Earlier this month, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a significant blow to Sensa Products, a California weight-loss company that produces Sensa, a powder dieters use to sprinkle on food and curb their appetite. Because federal regulators stated that Sensa Products used inaccurate science and misleading marketing tactics to entice consumers, the FTC ordered the company to return $26.5 million back to consumers who bought the product.
The core problem with Sensa, according to the FTC, was that science used in marketing claims simply didn’t add up. According to Sensa, the powder worked by targeting the area of the brain responsible for appetite control. The basic premise was that users would feel full faster, and eat less. A TV commercial for Sensa also made claims that 1,400 users lost an average of 30.5 pounds during a six-month study. Officials from the FTC have said the study was based on faulty science.
Deceptive & Misleading Marketing of Dietary Supplements
In a time during which dietary supplements and weight loss products have become overwhelmingly popular, Americans are constantly looking for the latest and greatest diet or diet product. Their susceptibility to marketing – especially vague, scientific evidence, is often high. Unfortunately, large corporations such as Sensa Products acknowledge this fact and take to deceptive tactics in order to lure consumers to their products.
As the FTC has proven, however, such misleading marketing is unacceptable. A statement released by Sensa stated that the company would be making changes to comply with FTC advertising rules, yet did not admit to wrongful conduct. Federal regulators also accused two other weight-loss companies of deceptive advertising. L’Occitane Inc., the manufacturer of a skin cream purported to help consumers lose fat, was ordered to pay $450,000. HCG Diet Direct, which marketed a human hormone to help users lose weight, had its judgment suspected due to an inability to pay.