In this account of regulatory failure, reporter Diana Hembree uncovers compelling evidence that weight loss products available without prescription have been responsible for side effects ranging from severe headaches to permanently disabling strokes and death. Evidence has been mounting for more than two decades that phenylpropanolamine hydrochloride (PPA), an active ingredient in over-the-counter diet pills, cold remedies and other non-prescription drugs, can cause life threatening seizures and strokes. Yet products that contain PPA still bear what critics charge are inadequate warning labels, and the FDA is being accused of moving too slowly to regulate the chemical.