Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee famously shed more than 100 pounds before his first White House run in 2008. The story of his weight loss was part of Huckabee’s political identity during the GOP presidential primary.
At the beginning of his governorship, Huckabee had weighed in at nearly 300 pounds, was diagnosed with diabetes, and told he had just a few years left if he didn’t get healthier. After a change in his diet and more exercise, the Republican governor lost a whopping 110 pounds.
Huckabee may run for president in 2016, but for now, he’s using his famous name and identity to sell products that promise to “reverse diabetes” using herbal supplements. “What if I told you that you could reverse your diabetes with the very same techniques I used?” writes Huckabee in an advertisement newsletter associated with the conservative blog Hot Air. “I know it sounds incredible and truthfully – it is. But you can find it in a nutritional and exercise program designed specifically to reverse type 2 diabetes in the Diabetes Solution Kit from Barton Publishing. I used these same techniques to reverse my diabetes – AND shed a whopping 110 pounds of fat!”
The newsletter links to a video presentation by Huckabee touting the program, which appears to include a series of diet books along with “natural remedies.” The company, Barton Publishing, sells several kits of herbal supplements to cure everything from acid reflux to erectile dysfunction to yeast infections. Barton’s diabetes kit sells for less than $20.
“You could be on the road to reversing your diabetes using the same methods I did – in as little as 30 days from today,” writes Huckabee.
“No information in this website has been evaluated by the FDA,” reads a disclaimer at the bottom of the Huckabee email. “These informational products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult your physician before taking these products. Actual results will vary. Information on this site is provided for informational purposes only.”
