Adverts for a tea which claimed to help people lose weight and a surgical procedure intended to remove stubborn areas of fat have been singled out for criticism by the advertising watchdogs this morning.
Ten different claims about the benefits of Bootea tea being promoted by Sheffield company Eighty Twenty Ventures were investigated by the Advertising Standards Authority.
And in a separate ruling Harrogate’s MYA Cosmetic Surgery was told not to run the television ad for a process called Vaser Liposuction in its current form after a view complained it trivialised cosmetic surgery.
The latest rulings from the ASA come after complaints from the public. In the case of the Bootea tea, the company was told it must not ‘make unauthorised health claims in future’.
The television ad for the liposuction procedure included testimonials from people who had undergone the process after failing to remove the area of fat through ‘months’ of exercise.
The ASA ruled that the company should not trivialise cosmetic surgery.
“We also considered that the statement that Vaser Liposuction was a “modern” type of liposuction and which referred to the incisions being ‘tiny’ and to recovery ‘within hours’ emphasised the minimal invasiveness and faster recovery time compared with traditional liposuction, but was not balanced by information about a procedure that would carry risks.
“Because of that, we considered the overall impression of the ad trivialised cosmetic surgery by not making clear that Vaser Liposuction was a procedure that might carry some of the same risks as traditional liposuction. We concluded, therefore, that the ad was irresponsible and in breach of the Code.”
