Guest guest Posted November 20, 2002 Report Share Posted November 20, 2002 In a message dated 20/11/02 13:30:08 GMT Standard Time, healthy.pages writes: > Daily News from Healthypages > 20 November 2002 > _______________________________ > > Warning over misleading health ads > > Consumers are being urged to be aware of misleading advertisements that > claim “miracle cures†for health, beauty and slimming products. > > The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has launched a campaign to increase public > awareness of ads that are likely to deceive vulnerable people by making > false promises, concealing important facts or creating a false impression > in any other way. > > The OFT says that typically misleading advertisements include those for > instant weight loss without reducing calorie intake, “miracle cures†for > serious illnesses and common conditions such as baldness, as well as > products that offer “overnight transformationsâ€. > > In the UK last year, the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) processed > almost 1,200 complaints concerning health, beauty and slimming products. > > Furthermore, a co-ordinated search of the Internet by the OFT and law > enforcement agencies worldwide at the beginning of the year identified more > than 1,000 websites with potentially misleading advertising in the health > sector. > > The market for slimming products alone is estimated to be worth around £5.2 > billion a year, and will rise to around £6.6 billion by 2006, according to > market researchers Key Note. > > As well as urging the public to be aware of such advertisements, the OFT is > also asking consumers to consult their pharmacist or doctor before buying > health products and to complain to their local trading standards office or > the ASA if they believe any advertisements are misleading. > > Launching the campaign, Penny Boys, deputy director-general of the OFT, > said, “Advertising is a vital means of communicating with consumers and for > making markets work well. Our campaign targets misleading advertising. The > best way to prevent misleading advertisements is to help consumers not to > fall for them.†> > © HMG Worldwide 2002 > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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