Weight-Loss Firms Wary About Diet Pills

Commercial diet centers that had hoped diet pills would provide a quick fix for their sagging sales are reconsidering their positions on dis pensing the medications after a combination of two diet drugs was linked to a rare heart ailment.

Jenny Craig said Thursday that it is recommending that doctors at its centers stop prescribing the drug combination. Nutri-System said it is reviewing its position.

The reactions were prompted by reports that a combination of the drugs fenfluramine and phentermine, known as fen-phen, may damage heart valves.