Important information for teleshopping broadcasters

08 June 2005

Want to lose weight without dieting or exercise?  Just wear this electric belt while watching tv.  Want to get rid of your wrinkles?  Wrap your face up in elasticised bands.

Those are just some examples of recent claims in teleshopping infomercials.  BCAP has been monitoring teleshopping channels to ensure compliance with the TV Advertising Standards Code.  As a result, some broadcasters have agreed to change misleading claims and the ASA has recently upheld BCAP challenges against nine teleshopping channels for making misleading claims. 

 

An infomercial for a Velform Sauna Belt was shown on IDMT. (On screen, the channel is labelled as “MyShopOnTV.com).  It claimed that using the belt would result in permanent weight reduction to targeted areas of the body, dissolve fat and sweat out toxins.  The TV Advertising Standards Code states that broadcasters must obtain qualified, independent medical advice on slimming, medical or nutritional claims.  The broadcaster did not do so and was able to show that wearing the belt resulted in only temporary measurement reduction, not weight reduction, and in only a small sample of subjects.   The ASA judged that the claims were misleading and should not be repeated.

 

A Winsor Pilates infomercial for an exercise tape and a Gazelle Elite infomercial for an exercise machine on Best Direct both featured obese people who had lost weight through using the products.  The ASA upheld BCAP’s challenge because the TV Advertising Standards Code states that testimonials by people who were or who seem to be obese must not be used (because obesity can be a serious condition, which requires medical supervision).  Also, the period over which the weight loss had been achieved was either too rapid or was not stated.  (It isn’t safe to lose weight too fast.)

 

Ideal Vitality promoted the Time Reverse Face Support kit and claimed that it resulted in permanent wrinkle reduction from applying a moisturiser and several elasticised support bandages.  Although the broadcaster had some support for the claims, the ASA decided the evidence was not robust enough or independent to constitute adequate substantiation and so required the claims to be removed.

 

Simply Shopping showed an infomercial for Slendertone Flex, an electrical muscle stimulation product.  The infomercial implied that using the product for just a few minutes a day would result in “6 pack” abdominal muscles and girth reduction.  Electrical muscle stimulation products are effective only at strengthening, toning and firming muscles, not increasing or building them as claimed in the infomercial.  The evidence the broadcaster submitted was flawed because the measurements were carried out with a tape measure and that is not recognised as an accurate method: results depend on how tightly the tape is pulled and subjects might consciously or unconsciously “pull in” their stomach.  The ASA upheld the challenge and required the claims to be removed.
 
All the infomercials were misleading and in breach of the TV Advertising Standards Code .  Broadcasters should obtain satisfactory independent evidence for claims before broadcasting them.  CAP has a Help Note, which, although it was written for non-broadcast advertising, has helpful information on the types of tests that constitute acceptable evidence.  You can find it among the Help Notes in the AdviceOnline section of the CAP website or by clicking here.