A leading surgeon has told how a young Hong Kong woman suffered acute liver failure and had to undergo a transplant after taking slimming pills.
Professor Lo Chung-mau warned consumers they risked their lives by believing in 'miracle' effects of slimming products as many lacked sound clinical trials to prove their safety.
Slimming pills have been at the centre of regional controversy after a spate of deaths in Japan linked to the treatments and liver failure.
Professor Lo said: 'Although we do not know what exactly caused [the Hong Kong patient's] liver failure, clinically we believe that it is related to the pills she took. The woman once showed us a big plastic bag of her slimming products.'
He said the woman had not taken other high-risk drugs and she had no viral infections that could have caused liver failure.
'Makers of those health products advertise how good they are, but never mention any side effects and risk. People who take those products do not know what they are taking,' Professor Lo said.