Fasting on Chinese Nutrition

I've just put in two new ASA complaints about a valiant bastion of resistance against the evil galactic warlord Xenu, namely, the College of Naturopathic Medicine.

(Image credit)

Leading a special fasting programme is Zoë Palmer-Wright, the beaming beauty pictured above (flyer available here and here).

Apart from the rather obvious effect of "weight loss", Zoe promises us her drastic weight-loss regime will

"...deeply cleanse your body tissues of wastes and toxins leaving you rejuvenated and energised!"

Hot on the heals of that bullshit claim is a flyer for something called Chinese Nutrition (available here and here).

For all you doubters out there, the college reassures us that

"Chinese Nutrition can be used to assist a wide range of diseases and conditions, such as digestive problems, irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, diarrhoea, food allergies, weight problems, low energy, skin conditions, hormonal imbalance, and mental problems such as depression and anxiety..."

Can the College substantiate any of these far-fetched claims? Or are all they too busy working towards their OTVIII? ASA complaints follow!

Fasting Week flyer

"I write to complain about a flyer I picked up at the CamExpo exhibition in London on 24th October this year.

The flyer, for the College of Naturopathic Medicine, promotes a "Fasting Week".

I suspect that the flyer may be in breach of two sections of the British Code of Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing (CAP Code). I can provide the original flyer by post, if necessary.

1. The flyer is titled:

"Fasting Week: Detox your body! - A lighter, brighter, healthier you in one week"

2. The flyer continues:

"Join our guided juice/broth fasting programme which will deeply cleanse your body tissues of wastes and toxins leaving you rejuvenated and energised!"

3. The UK's leading authority on complementary medicine, Professor Edzard Ernst, has recently written about "detox" therapies [1]:

"Detox, as used in alternative medicine, is based on ill-conceived ideas about human physiology, metabolism, toxicology etc. There is no evidence that it does any good and some treatments...can be harmful. The only substance that is being removed from a patient is usually money."

4. Under Section 12.1, I challenge whether the advertiser can substantiate any of the following claims:

(i). Fasting can "Detox your body!"

(ii) The "guided juice/broth fasting programme" will "deeply cleanse your body tissues of wastes and toxins leaving you rejuvenated and energised!"

5. The flyer makes a number of claims for the health benefits of fasting. Under Section 12.1, I challenge whether the advertiser can substantiate their claim that fasting - for example, as practised in the flyer's "one week" programme - can produce the following benefits:

(i) "Feeling energised"
(ii) "Clearer and more radiant skin"
(iii) "Bright eyes"
(iv) "Better digestion"
(v) "Mental clarity and focus"
(vi) "Strengthened immunity"
(vii) "Help with specific health conditions", namely "skin problems, digestive disorders, allergies and fertility issues"

6. (i) One of the named "benefits of fasting" is, needless to say, "Weight loss". The advertised "fasting week" takes place in combination with a "guided juice/broth...programme".

(ii) Under Section 13.5, I challenge whether the advertiser has shown the "programme" is "nutritionally well-balanced (except for producing a deficit of energy)".

(iii) Under Section 13.7, I challenge whether the advert encourages users to take medical advice before embarking on the "programme".

7. I confirm I have no connections with the advertiser. I confirm I am not involved in legal proceedings with the advertiser.

Footnotes:

[1] Simon Singh, Edzard Ernst, "Trick or Treatment? Alternative Medicine on Trial", American edition 2008, p308"

Chinese Nutrition flyer

"I write to complain about a leaflet I picked up at the CamExpo exhibition in London on 24th October this year.

The leaflet, for the College of Naturopathic Medicine, promotes a postgraduate course in "Chinese Nutrition".

I suspect that the leaflet may be in breach of the British Code of Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing (CAP Code). I can provide the original leaflet by post, if necessary.

1. The leaflet begins:

"Why study Chinese nutrition? In Ancient China nutrition was considered the primary medicine of choice: treatments such as acupuncture were tried only if the nutritional approach proved insufficient. In contrast to the Western view of foods, the Chinese philosophy encompasses the energetics of foods to provide a truly holistic treatment for internal diseases of all kinds."

2. The leaflet continues:

"The benefits of Chinese nutrition - Chinese Nutrition can be used to assist a wide range of diseases and conditions, such as digestive problems, irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, diarrhoea, food allergies, weight problems, low energy, skin conditions, hormonal imbalance, and mental problems such as depression and anxiety..."

3. The "Course Details" introduces two new "conditions" for which "Chinese Nutrition" offers a "treatment":

"...myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), fibromyalgia..."

4. Under Section 12.1, I challenge whether the advertisers can substantiate their claim that "Chinese Nutrition" can treat any of the following conditions:

(i) "Digestive problems"
(ii) "Irritable Bowel Syndrome"
(iii) "Constipation"
(iv) "Diarrhoea"
(v) "Food allergies"
(vi) "Weight problems"
(vii) "Low energy"
(viii) "Skin conditions"
(ix) "Hormonal imbalance"
(x) "Depression"

5. I confirm I have no connections with the advertiser. I confirm I am not involved in legal proceedings with the advertiser."