Lifestyles International, a multi-level marketing company in the health sector, was fined $95,000 in 2001 after pleading guilty to four criminal charges under Canada's Competition Act. The charges stemmed from "failure to disclose important information" to participants during recruitment efforts between 1999 and 2000. This conviction in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice related to "unfair and unreasonable" representations of the company's compensation plan and potential income.
David DeBora founded Lifestyles International in 1989, serving as its Chairman and CEO. Company statements describe his prior work in real estate and construction. He later entered network marketing, becoming the top distributor in Canada for another firm within a year. DeBora then focused on establishing his own network marketing company.
DeBora faced significant personal legal issues as well. A Canadian court ordered him to pay substantial sums in a divorce settlement. He was directed to pay his former wife, Miriam Graham, $2.55 million for legal and forensic accounting expenses. This amount, combined with the matrimonial property award, approached $12 million. Judge Backhouse noted DeBora's "deliberately untruthful" financial disclosure during discovery and trial.
Lifestyles, originally based in Canada, began by selling high-fiber cookies. Over more than two decades, the company broadened its product offerings and entered new markets, particularly in Asia.
The company states its products undergo testing by independent ISO-certified laboratories for safety, purity, and reliability. Lifestyles products are produced in Canada under quality controls regulated by Health Canada.