FTC blasts weight-loss advertising

A report on weight-loss advertising from the US Federal Trade Commission noted that nearly 40% of the advertisements made at least one representation that is almost certainly false, and 55% made at least one representation that is very likely to be false. Many advertisements promised weight-loss results beyond what is possible, and nearly half claimed that the users could lose weight without diet and exercise. The promotional techniques included: testimonials; alleged before-and-after photos; promises of fast, guaranteed and/or permanent results; claims that the product is ‘natural’, ‘medically approved’ and/or ‘clinically proven’; and warnings about excessive weight loss. The report concludes that false and misleading claims are widespread and appear to have increased over the last decade.

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/report/weighloss.pdf