Guidelines for Advertising A Hoodia Diet Supplement
In the United States, the hoodia supplement is sold as a dietary supplement and not as an actual drug or a substance possessing drug-like qualities. Therefore it is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA regulates and approves all prescription drugs before distribution to the public. Supplements, however, are not classified as drugs and therefore the hoodia supplement is not regulated by the FDA.
Even though the hoodia supplement is not regulated, the content of their advertising is! Regardless of the product being offered, the claims and statements of the product benefits are regulated by the Federal Trade Commission or FTC. Internet marketing is also subject to this advertising regulation. The FDA and the FTC work together to ensure that the hoodia supplement ads live up to the advertised claims.
The "Truth-In-Advertising" Law of the FTC has two broad mandates: 1) advertising must be truthful rather than misleading, and 2) advertisers must possess substantial documentation for their product claims before releasing their advertisements. Although the entire FTC advertising regulations cannot be summarized here, some very general examples of hoodia supplement advertising are given below.
Two general examples involve express and implied claims in advertisements. Assume an ad for a hoodia supplement claims that "university studies have proven" that their hoodia supplement causes weight loss. The advertiser has made the express claim that they have university studies to support this claim. Furthermore, the advertiser has made the implied claim that the hoodia supplement was subject to rigorous scientific study. The advertiser must be able to produce university studies that prove their claims, and be able to provide the scientific methods used to study the hoodia supplement.
If an advertiser claims that 85% of registered dietitians take their hoodia supplement, the advertiser must provide data to support the express claim is that the majority of registered dietitians use their hoodia supplement. The implied claim is that the hoodia supplement has beneficial dietary benefits, because registered dietitians use it regularly. The advertiser must be able to support both claims.
Although the hoodia supplement is not itself regulated, its advertising is. All claims must be supported by valid proof and research.
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