60 Minutes Report of Hoodia
On Sunday, November 21, CBS News’ top-rated news magazine 60 Minutes aired a piece on hoodia, the extremely popular succulent plant from Namibia in south Africa that is being recognized for its ability to suppress hunger.
Hoodia was previously in the news a couple of years ago when reports were released, prematurely, that the pharmaceutical company Pfizer was then doing research on introducing a new diet drug made from the plant. 60 Minutes interviewed a representative from Phyto Pharm, a British based research organization that holds a patent on the use of a hoodia extract for losing weight. Pfizer has since halted its plans to market this.
However, the publicity on hoodia increased its market interest and many companies have introduced products that claim to be made with “hoodia”. The 60 Minutes segment covered issues of bio-piracy and royalty payments to the local Kalahari Bushmen who have used hoodia gordonii, known to the locals as xhoba, for centuries. Hoodia is derived from Hoodia Gordonii of the dogbane family (Apocynaceae), a plant that grows mostly in south Africa.
Information on the 60 Minutes broadcast is available at :
Click Here for the 60 Minutes Story
(Reporting about Hoodia)
"Imagine this: an organic pill that kills the appetite and attacks obesity. It has no known side-effects,
and contains a molecule that fools your brain into believing you are full..." Read more
Reporting about Hoodia
"A new diet pill made from an African cactus is getting a lot of attention because those who've tried it
say it takes away your hunger..."
