Originally published September 7 2005
Is it wrong for Pat Robertson to earn a profit on his weight loss shake?
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Televangelist Pat Robertson is being accused by some of abusing his non-profit status because while he once talked about his own weight loss shake on his nonprofit Christian Broadcasting Network and offered to send the recipe to any viewer who requested it, he has now licensed the shake for national distribution by GNC.
After four years of touting the benefits of his weight-loss shake via his nonprofit Christian Broadcasting Network and sending the recipe to any viewer who asked for it, Robertson has licensed the shake for national distribution by General Nutrition Corp., a Pittsburgh-based health-food chain.
Robertson says he is exercising his right to engage in a business venture, but an evangelical watchdog group says he is abusing his nonprofit status.
Moreover, a Texas bodybuilder who thought he was going to be Robertson's Jared is quite publicly angry that he's not.
Phil Busch had dreamed of inspiring millions of Robertson's viewers to lose weight drinking the evangelist's shake, just as Jared Fogle did for Subway sandwiches.
Busch says he lost 198 pounds in 15 months drinking Robertson's concoction, leading to an on-camera interview with the Virginia Beach-based broadcaster on the daily TV show "The 700 Club" last month.
But Busch's hopes have been dashed by the crosscurrents of commerce.
The man commercially hawking Robertson's shake is Pittsburgh bodybuilder Dave Hawk, who's affiliated with GNC.
Robertson, now 75, has said he devised the recipe himself after he turned 60 and began studying the connections among nutrition, aging and health.
By following Robertson's diet in conjunction with an exercise program, Busch says, he lost 198 pounds and turned himself into a mass of muscle without using steroids or other drugs.
Last year, he placed eighth in an International Natural Bodybuilding Association competition.
Robertson showed the pictures to viewers early in the Weight Loss Challenge and included them in a commercial that ran for several weeks promoting the program.
Shortly before the end of the Weight Loss Challenge, Busch said, his wife noticed a GNC store display promoting a new product.
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