Major retailers and online marketplaces, including Amazon, eBay, Holland & Barrett, Superdrug and Temu, have been using 'misleading' claims to advertise weight-loss supplements, according to consumer watchdog Which? The organisation found evidence of 'outlandish claims' being made with little enforcement of the rules.
Under UK regulations, companies cannot make health claims about a product without supporting evidence. The Department of Health and Social Care maintains a register of approved claims. Which? identified products such as Extreme Burn supplements on eBay, which claimed raspberry fruit extract 'assists the body to burn fat at a higher rate' and green coffee bean 'decreases the absorption of carbohydrates'. Both claims were previously rejected due to lack of evidence.
Holland & Barrett and Superdrug were found to have product categories for 'fat burners' and 'appetite suppressants' that included items making no such claims. For example, Acai Berry tablets were listed under 'fat burner' despite no weight loss claims on the product page or packaging. Superdrug's 'appetite suppressant' section included a cinnamon supplement with no appetite-suppressing claims.
Which? also found products on Temu and Amazon making unfounded claims about targeting specific body areas or matching the effectiveness of weight-loss jabs. A 'keto fat burner' on Temu claimed customers would 'lose your belly fat fast while you shred your stomach', while a 'slimming capsule' claimed to 'reduce waistline' and 'slim & tone stomach'. On Amazon, 'Gone Appetit' suggested losing centimetres from the waistline within four weeks.
Additionally, an eBay listing for Phentramine 375 by Pharmaslim implied it was as effective as prescription weight-loss pills without side effects, which is prohibited. Which? reported its findings to retailers, leading to more than 50 misleading listings being removed.
Sue Davies, Which? head of consumer policy, said: 'It’s really worrying that online marketplaces and popular health retailers are promoting misleading health supplements. Not only does this make it impossible for shoppers to trust the claims they see online but it also means people could be wasting their hard-earned cash on products which just don’t live up to the claims.' A Government spokesman added that food labels must be accurate and honest, and companies breaking rules may face enforcement action.
