OMEN
09-27-2007, 08:31 AM
An advert by celebrity hypnotist Paul McKenna promising weight loss for life was misleading, the British advertising watchdog has ruled.
The ad featured a photograph of McKenna with a claim his lecture programme was "the most effective weight loss system available" and that clients would "lose weight and keep it off".
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) found the advertisements for the £250, day-long lectures to be in breach of advertising codes.
Despite claiming that its system was the most effective, the company behind the advertisements, Paul McKenna Training, admitted it could not provide independent research comparing it with other methods, the ASA said.
Neither could it substantiate the claims that participants could lose weight for life.
The company agreed not to repeat the claims without proper evidence.
In its defence, the company said it had conducted two surveys of clients several months after attending the lectures, which found that almost three-quarters had lost weight.
But the ASA said the claims were misleading.
"We considered that most readers would understand the claim 'lose weight and keep it off' to mean that, by following the system, participants would lose weight and keep it off for the rest of their life," it said.
"We also considered that the ad implied weight loss and subsequent weight maintenance were guaranteed.
"Although we noted a high proportion of participants reported that they had lost weight using the system ... we nevertheless concluded that the substantiation was inadequate to support the implication that all participants would lose weight and keep it off for ever."
On his Web site, McKenna said the seminars would "completely re-pattern your thoughts – and ultimately programme your mind to slim your body" and that his methods were seven times more effective than others.
"By the time you complete this seminar, your relationship with food will change forever," he added.
McKenna is a household name in Britain, thanks to his television shows, his array of celebrity clients including former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell and his best-selling books such as "I can make you thin".
Reuters
The ad featured a photograph of McKenna with a claim his lecture programme was "the most effective weight loss system available" and that clients would "lose weight and keep it off".
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) found the advertisements for the £250, day-long lectures to be in breach of advertising codes.
Despite claiming that its system was the most effective, the company behind the advertisements, Paul McKenna Training, admitted it could not provide independent research comparing it with other methods, the ASA said.
Neither could it substantiate the claims that participants could lose weight for life.
The company agreed not to repeat the claims without proper evidence.
In its defence, the company said it had conducted two surveys of clients several months after attending the lectures, which found that almost three-quarters had lost weight.
But the ASA said the claims were misleading.
"We considered that most readers would understand the claim 'lose weight and keep it off' to mean that, by following the system, participants would lose weight and keep it off for the rest of their life," it said.
"We also considered that the ad implied weight loss and subsequent weight maintenance were guaranteed.
"Although we noted a high proportion of participants reported that they had lost weight using the system ... we nevertheless concluded that the substantiation was inadequate to support the implication that all participants would lose weight and keep it off for ever."
On his Web site, McKenna said the seminars would "completely re-pattern your thoughts – and ultimately programme your mind to slim your body" and that his methods were seven times more effective than others.
"By the time you complete this seminar, your relationship with food will change forever," he added.
McKenna is a household name in Britain, thanks to his television shows, his array of celebrity clients including former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell and his best-selling books such as "I can make you thin".
Reuters