Healthvibes - Quit Smoking (90% success rate!)

I'm not yet convinced that news reports on the telly are quite as reliable as randomised double-blind clinical trials.

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Still, TV seems to be the source of the Healthvibes Clinic's claim that they have a 90% success rate with their 'stop smoking' treatment.

The treatment is called 'Bioresonance Therapy', and before you ask lolwut?, it's all about toxic substances and their tendency to 'alter the body's normal pattern of resonating [sic]'.

Hope that's all clear, then. Look out for the ASA's response in a few weeks or months, if not.

"I write to complain about an advert in "Natural Health" magazine (May 2010, p126).

The advert, for the Healthvibes Clinic, promotes their "Bioresonance & Nutritional Therapy" method of diagnosis and treatment for various medical conditions.

I suspect that the advert may be in breach of one section of the British Code of Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing (CAP) code. I can provide an original copy of the advert by post, if required.

1. The CAP Code, Section 50.1, states "Medical and scientific claims made about beauty and health-related products should be backed by evidence, where appropriate consisting of trials conducted on people..."

2. Under Section 50.1, I challenge whether the following claim is backed by evidence, where appropriate consisting of clinical trials conducted on people:

(i) "Bioresonance & Nutritional Therapy" can be "used to assess and balance hidden causes of ill health"

3. The advertiser's website[1] clarifies that, at the clinic, the conditions mentioned in the advert's "We specialise in:" section are also treated with Bioresonance and Nutritional Therapy.

4. Under Section 50.1, I challenge whether any of the following claims are backed by evidence, where appropriate consisting of clinical trials conducted on people:

(i) "Bioresonance & Nutritional Therapy" can be used to quit smoking with a 90% success rate

(ii) "Bioresonance & Nutritional Therapy" can be used to treat addictions generally

(iii) "Bioresonance & Nutritional Therapy" is effective against pain, stress, eczema, psoriasis, IBS or candida

5. I confirm that I have no connections with the advertiser, the magazine, or with the publishing and alternative medicine industries in general. I confirm that I am not involved in legal proceedings with the advertiser or the magazine.

Footnotes:
[1] http://www.healthvibes.co.uk/home.htm
"

*National Hypnotherapy Coucil - better spellers than me

The National Hypnotherapy Council claim that "Hypnotherapy is an effective treatment for many conditions that is proven to work by an overwhelming amount of research."

UPDATE, 4th Aug: ASA write to confirm the advertisers have agreed not to repeat their advert.

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From what I understand of the available evidence, this claim seems difficult to support.

A standard ASA complaint follows - but I hope that no-one there reads it, since I managed half a dozen gratuitious misspellings of the word "hypnotherapy".

"I write to complain about an advert in “Natural Health" Magazine (April 2010, page 22), which promotes the National Council for Hypnotherapy.

I suspect that the advert may be in breach of two sections of the British Code of Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing (CAP) code.

I have submitted a scan of the advert. I can provide an original copy of the advert by post, if required.

1. The CAP Code, Section 3.1, states "Before distributing or submitting a marketing communication for publication, marketers must hold documentary evidence to prove all claims, whether direct or implied, that are capable of objective substantiation."

2. The CAP Code, Section 50.1, states "Medical and scientific claims made about beauty and health-related products should be backed by evidence, where appropriate consisting of trials conducted on people..."

3. I challenge whether the advertiser holds documentary evidence to prove any of the following claims, and I challenge whether the claims are backed by evidence, where appropriate consisting of clinical trials conducted on people:

(i) Hypnotherapy is able to help with irritable bowel syndrome
(ii) Hypnotherapy is able to help with weight control
(iii) Hypnotherapy is able to help with smoking cessation
(iv) Hypnotherapy is able to help with panic attacks
(v) Hypnotherapy is able to help with skin problems

4. I challenge whether the statement "Hypnotherapy is an effective treatment that is proven to work by an overwhelming amount of research" can be substantiated.

5. I confirm that I have no connections with the advertiser, with the magazine, or with the publishing and alternative medicine industries in general. I confirm that I am not involved in legal proceedings with the advertiser or the magazine.

6. I confirm that I am happy to be identified as the complainant."