Story of Harvard student discovering weight-loss mineral isn’t from USA TODAY | Fact check

Gabrielle Settles, USA TODAY
·3 min read

The claim: USA TODAY reported on ‘secret mineral’ that helps with weight loss

A Nov. 7 article on a web page with the USA TODAY logo reports that a Harvard Medical School student discovered a “life-changing” secret mineral for fast weight loss.

“Have you ever thought why the celebrities (sic) could lose weight so quickly and easily?" the article reads. "It’s called the K3 Spark Mineral."

The article includes supposed before-and-after weight loss pictures of a woman named Emily Senstrom and celebrities who purportedly used the product, including Melissa McCarthy and Kelly Clarkson.

It was shared on Facebook more than 200 times in one day, according to the social media analytics tool CrowdTangle.

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Our rating: False

USA TODAY did not report or publish this story. There are no credible news reports of a Harvard student who discovered a mineral that aids in weight loss.

Woman pictured in article says images are stolen, story is hoax

USA TODAY did not report or publish the article despite the logo.

“The article circulating on Facebook using the USA TODAY logo and branding is fake,” a USA TODAY spokesperson said.

There are likewise no credible news reports of a Harvard student discovering any miracle substance called K3 Spark Mineral.

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The woman the article claims is Senstrom is actually Kiah Twisselman Burchett, a former cattle rancher from California who became a motivational speaker, life coach and podcaster, according to her official website. But she has nothing to do with anything called K3 Spark Mineral.

"They've been stealing my images and creating this false story for over two years now and it's incredibly frustrating and disheartening, especially as someone with a personal brand in which I promote body acceptance and help women escape harmful diet culture like what's being wrongfully promoted," Burchett told USA TODAY in an email.

Burchett, who lost over 100 pounds in less than a year, has been profiled by numerous news outlets, including People Magazine, Good Morning America, VICE and Women's Health. None of those stories mention a mineral called K3 Spark.

The website that shared the article could not be reached for comment.

Lead Stories also debunked the claim.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: False claim USA TODAY published weight loss mineral story | Fact check