This isn't OK is it? Forever Living on FB.

[IHeartKingThistle]

I have a couple of FB friends deeply into Forever Living at the moment. I'd hide them but there's some weird fascination in watching it play out.

Anyway one of them has linked something today where a FL person is telling a story about a relative of theirs with cancer who wasn't tolerating chemo and is now doing much better after drinking Aloe Vera gel. It's not making any claims that it treats cancer (it says he now could be strong enough to restart treatment) and it's only anecdotal but it just doesn't sit right with me. I have no experience of the products at all btw.

AIBU to feel a bit uncomfortable about that?

[Reignbeau]

I think as long as it's clear it is only helping with the side effects of chemo and it's not claimed it is helping cure the cancer itself it's OK.

[IHeartKingThistle]

Having read my OP back I do sound a bit U!

Maybe it's the way it's written, listing all the many many benefits. Maybe it's the fact that she's using a cancer patient to sell stuff. Maybe I'm over thinking it!

[SpongeBobJudgeyPants]

At the very least, it's bad taste, manipulative, and targetting vulnerable people.

[FarFromAnyRoad]

I don't think you're overthinking it - clearly that image and text has been used to stir the interest of anyone who may suffer from cancer or know someone who does and therefore it's at the very least scummy and manipulative.
I'd have to call them out on it - and have done similar to my Facebook FL nutter (who, incidentally, lasted all of 6 weeks!).
I look forward to the day when people stop falling for this pyramid/MLM shit and therefore stop posting their stupid baseless quotes all over the shop!

[Wheretheresawill1]

I hate how they pounce on people who have little money. It seems there are a couple of poster girls who everyone aspires to- they get the holidays and cheques. I thought it was interesting my lot always gushed about their rewards but never told you what they were. Well one day I found out... 1 set for bright yellow suitcases emblazoned with fl.. Others got pens and cheap wine and motivational plaques or lipgloss!! If you have several who have been sucked into this way of life you find they all speak about sitting in their garden doing 0.75hr of weekly work... Can stay at home with poorly children; take longer maternity (um no that's your public sector maternity benefits). I want more from my job than a free lipgloss that you probably don't even get to pick the colour of. Several I know are embellishing the truth about a lot of things

[SophieHatters]

Not tolerating chemo is more than not really enjoying it. I doubt aloe vera gel is going to change someone's tolerance to chemotherapy.

The whole thing is a scam. they've no shame.

[CakeLady1]

They do target people who are desperate for answers/quick fixes/cures. A very good friend of mine has been sucked into this in a big way & quite frankly, they are using him and he is allowing himself to be used as he wants big money fast and believes their tripe FL spout about how my friend can get it
Friend lives in a mortgage-free house in a nice town & had received two large sums of redundancy money within 18 months; an elderly but able relative lives with this person and does all domestic necessities: friend has very few responsibilities.
Friend spent a good amount of money on fast car, always has nice designer clothes... friend has been a showcase of "look what FL can get you". It wasn't FL - it was redundancy money. Friend has at least now stopped claiming how aloe Vera cured their IBS and helped them lose weight. sure the personal trainer has nothing to do with this, or having someone else have the time to cook all your meals for you either
They are taught to sell the business more than they sell the product, as you make your money by getting an army of minions to sell for you; the higher up the pyramid scheme you are, the bigger the slice of their profits you take.
Friend went to a FL conference where doctors were spouting all sorts of false claims - friend was excitedly telling me about this doctor knew all about my illness and how aloe Vera can help it. Sure, it may help, but the "facts" the doctor 'knew' about it were hideously wrong.
Yet swarms of people keep swallowing this BS - I don't get it?!

[CrystalHaze]

These brainwashed FL idiots claim it's effective in treating every known medical condition anywhere in the world. It takes a very special kind of stupid to fall for this MLM bollocks, and I doubt many of the half-wits foisting their over-priced snake oil on their long-suffering friends and family have any of the critical-thinking capacity needed to see through the hogwash the fat cats at the top of the pyramid pass down to them.

[CycleChic]

Op, pot has a similar reputation for helping with cancer. actually, you can probably say "so does marijuana " as a reply to any and all FL claims

[chickenfuckingpox]

im not a rep i do use there products on my sons the ones i use work yes they cost money but yes they work and if the girl with cancer is getting stronger and able to tolerate chemo surely its a good thing for her? and if it works for her might it work for others too? and if those statements are true they should advertise it because it might help others

[Chunkymonkey79]

Yanbu. FL drives me round the twist!

[UnspecialSnowflake]

From Wikipedia-

Oral ingestion of Aloe vera may also cause diarrhea, which in turn can lead to electrolyte imbalance, kidney dysfunction, dry mouth, headache, and nausea, while topical application may induce contact dermatitis, erythema, or phototoxicity.

Reading that it seems like it's the last thing a person undergoing chemo should be consuming.

However according to wiki aloe is useful for diluting sheep semen for artificial insemination. Perhaps the FL bots should be flogging it to sheep farmers.

[LapsedTwentysomething]

YANBU. It is unethical to target vulnerable people as a market for a product they don't need and won't help them.

[LapsedTwentysomething]

I would be pointing that out to them btw.

[SophieHatters]

im not a rep i do use there products on my sons the ones i use work yes they cost money but yes they work and if the girl with cancer is getting stronger and able to tolerate chemo surely its a good thing for her? and if it works for her might it work for others too? and if those statements are true they should advertise it because it might help others

OMG I think you have really fallen for it. It's bollocks. It's absolute, complete, total bollocks.

PLEASE don't think for one moment that it does anything remotely akin to making someone with cancer 'stronger' or helping them to 'tolerate chemo'.

It's probably about as useful as a pot noodle.

[SophieHatters]

BTW I am sure aloe has its uses, but the impact it would have in this situation is almost certainly too minute to be measured, let alone advertised.

[bigbuttons]

@ pot noodle

[Skiptonlass]

Yanbu. Highly unethical, highly manipulative. Really disgusting to do this.

Aloe is great for your skin, but it's not good to consume internally.

[UnspecialSnowflake]

Sophie I suspect that a Pot Noodle may be slightly more beneficial than drinking Aloe. They do contain a bit of nutrition, are meant for human consumption, and if you're in the right frame of mind kind of tasty. You can't say any of that for aloe.

[Motherinlawsdung]

As the mother of a cancer survivor who underwent two years of horrible chemo this kind of ignorant ill-informed bollocks really upsets me and makes me furious. How dare they peddle this unsubstantiated rubbish in order to make themselves some money. They should be sued for false representation and hung out to dry.

[Thereyouarepeter]

op there is a long thread in money matters that has some good info on the Sham that is FL.

[CantBrainToday]

I have aloe vera gel. It was £4 in Tesco. Its great for my sunburn but if I drank it I would likely throw up... why is fl aloe gel superior??