Historical Comparison

Historical Comparison. To develop a perspective on how weight-loss advertising has
changed over time, this report also compares advertisements appearing in a sample of magazines
published in 2001 with ads in the same magazines in 1992. Compared to 1992, readers in 2001
saw more diet ads, more often, and for more products. Specifically,
. The frequency of weight-loss advertisements in these magazines more than doubled,
and
. The number of separate and distinct advertisements tripled.
Moreover, the type of weight-loss products and services advertised dramatically shifted from “meal
replacements” (57%), in 1992 to dietary supplements (66%), in 2001. Meal replacement products
typically facilitate the reduction of caloric intake by replacing high-calorie foods with lower-calorie substitutes, whereas dietary supplements are commonly marketed (55%) with claims that reducing
caloric intake or increasing physical activity is unnecessary.
The considerable changes in the methods used to promote weight-loss products are the
most revealing indication of the downward spiral to deception in weight-loss advertising. The 2001
advertisements were much more likely than the 1992 ads to use dramatic consumer testimonials and
before-and-after photos, promise permanent weight loss, guarantee weight-loss success, claim that
weight loss can be achieved without diet or exercise, claim that results can be achieved quickly,
claim that the product is all natural, and make express or implied claims that the product is safe.
Finally, although both the 1992 and 2001 examples include unobjectionable representations, as well
as almost certainly false claims, the 2001 advertisements appear much more likely to make specific
performance promises that are misleading.
Conclusion. The use of false or misleading claims in weight-loss advertising is rampant.
Nearly 40% of the ads in our sample made at least one representation that almost certainly is false
and 55% of the ads made at least one representation that is very likely to be false or, at the very
least, lacks adequate substantiation. The proliferation of such ads has proceeded in the face of, and
in spite of, an unprecedented level of FTC enforcement activity, including the filing of more than 80
cases during the last decade. The need for critical evaluation seems readily apparent. Government
agencies with oversight over weight-loss advertising must continually reassess the effectiveness of
enforcement and consumer and business education strategies. Trade associations and self regulatory
groups must do a better job of educating their members about standards for truthful
advertising and enforcing those standards. The media must be encouraged to adopt meaningful
clearance standards that weed out facially deceptive or misleading weight-loss claims. The past
efforts of the FTC and the others to encourage the adoption of media screening standards have been
largely unsuccessful. Nevertheless, as this report demonstrates, the adoption and enforcement of
standards would reduce the amount of blatantly deceptive advertising disseminated to consumers
and efforts to encourage the adoption of such standards should continue. Finally, individual
consumers must become more knowledgeable about the importance of achieving and maintaining
healthy weight, more informed about how to shop for weight-loss products and services, and more
skeptical of ads promising quick-fixes.