11.01.07
On October 9th, The National Advertising Division (NAD) of the Council of Better Business Bureaus sent a notice to Irwin Naturals, Los Angeles, which markets the Green Tea Fat Burner dietary supplement, recommending that it modify or discontinue certain claims for the products. As part of its routine monitoring program, NAD requested substantiation for performance claims that appeared on product packaging, the advertiser’s website and vendor websites selling the product. Claims at issue included:
• Green Tea Fat Burner
• The liquid softgel Green Tea Fat Burner is a powerful blend of natural herbal boosters and nutrients that, when used with a healthy diet plan, has a dual action effect on weight loss which helps you: Curb your appetite and Kick-start and speed up your fat burning ability (thermogenesis)
• Burn Fat & Speed Metabolism
• Contains Green Tea Extract, which “accelerates calorie burning through increased thermogenesis, particularly with fat calories.”
At the outset of the NAD inquiry, the advertiser said it had modified many of its claims for present formulations and packaging and would request that all of its online vendors update their sites to reflect the modifications. NAD examined the evidence, which included several studies on the effect of consumption of green tea on weight loss and weight maintenance. Following its review of the evidence, NAD determined consumers could take away the message that Green Tea Fat Burner would “burn fat” from the body of those using the product, a message not fully supported by the evidence in the record. The company in its advertiser’s statement said that although it disagrees with certain findings, it would modify packaging and advertising of the product to respond constructively and effectively to the recommendations contained in the NAD decision.
• Green Tea Fat Burner
• The liquid softgel Green Tea Fat Burner is a powerful blend of natural herbal boosters and nutrients that, when used with a healthy diet plan, has a dual action effect on weight loss which helps you: Curb your appetite and Kick-start and speed up your fat burning ability (thermogenesis)
• Burn Fat & Speed Metabolism
• Contains Green Tea Extract, which “accelerates calorie burning through increased thermogenesis, particularly with fat calories.”
At the outset of the NAD inquiry, the advertiser said it had modified many of its claims for present formulations and packaging and would request that all of its online vendors update their sites to reflect the modifications. NAD examined the evidence, which included several studies on the effect of consumption of green tea on weight loss and weight maintenance. Following its review of the evidence, NAD determined consumers could take away the message that Green Tea Fat Burner would “burn fat” from the body of those using the product, a message not fully supported by the evidence in the record. The company in its advertiser’s statement said that although it disagrees with certain findings, it would modify packaging and advertising of the product to respond constructively and effectively to the recommendations contained in the NAD decision.