studies should show that Usana is twice as effective but I highly doubt that's the case.
As for doctors vs nutritionists, not all nutritionists agree that vitamins are completely necessary let alone taking the supposed best one in the world.
Anyway, since you're not a fan of the business side, no point in debating.
Apple Tester wrote "There is another test I used to do to test the quality of fish oil. I would pour water in a styrofoam cup. Then cut open a fish oil capsule from Usana and pour it inside the cup. Then in a few minutes, the water started pouring out of the cup as the fish oil corroded the styrofoam. Not every fish oil was able to do this and when I researched, pure fish oil is one of the only substances that can corrode stryofoam. So I take Usana's fish oil too. :)"
ReplyDeleteAcetone dissolves Styrofoam as well, but I don't think we would recommend drinking that would we?
Calamondin/Calamansi, a popular lemon substitute in the Philippines, can also corrode styrofoam (and probably the lemon itself can). Fishy, that the Fish Oil gives off a lemony burp/aftertaste.
ReplyDeleteI take USANA products, but I also take Nature's Way Alive!, a 2 or 3-star product in the Comparative Guide. Maybe it's just Placebo effect, but I feel better when taking Alive! than the Essentials.
Maybe I can just use green tea, pure and potent vitamin A, C or E, or olive oil for the Apple Test. It's about the antioxidants' effect anyway, not the vitamins'.
I agree with Logic; there's no point in arguing anyway. What we're just against here is the business model USANA Health Sciences use, and giving false hopes like the comparative guide to other people just to obtain money.
Since the USANA Essentials is 60% Vitamin C, calcium and magnesium (which are cheap ingredients), the Vit C alone would likely be acidic enough to preserve the apple's color. If you are looking for the best multi-nutrient and premium fish oil supplements, you will not find them listed in the Supplement Guide because it does not factor in the use of the really potent high priced ingredients found in the very best supplements. If you want to get the very best nutraceuticals at a truly affordable cost then please check out www.UltimateHealthBoost.com
ReplyDeleteJust for kicks, go check out ariix.com and click on shop now. Look at how expensive their products are. Holy crap! And we thought Usana's was overpriced.
ReplyDeleteThose Ariix prices are totally off the hook (in a VERY bad way).
ReplyDeleteJust heard that Usana partnered up with Dr. Oz. So apparently Usana's strategy is to buy a high profile doctor to endorse their product, and market the heck out of the doctor's endorsement. Dr. Ray Strand, who was formerly with Usana forever, leaves for Ariix, no problem lets buy another doctor to endorse us.
ReplyDeleteI have read some info on Dr. Oz and he already has some negative things on his resume so I am not exactly sure landing Dr. Oz to be Usana's top doctor was such a good thing.
Word to Usana, if you want to sell more of your product, forget buying another doctor, how about you just make your overly priced product less expensive.
Usana reps and preferred customers must love seeing endorsements like this, after all, they are paying for it.
And I thought they use less of their revenues to their endorser or middle men and more into their research?
ReplyDeleteLies, lies, lies.
Hey USANA watchdog you should do a desire on the bullshit claim they are now endorsed by Doctor Oz, somehow they spun Wentz appearing to speak at a health conference that Oz is hosting into Oz promoting their products, I've even seen some high level people posting pictures of Oz on Facebook with quotes about USANA that don't even exist! In fact, google Dr.Oz and USANA and you will hit a video from a couple years ago that right in the beginning Oz states firmy that of any vitamin supplier says he endorses them that it's a lie!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your continued research.
ReplyDeleteMy interest in USANA came about particularly because one of my high school acquaintances is a so-called "Director." She constantly posts on facebook on how much she absolutely loves USANA and working for them. She posts photos from their "conferences" that is set up on a stage (I presume to give motivational speechs). What's really disturbing is that their Power-Point slides includes before/after photos (and yes, there is one of her).
Money aside, I am terrified of the damage USANA can do to people psychologically. Her absolute fervor and zealous attitude towards the company is similar to the fervor people often express of God. This scares the s**t of out me because this is not just a company selling products, but specifically supplements. As a Director, she uses their products along with whatever exercise diet they recommend. Her entire life is now consumed by USANA and praising it. Furthermore, she openly claims she's making 5K a week.
I have to say, I am 23 yrs old, and she is my peer. She's been working with USANA for 4 years, which means she joined when she was 19 or 20 years old. It's just pretty f****d up that this company is targeting young and perhaps naive individuals, brainwashing them, transforming them to the point where their existence is only USANA. (Some may think I am exaggerating, but one look at this girl's profile, and you will see how completely consumed she is by USANA, its messages, its products.)
This company almost feels like a cult! Whether or not they are legally legitimate, they are clearly implementing strategies to complete transform people psychologically until they are no longer themselves! Please continue with your research & press on!
To the person who posted above. I think we all can agree that the Usana business model is not for everyone, but some of your accusations are just down right ridiculous. I take the products, nobody is forcing me to take the products, I feel good when I take them, so naturally I want to share my positive feelings with those around me. We are human beings that thrive off of emotion. When we are happy we tell people, when we are sad, we tell people. I have heard a lot of silly things, but the notion of Usana being a cult, just made me laugh.
ReplyDeleteSounds like your friend is making a lot of money, feeling the benefits of the prodducts, and has been working the business for quite some time. It is just natural for someone like this to want to continue taking the products, promoting her business, enjoying her work, and her telling the whole world. The more people she tells, the more leads she gets and the more customers/recruits she gets. People seeing all her energized and happy will want to feel the same way.
Usana doesn't target just young people, they target everyone as they need as many associates as possible to keep their company alive. The more associates they acquire, the more 100 point autoshipments they receive each month. It is not the customers that keep Usana in business, it is the associates that Usana nickels and dimes to death.
Maybe your friend's sponsor is targeting young people because they know younger people have more time and energy to work the business while they don't have a lot of bills or family to take care of.
Lastly, the acquisition of Dr. Oz make me sick. Usana just bought another high profile doctor to endorse their business and now all of a sudden Dr. Oz will start preaching on how wonderful the products are. In similiar fashion to Dr. Strand, I am sure Dr. Oz also received some kind of special business center to capitalize on preferred customers and new enrollments. It probably won't be long before Usana announces some kind of special Dr. Oz product pak or business enrollment pack.
Products are good, just very expensive. Business bad unless you are one of the fortunate few who somehow someway are able to strike it rich.
I found this great blog while doing some research concerning USANA. My story:
ReplyDeleteI started a new job a couple of months ago (I'm a dentist) and my colleague and officemate started to talk to me about 'antioxidants', supplementation, showing me articles written by Dr. Strand, giving me CD's and videos (the banana one), and lastly the Comparative Guide. In my naivity, I thought he was just having a scientific discussion with me. I had never heard of USANA. Every day he bombarded me with his propaganda (that's exactly what it sounded like). He gave me a box os supplements to try after I had told him I was not interested in supplementation as I am a very healthy person with a very healthy diet. When I finally realized that he was involved in a pyramid scheme to sell vitamins I was just disgusted. Things finally came to a head when he not only tried to push USANA on me but tried to get me to read about the Atkins diet! He also tried to convince me that running (I'm a marathon runner) and exercise was bad for me. This coming from an overweight person who eats Slim Jims as snacks. Seriously, I felt like I was being heavily recruited for some kind of cult. As I'm no shrinking wallflower and not one to be easily swayed, I escaped the USANA trap. But there are those in our office who have bought into it and can ill afford to pay for those supplements. Also, there is one person who buys them for his diabetic mother who's kidneys have started to fail and he swears these supplements have kept her from having to have dialysis! Does this sound dangerous to you???? This is what really disgust me and makes me angry about the people that sell these supplements! Thank you for attempting to educate people and expose the fraud!
I take Usana's supplements and have seen dramatic improvements in my health. In my opinion, they are just the best supplements out there on the market. They certainly aren't cheap and I am not a distributor.
ReplyDeletePrior to Usana, I did a lot of research on nutrition and it was through this research that I learned about free radicals and oxidative stress. I also learned about the things that can accelerate oxidative damage which to my surprise did include exercise. It is fairly simple to understand. The same oxygen that turns an apple brown, is the same oxygen that we breath. This rusting is also occuring inside our bodies each and every single day. Over a great period of time, this oxidative damage reveals itself, simply look at pictures of people in a 10 year period of time and the changes in ones appearence is significant. Even worse is the damage that we can not see internally, and the areas within our bodies that experience the greatest amounts of oxidative damage, is the areas where chronic diseases form. So when we exercise, yes excercise is fantastic for the body, just know that we breath faster, consume more air, and place a lot of stress on the body. During intense exercise, the body can produce well over 10,000 free radicals - charged particles formed through cell division, that can destroy dna, cell composition, etc if not neutralized by antioxidants. So to combat the vast number of free radicals, one must have a large quantity of antioxidants which our body produces, and that we obtain from diets and supplements.
I learned all about this even before I knew of Usana, so the above is unbiased and nothing to do with Usana. So what your friend was telling you about the potential hazards of exercising is accurate. I am not sure if he articulated it like this though. If we are not consuming at least 8 - 10 servings of fruits/vegetables every day, there is going to be a shortage of antioxidants in our bodies. The majority of American diets do not consist of the required 8 - 10 servings of fruits/vegetables and this is why supplements have exploded onto the market. Lets face it, we live hectic lifestyles, don't always have time to cook healthy meals, and supplements have become a convenient way to get vitamins and minerals.
Now the way he approached you about the business, and how he was very sneaky and insincere about his true intentions, is a whole different story. I have always found it interesting when a person who is fat, or doesn't look healthy, or eats garbage, tries to sell you on good health. It is like a fat personal trainer. How could anyone take this person seriously. Your friend just sounds like a terrible sales person looking to make a quick buck with no real intention to help you.
I just pity you USANA WATCH DOG.. you're saying that those famous doctors are a distributor of USANA. Yes they are..then you should think about it, "Why do this Well known DOCTORS trust USANA?"
ReplyDeleteDo you know what "Peddling" is? It is a violation of the medical code of ethics.
DeleteThe guide is sold on Amazon and it's rated 4.5 of 5 stars. I bet you will claim all readers are also "paid" by USANA to give such high ratings. I think you are simply pathetic wasting time criticizing all MLM including USANA where I devoted myself into and earned my health and wealth. From my previous 10 years of experience of working as employee, the REAL pyramid scheme is in every corporate and huge company, where people on top always earn the most no matter how bad decision they made or how stupid strategy they take. And the one get laid off first are always employees at the bottom. So you can stop this brain-wash blog making us back to work again.
ReplyDeleteThe following is written in the Comparative Guides:
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This guide was not commissioned by any public sector or private sector interest, or by any company whose products may be represented herein. The research, development, and findings are the sole creative effort of the author and NutriSearch Corporation, neither of whom is asasociated with any manufacturer or product represented in this guide.
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The author of the book is not being honest. Gregg Gies, the man in charge of "RESEARCH, EDITING and LAYOUT" of every edition of the Comparative Guide was a USANA distributor himself: Distributor ID# 285320. Because of this affiliation, everything about the Comparative Guide has no credibility. This guide was commissioned by a company (USANA) whose products are represented herein (ranked #1 in every edition).
You claim I'm brainwashing people back to work again with this blog (in some sort of corporate pyramid scheme). Really? As an employee, you are entitled to make at least minimum wage. That's more than what 99.99% of USANA distributors have made. In huge companies, different positions are required to operate the company. Different levels of management, engineers, sales, customer service, manufacturing, accounting, etc.. are all necessary to operate the company. Each requires a different level of skill set and knowledge. Experience is also a factor. So when these things all add up, of course there will be different pay wages. Should someone in packaging make as much as the engineer designing the product? If you believe that is somehow a pyramid scheme, then you need to go back to school.
However, as a USANA distributor, you have one single function - to sell product. There are two ways to accomplish this. One - legitimately retail the product to customers outside the business and/or sign them up as a preferred customer. Two - sell an opportunity of becoming rich and sign up hundreds of distributors who are all forced to purchase the product if they want to be considered active and keep their points, which is an illegitimate way of selling product to customers. In fact, I don't call that selling product to customers at all. I call it a participation fee to be eligible to collect payment in an elaborate pyramid scheme, where the majority of commissions paid out comes from this required participation purchase. The FTC has deemed that an illegal pyramid scheme.