Is Hoodia weight loss supplements a fat lie?

The Federal Trade Commission says they can be.

The agency yesterday said it charged suppliers of “Hoodia gordonii” with deceptive advertising for claims that their product would help you lose weight, suppress your appetite and even cut the amount of calories you take in by up to 2,000 per day. The FTC says not only were the claims false, but sometimes the product didn’t even have any Hoodia gordonii — an African plant — in it.

The FTC filed its complaint against Delaware-based Nutraceuticals International, LLC, New Jersey-based Stella Labs, LLC, as well as four individuals who run the companies.