THIRD GOVERNMENT SPEAKER’S REBUTAL SPEECH

A very auspicious morning to the speaker of the house, wise adjudicators, respected
timekeepers, worthy but not-so-bright opposition team and not forgetting the lovely
members of the floor.

We, the government would like to strongly reaffirm our team’s stand that food
supplement need to be avoided at all cost in order to live a healthy lifestyle as they are
unnecessary! It is, however, the opposition’s task to proof beyond a reasonable doubt
that the government’s motion is flawed. But this is not the case. The opposition
ministers tend to avoid the obvious questions against supplement and do not seem to
bring forth any concrete arguments that could jeopardise the government’s motion for
today. Hiding behind the bushes and NOT TACKLING OUR ARGUMENTS will get you
guys no way! That being said, allow me as the third speaker to put in perspective what
the opposition team has failed to address in today’s debate. These include:
 the issue that supplements are just additions to food that we are currently taking and so
are unnecessary and should be avoided. Even if these supplements are needed,
they are not tailor-made to fit the requirements or needs of an individual body.
What you have in the market are merely supplements that are manufactured, I
REPEAT ""MANUFACTURED", “NOT REAL, NATURAL FOOD”! that use the
“ONE PILL FITS ALL” approach. Thus, these supplements don't
necessarily deliver on the promise of better health. In fact, they will cause an
overdose of certain minerals or vitamins that will eventually cause other side
effects that even the BEST doctors cannot detect. These side-effects will be
seen as due to other causes. A vast majority of the world population tend to think
that VITAMINS, essential MINERALS, etc in supplements , like VITAMIN A,
CALCIUM, PROTEIN and the rest MUST BE GOOD FOR OUR BODY and they
will not harm us. WRONG! Then, why are they so many emergency cases at the
KL Hospital due to the intake of normal , off the counter supplements.
 Next, the opposition also fail to address the issue of different definitions given to
“food supplements” and the different regulations to control their use by
different countries. In short, no strict enforcements. An FDA in one country
 may approve a supplement BUTTTT the same supplement is BANNED by
another FDA in another country. My dear opposition, WHAT IS THE
ASSURANCE TO US as CONSUMERS of the safety and effectiveness of these
supplements. WHO ARE YOU to say that supplements are safe and good for us
when even the FDA , the body that regulates and controls the use of all
supplements and drugs SAYS OTHERWISE?
 My next rebuttal, NONE OF THE OPPOSITION MINISTERS address the issue of over-
the-counter supplements that are sold by sales assistants who do not have any real
knowledge of the product. Take AMWAY for example. AMWAY is one of the
GIANT MANUFACTURERS of expensive supplements in the world. In
Malaysia, AMWAY products are a HOUSEHOLD NAME. HOWEVER,
AMWAY has faced many legal battles in the United States and elsewhere
due to its ridiculous claim over its supplements. AMWAY lost the legal
battles. Then, WHY SHOULD WE TRUST THESE SUPPLEMENTS. They are
there JUST TO MAKE MONEY from innocent consumers.
 Next, you the opposition ministers also fail to counter our argument regarding term
“proprietary blend”. “Proprietary Blend” is the right to “NOT MENTION”
certain secret ingredients in manufacturers’ products. In fact, do you know that
these manufacturers, more often than not, just add existing MODERN
MEDICINES in their supplements and claim that their supplements actually work!
That’s is actually CHEATING, JUST TO MAKE a quick PROFIT! Now, do you
see that SUPPLEMENTS are ACTUALLY UNNECESSARY? JUST STICK TO
YOUR NORMAL DIET by following an approved dietary plan that consists of
natural, well-balanced meals of vegetables, nuts and grains, meats, etc. Whether
you increase certain food intake or not, should be done with a doctor’s and
dietician’s consent. Thus, enjoying the fullest benefit from natural food according
to WHAT YOUR BODY NEEDS. NOT like wahat the opposition has suggested,
that is to swallow down pills, powers etc.
 Also, the opposition ministers tend to think that food supplements are “NATURAL
FOOD”. NO THEY ARE NOT. That is why they are called “SUPPLEMENTS”. The
vast majority of dietary supplements are synthetically created in a laboratory
 environment and most likely do not contain any natural, plant-based or nonsynthetic
ingredients.
 The opposition also FAILED MISERABLY to understand that there is NO
COMPROMISE or SHORT-CUTS when it comes to our health. The opposition MUST
also realise that optimal health comes from hard work and a body fueled by good food;
not expensive and worthless lotions, potions, powders and pills THAT THEY CALL
SUPPLEMENTS!
 Furthermore, many of these supplements, offer nothing but a false hope and can
discourage patients from consulting a doctor with what may be serious symptoms. My
dear Opposition Ministers, for your information, supplements are also just a waste of
your money and health. Taking supplements will not make you super-fit and healthy. In
fact, it will probably cause you more harm later on in life, JUST LIKE WHAT MY 1st and
2nd Government Ministers have said.
 The opposition ministers also fail to counter our research-based argument that taking
supplements can train your brain to tell your body to stop producing it on its own.
This is because you are getting it from another source: pills and powders.
 The 1st and 2nd Opposition Ministers have said that Vitamin supplements are
needed to prevent deficiencies. Well, …. sorry again guys. Deficiencies are
not necessarily caused by lack of certain food intake. They could be due to our
own “MISMANAGEMENT” of our body which include falling sick, accidents or
even habits of a sedentary lifestyle. Bad habits like smoking, drug-addiction
and drinking are NOW CONSIDERED BY EXPERTS TO BE THE MAIN
CULPRITS FOR CAUSING DIETARY DEFIECIENCIES! Now, try counter that
argument!. You will definitely fail my MISERABLE opponents! Even the term
“SUPPLEMENTS” is also ambiguous! Why? Because different countries have
different interpretations of the WORD “SUPPLEMENTS”! One supplement
accepted in a country may be rejected as supplements in another country.

With that, I have just ONE thing left to include: Fresh and natural sources of vitamins and
minerals are available in the form of fruits and vegetables! If you think they contain pesticides
and herbicides, like what the opposition claim, then you have the option of planting them your
own. That’s even better. You know what goes in them! Completely natural and wholesome.
However, DON’T GIVE LAME excuses like BUSY!, NO TIME!, NO SPACE to PLANT!, etc.
BY the way, hydrophonis needs little space to pant your plants at home. Anyway, you must
ensure to include a maximum variety of them in your diet. You can save your money and
stop choking down supplements that you feel might be good for you!. You might just end
up, feeling frustrated, CHEATED and drained-off YOUR BANK ACCOUNT! Most of the hype
around natural products & supplements is just that. Hype! LIKE my last speaker said :
UNSUBSTANTIATED HYPE. Use real food as real medicine instead. Thank you.
As my Prime Minister had said, The Oxford Dictionary. The world’s most trusted
dictionary translated that supplements are just additional of something we don’t need.

The first speaker of the opposition has tried to tell you

that__________________________________________________________________.

This is wrong because _______________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

He/She tried to tell you ______________________________

_________________________________________________

This statement is also wrong because __________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

Today, I will be talking to you about:

 They are not regulated

My first point is that they are not regulated. Because there’s little to no quality control,
you may get much more or less than what you bargained for,says the Tania
Dempsey,MD,an intergrative medicine speacialist in Armonk, NY. When supplement
watchdog ConsumerLab.com surveyed 41 multivitamins sold in the U.S. and
Canada,they found almost a third flunked tests needed to get ConsumerLab.com’s
approval.Some of them had more niacin, vitamin A, folate, and magnesium than the
Institute of Medicine deems safe,while others didn’t provide as much vitamin A and
niacin as they stated on the label. Spending big bucks didn’t protect consumers either:
Some cheap multis that costs less than a dime a day passed with flying colors, while
more expensive ones that cost more than 40 cents daily flunked.
 Echoing what my two ministers have said, we are absolutely convinced that
supplements are not necessary to health and should be avoided.

With that, I bid you farewell. Thank you.