The F.D.A. has some authority to regulate dietary supplements under a 1994 law.

The FDA does regulate dietary supplements; however, it treats them like foods rather than medications.

The FDA does not regulate dietary supplements in the same way it regulates medicine.

The people who have written, for the most part, are opposed to plans by the Food and Drug Administration to regulate supplements.

Keep in mind that the FDA does not regulate dietary supplements.

In fact, the federal government barely regulates dietary supplements.

But to many people, the issue of regulating dietary supplements is no laughing matter.

The agency, charged with regulating supplements just as it regulates food and drugs, has largely ignored the supplements for the last 15 years.

It's not that the agency lacks authority to regulate dietary supplements; it lacks the will.

But regulating supplements on a case-by-case basis is not only extremely difficult, it is very time consuming and stretches the limited resources of the agency.