A researcher has highlighted a variety claims made by weight loss supplement sellers and how ‘egregious’ some of them can be
A researcher has put the spotlight on a variety of claims made online(Image: Getty Images)
Megan Thomas, a researcher for consumer advocacy group Which?, has raised concerns about the claims made regarding the effects of weight loss supplements, stating they should ‘not be trusted’. In a recent episode of the brand’s podcast, she shared her findings from researching food supplements and the weight loss claims prevalent in this sector.
Approximately 1.5 million people in the UK utilise weight loss injections, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal. An Ipsos survey for the Press Association, involving 2,161 adults, revealed that 26% would only use weight-loss jabs if prescribed by their doctor, while another 16% would consider them if procured from a pharmacy, either online or in person.
The same survey discovered that 9% would purchase them via social media platforms, where numerous advertising claims for weight loss jabs and supplements are readily available. However, Ms Thomas characterised the claims made by weight loss supplements on online marketplaces and pharmacy retailers as ‘a bit of a wild west’.
Supplement sellers may make a wide variety of claims(Image: Getty Images)
She added: “There are very specific, approved weight loss claims that a product could make based on very specific ingredients because it’s a health claim. You can’t just say things willy-nilly. But, when we’re looking at these products, we’re hearing things like, you know, it’s a fat burner, it’s an appetite suppressant, and then you look at the ingredients list and you are not really seeing any justification for that, and that is definitely more, more so on the online marketplaces because it’s so hard to control.”
She emphasised that numerous major retailers may push the boundaries of “what’s allowed a bit”, for instance, they might claim something contributes to normal metabolism, which is then being ‘stretched out’ to suggest it can aid weight loss. While Ms Thomas pointed out that there’s a broad spectrum of ‘egregious’ claims being made, she dedicated portions of the podcast to highlighting some of the worst examples she’d encountered.
‘Egregious’ claims being made by some sellers
Ms Thomas added: “Some of the most egregious are just like completely absurd and I think at least will be helpful, easy to spot, by consumers. So things like ‘burns fat in five seconds’ was one that I saw, you know, ‘within a week you’ll have lost centimetres off your waistline’ and things like that.”
Some other claims she’s seen that aren’t backed up by any evidence include names such as ‘fat burner’, ‘appetite suppressant’, and ‘appetite control’. She also noted that claims are being made about many ingredients in supplements that also aren’t backed up by any evidence.
One in particular Ms Thomas highlights is green tea, which she states is seen in ‘loads of these supplements’. She notes, in particular, claims that green tea is being promoted as a fat burner, which isn’t wholly accurate.
Sophie Medelin, a consultant dietician, also highlighted a number of issues that she has with weight loss supplements and weight loss injections. She said: “People, other companies are now looking at those and thinking, oh, we need a supplement alternative to this that’s cheaper.
“And so the market’s now flooded with ones that are supplements that are pretending to be mimicking GLP ones. The most important thing to remember is there’s no registered health claims for any weight loss supplements.
Weight loss jabs have seen an increase in uptake recently(Image: Getty Images)
“So anything that’s making a claim about that we need to be really sceptical of.” In this case, GLP refers to GLP-1 medicines that are mainly used to treat blood sugar levels in people with Type 2 diabetes.
Ms Medellin added: “GLP ones are weight loss medications, the injectable medications that people will have seen everywhere. Now, we’re talking about things like Ozempic (which is not licensed for weight loss in the UK) and Mounjaro (which is licensed for weight loss in the UK) and those types of products, which are really effective for weight loss, but are a very different thing and work very differently.”
She continued: “So there are no registered health claims for anything regarding weight loss. That means that anyone who’s saying ‘can support weight loss, can aid in weight loss’, any of the claims that you see out there, actually using those claims illegally and you can, if you can be bothered to report them to the ASA for that – The Advertising Standards Authority.”
Making complaints to ASA over claims made online
The Advertising Standards Agency can receive complaints for any adverts seen on its own website. You can make a complaint regardless of whether you’re a member of the public, work for a competitor, or are associated with a group with an ‘obvious’ interest.
You can fill in the site’s online complaints form, which should automatically be sent to them when it’s finished. If you believe an ad you’ve seen online is a scam, you will need to use the separate form also featured on the website.
Further details on reporting adverts can be found here. The full Which? podcast can be heard in full through its own website here.
