The Advertising Standards Authority has ruled against a supplement company after misleading weight loss claims.
Across three social media adverts posted in June 2024, the company published claims including, ‘POV: when u have PCOS and try the ozemp*c dupe pills and finally lose weight’, alongside a photo from a Harry Potter film and the text, ‘WHAT KIND OF SORCERY IS THIS’. They also claimed that the product could specifically target ‘menopause weight gain’.
One of the adverts listed benefits – ‘Fast Relief From Cravings’, ‘Boosts Metabolism’, ‘No Side Effects’, ‘Real Results’ and ‘Backed by Science’ – before claiming, ‘APPETITE SUPPRESSION BOOST METABOLISM LOSE 15-20% OF BODY WEIGHT WEIGHT LOSS FEEL FULLER FASTER & LONGER’.
The complainant challenged whether the advertisements were making health claims about specific diseases/conditions, and whether the ads referred to an amount or rate of weight loss, which is prohibited by the CAP Code.
The ASA upheld this challenge, saying that any health claims made in advertising must be accompanied by a related authorised health claim under the GB NHC Register. It also emphasised that it is prohibited to imply that a food can prevent or cure human disease such as PCOS or menopausal symptoms.
The ads must not appear in the same form again, and no future ads can make medicinal claims for unlicensed products. The company said that they ad campaign was being used worldwide, and they had not adapted it to meet the specific requirements of the UK market, but would do so going forward.
