A leading consumer researcher has issued a stark warning about the "wild west" of unsubstantiated and often "absurd" claims made by sellers of weight loss supplements online.
The 'Wild West' of Online Supplement Claims
Megan Thomas, a researcher for the consumer advocacy group Which?, has told the organisation's podcast that many claims made about diet supplements should "not be trusted". Her investigation into the sector revealed a landscape she described as poorly controlled, particularly on online marketplaces and some pharmacy retailers.
"There are very specific, approved weight loss claims that a product could make based on very specific ingredients because it's a health claim. You can't just say things willy-nilly," Thomas explained. However, she found products routinely labelled as "fat burners" or "appetite suppressants" where the ingredient list provided no justification for such bold statements.
'Egregious' and Unproven Promises
Thomas dedicated part of the podcast to highlighting some of the most outrageous examples she encountered. "Some of the most egregious are just like completely absurd," she stated, citing claims such as "burns fat in five seconds" and promises of centimetres lost from the waistline "within a week".
She also pointed out that common ingredients like green tea are frequently misrepresented. While green tea appears in "loads of these supplements", claims that it acts as a potent fat burner are not wholly accurate or proven for weight loss purposes.
The issue is set against a backdrop of rising interest in medical weight loss solutions. A study in the British Medical Journal indicates that approximately 1.5 million people in the UK now use weight loss injections. An Ipsos survey for the Press Association, involving 2,161 adults, found that 9% would consider purchasing such treatments through social media platforms, where supplement advertising is rife.
No Legal Basis for Weight Loss Claims
Consultant dietitian Sophie Medlin reinforced the warning, emphasising a critical legal point. "There's no registered health claims for any weight loss supplements," she stated. This means any product asserting it can "support" or "aid" weight loss is making an illegal claim.
Medlin also highlighted a new trend of supplements attempting to mimic popular GLP-1 injectable medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro, which are licensed for diabetes and, in some cases, weight loss. "The market's now flooded with ones that are supplements that are pretending to be mimicking GLP ones," she said, stressing that these are "a very different thing" that work differently to regulated medicines.
Both experts urged public scepticism. Medlin advised that any claim related to weight loss should be treated with caution and can be reported to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
How to Report Misleading Adverts
Members of the public who see adverts making unsubstantiated weight loss claims can submit a complaint directly via the ASA website. The process involves filling in an online complaints form, which is automatically sent to the regulator upon completion. Separate forms are available for reporting suspected scam advertisements.
The full findings from Megan Thomas's research are available in the latest episode of the Which? podcast, accessible through the organisation's official website.
