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
"