Los Angeles - Three unhappy customers suing TV psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw over his now-disconti... Dr. Phil target of class-a

Los Angeles - Three unhappy customers suing TV psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw over his now-discontinued Shape Up! diet plan have asked the case be given national class-action status to include thousands of potential plaintiffs.

Shape Up! shakes, bars and multivitamins made by Irving, Texas-based CSA Nutraceuticals were sold in supermarkets, Target, Wal-Mart and elsewhere. The plan called for 22 pills daily at $120 (U.S.) a month.

The lawsuit alleged McGraw made false and misleading assertions about the supplements, including claims the products would cause weight loss by promoting metabolism of fat and reducing carbohydrate cravings and appetite swings.

The Shape Up! campaign said the supplements reduced cravings for carbohydrates and helped dieters change their behaviour to take control of their weight.

McGraw jumped into the lucrative weight-loss market in mid-2003 with a campaign that included advice books, a prime-time special with Katie Couric on obesity and dieting and his Shape Up! with Dr. Phil McGraw products.

Facing a U.S. Federal Trade Commission investigation into false-advertising concerns, CSA Nutraceuticals agreed to stop making the supplements early last year.

“Well, that's nonsense. We don't think there were any real clinical trials of these products and no real testing,” plaintiffs' lawyer Henry Rossbacher said.

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