Particularly hard hit is Nu Skin, a marketer of personal-care and nutrition products that gets 70 percent of its revenue from Japanese operations.

She said Nu Skin had attracted many doctors to its sales ranks because of the way managed care was eroding doctors' incomes and autonomy.

Nu Skin released data showing that the bottom 70 percent of its distributors cleared an average of just $311 in commissions in 1994.

Ms. Tillotson, 48, helped a couple of friends start Nu Skin in 1984, with just $5,000 in start-up capital.

His first film were industrial films made for such organizations as Nu Skin.

Nu Skin was founded in 1984 in Provo, Utah.

In 1992, Nu Skin reached settlements with 5 states which had accused the company of deceptive advertising and overstating the income earned by distributors.

In 1996, Nu Skin acquired Pharmanex, a dietary-supplement company.

Since the beginning of the 1992-93 professional basketball season, Nu Skin has sponsored the Utah Jazz Dancers.

Nu Skin admitted to no wrongdoing or violation of law and paid Connecticut $85,000 for consumer-protection programs as part of a settlement.