Deepak Chopra, the alternative medicine guru, needs no introduction.
Deepak (he's the one on the left - or is that him on the right? I can't be sure) is the author of Magical Mind Magical Body, a set of CDs offered to readers of Kindred Spirit magazine (advert available here and here).
Alongside the usual preposterous mumbo-jumbo can be found a series of altogether more serious claims."Doctors are baffled...Is it possible [to]...erase pain better than drugs...?""Dr Deepak Chopra will explain his ideas on how to: ...Say goodbye to pharamceutical drugs...""In the West doctors believe in the "magic bullet" - take a sleeping pill, take an antibiotic...this approach does work to some extent but only to relieve symptoms...not the underlying cause...the imbalance is still present."That sounds suspiciously like discouraging essential medical treatment to me - an act which is specifically forbidden by the ASA's advertising codes.Not content with this offence, the advertisers (Nightingale Connant of Torquay) boast that listening to the CDs will teach you"How to eat whatever you wish without gaining weight"I didn't even bother counting the sections of the code that claim breaches. Here's my complaint to the ASA!"I write to complain about a leaflet inserted into copies of "Kindred Spirit" magazine (Issue 106, Sep/Oct 2010).The leaflet, for Nightingale Conant, promotes a pack of six CDs entitled "Magical Mind Magical Body".I suspect that the advert may be in breach of several sections of the British Code of Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing (CAP) code (2010). I enclose a scan of the leaflet.1. The leaflet contains the text:"Doctors are baffled... Is it possible for the mind to create perfect health...heal illness, erase pain better than drugs, protect you against disease, reverse the ageing process, help you lose weight...?"2. The leaflet continues:"In this remarkable 6 hours talking book...Dr Deepak Chopra will explain his ideas on how to: Unleash the healing powers of your mind...Increase your immunity to illness...Learn a simple way to overcome addiction...Say goodbye to pharmaceutical drugs...How to eat whatever you wish without gaining weight...Create perfect health and total wellbeing..."3. Under Sections 3.7 and 12.1 of the CAP Code (2010) I challenge whether the advertiser can substantiate any of the following claims:(i) Listening to the CDs can "create perfect health", "heal illness", "erase pain better than drugs", "protect you against diseases", "reverse the ageing process" or "help you lose weight"(ii) Listening to the CDs can "increase your immunity to illness", "overcome addiction", help you "say goodbye to pharmaceutical drugs", allow you to "eat whatever you wish without gaining weight" and "create perfect health"4. The leaflet continues:"Deepark Chopra's work combines his training in western medicine with the 6000 year old [sic] science of healing called Ayurveda from his homeland of India..."5. (i) Despite careful searches, I have been unable to find a substantial body of clinical evidence attesting to the efficacy of Ayurveda. Nor can I find a description of the Ayurvedic methodology that seems to be congruent with the scientific method. (ii) Therefore, under Section 3.1 I challenge whether the claim that Ayurveda is a "science" is misleading.6. The leaflet continues:"In the West doctors believe in the "magic bullet" - take a sleeping pill, take an antibiotic...this approach does work to some extent but only to relieve symptoms...not the underlying cause...the imbalance is still present."7. Under Sections 3.7 and 12.1 of the CAP Code (2010) I challenge whether the advertiser can substantiate the claim that antibiotics do not treat the "underlying cause" of infections, and under Section 3.1 I challenge whether the quoted text is misleading.8. Under Section 12.2, I challenge whether the following statements are likely to discourage essential treatment:(i) "Doctors are baffled...Is it possible [to]...erase pain better than drugs...?"(ii) "Dr Deepak Chopra will explain his ideas on how to: ...Say goodbye to pharamceutical drugs..."(iii) "In the West doctors believe in the "magic bullet" - take a sleeping pill, take an antibiotic...this approach does work to some extent but only to relieve symptoms...not the underlying cause...the imbalance is still present."9. I challenge whether the statement "How to eat whatever you wish without gaining weight" is in breach of several parts of Section 13 of the CAP Code.10. Finally, I challenge whether the advertiser can substantiate their claim that the mind has "magical healing powers" which can be "unleash[ed]" by listening to the CD.11. I confirm that I have no connections with the advertiser or the magazine. I confirm that I am not involved in legal proceedings with the advertiser or the magazine."
As I've mentioned before, a man as devilishly handsome as I rarely has problems with the ladies.I gather that's not true for all of you.
But fear not! Finbarr International are willing to help, according to their latest advert.
"PEN & PAPER MAGIC IS THE ANSWER TO YOUR PRAYERS! ... It can bring you romance... it can make a person become your willing love slave (you think we're kidding? Just try it!)"For some people, a new... err, "relationship" is the furthest thing from their minds.
If some cruel wench has recently shattered your heart into a million pieces, the advert advises
"...if you want to teach someone a lesson for doing you wrong it can exact revenge (but be careful; this stuff can be pretty devastating)."There's not much more I can add to that. Since I wasn't willing to "please send us only £12.99", you'll all have to sort out your own problems. ASA complaint follows!"I write to complain about an advert appearing in "Old Moore's Almanack (2011)" (2011 edition, published in June 2010, p21).The advert, for Finbarr International, promotes a book called "PEN & PAPER MAGIC".I suspect that the advert may be in breach of several sections of the British Code of Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing (CAP) code (2010). I enclose a scan of the advert.1. The advert offers the following résumé of the book:"PEN AND PAPER MAGIC IS THE ANSWER TO YOUR PRAYERS! It is the answer because it is so simple! And so effective! Anyone can do it! You can be sick in bed and do it! AND THE MAGIC INVOKED IS POWERFUL! It is the same powerful magic employed by the wizards of old!"2. Under Section 3.7 of the CAP Code (2010) I challenge whether the advertiser can substantiate any of the following claims, and under Section 3.8 I challenge whether the claims "exaggerate the value, accuracy, scientific validity or practical usefulness" of the advertised book:(i) "Pen and Paper Magic" can cause "regular bingo & lottery wins!"(ii) "Pen and Paper Magic" can "make a person become your willing love slave (you think we're kidding? Just try it!)"(iii) "Pen and Paper Magic" can "bring you money - seemingly out of thin air! ... It can make people want to give you money and presents..."(iv) "Pen and Paper Magic" can be used to "exact revenge" whenever you "want to teach someone a lesson for doing you wrong...(but be careful; this stuff can be devastating)".(v) "Pen and Paper Magic" can be used to "OBTAIN MONEY QUICKLY - WITHOUT WAITING!"(vi) "Pen and Paper Magic" can be used to "GET RICH AND WEALTHY!"(vii) "Pen and Paper Magic" can be used to "OBTAIN JUSTICE!"(viii) "Pen and Paper Magic" can be used to "EXACT REVENGE IN MONEY MATTERS!"(ix) "Pen and Paper Magic" can be used to "EXACT REVENGE FOR ANY INJUSTICE!"3. Under Section 16.3.15 of the Code, I challenge whether the advert "exploit[s] cultural beliefs or traditions about gambling or luck".4. I confirm that I have no connections with the advertiser or the magazine. I confirm that I am not involved in legal proceedings with the advertiser or the magazine."
Another advert from Finbarr International, the wackiest booksellers in Kent."Important information about numbers and their astonishing power to make [you] lucky...if you can count from 1 to 9, you can use this book!...You don't have to worry about numbers above 9!"Phew! That's a relief.But wait! Don't roulette tables use numbers greater than... er, nine?"MAN LIVES FROM GAMBLING! His speciality is the roulette wheel, for it is one of the casino devices in which it is genuinely possible to win. The book tells you how he found his lucky numbers. He has not had to work for years, but he does need to travel a lot, for he cannot keep going to the same casinos!"If spinning wheels make you giddy, perhaps you'd prefer to try your luck at the racetrack?"A young Quebec man loved the races, but was sustaining heavy losses and was in danger of being declared bankrupt. The author showed him how to find his lucky numbers, for he had been using the wrong numbers. IN ONE WEEK, HE PICKED SIX WINNING HORSES AT THE TRACK, NETTING HIM OVER $200,00! He has not looked back since!"I hope he didn't bet on the Grand National. More than nine horses in it, you know.ASA complaint follows, etc..."I write to complain about an advert appearing in "Old Moore's Almanack (2011)" (2011 edition, published in June 2010, p29).The advert, for Finbarr International, promotes a book called "1 to 9 - NUMBERS AND THEIR AMAZING EFFECT ON LUCK!"I suspect that the advert may be in breach of several sections of the British Code of Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing (CAP) code (2010). I enclose a scan of the advert.1. The advert begins with the text:"'I never knew my real lucky numbers until I read this.'...IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT NUMBERS AND THEIR ASTONISHING POWER TO MAKE ONE LUCKY"2. The advert contains the following text:"MAN LIVES FROM GAMBLING! His speciality is the roulette wheel, for it is one of the casino devices in which it is genuinely possible to win. The book tells you how he found his lucky numbers. He has not had to work for years, but he does need to travel a lot, for he cannot keep going to the same casinos! Another man won the raffle prize for 8 consecutive weeks until he was banned from entry by the organisers!"3. The advert later continues:"A widow distressed by her overdue mortage payments used the 1-to-9 formula when she entered the local lottery. She immediately won $355, but much more was to come: 3 weeks later, she scooped $32,359, and a month after that, $1,651! Anxiety about her mortgage is now a thing of the past..."4. The advert contains several more claims of people enjoying success in gambling and lotteries.5. Under Section 3.7 of the CAP Code (2010) I challenge whether the advertiser can substantiate any of the following claims, and under Section 3.8 I challenge whether the claims "exaggerate the value, accuracy, scientific validity or practical usefulness" of the advertised book:(i) The odds offered at roulette tables allow them to beaten, over the long term(ii) The "1-to 9 formula" can be used to make profits at roulette tables(iii) The "1-to 9 formula" can be used to win raffles across many successive weeks(iv) The "1-to 9 formula" can be used to repeatedly win large amounts of money in local and state lotteries(iv) The "1-to 9 formula" can be used reliably to pick winners at the race track(v) The "1-to 9 formula" can be used to make profits at craps (dice) tables in casinos6. Under Section 16.3.15 of the Code, I challenge whether the advert "exploit[s] cultural beliefs or traditions about gambling or luck".7. I confirm that I have no connections with the advertiser or the magazine. I confirm that I am not involved in legal proceedings with the advertiser or the magazine."
Simon Singh, the science writer and Heroic Defender of Freedoms, got into a lot of trouble recently with the libel courts.If only he had opened up a copy of Old Moore's Almanack at page 25, and noticed this advert from Finbarr International which claims to teach you how to "Influence a Magistrate or Judge" !Finbarr International - a mail-order bookseller who are presumably not related to the 7th Century Bishop of Cork pictured above - are offering a book called "WHITE MAGIC FOR EVERYONE". Besides the ability to interfere with the judiciary, purchasers of the book are promised they will obtain"X-Ray Vision: See Beyond Material Structures"That'll certainly be useful for any of my readers who were not born on the Planet Krypton. Some of the less startling claims include"Make Yourself Better Looking...Stop Hair Falling Out...Multiply Your Chances of Winning Competitions, Lotteries, etc...Have An Affair With Someone...Get Rid of Facial Spots...Overcome Frigidity..."
I'll be sending several Finbarr complaints to the ASA over the next few days. With any luck it'll give 'em a good laugh to help offset the approaching autumn."I write to complain about an advert appearing in "Old Moore's Almanack (2011)" (2011 edition, published in June 2010, p25).The advert, for Finbarr International, promotes a book called "WHITE MAGIC FOR EVERYONE".I suspect that the advert may be in breach of several sections of the British Code of Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing (CAP) code (2010). I enclose a scan of the advert.1. The advert begins with the text:"WHITE MAGIC FOR MORE MONEY! WHITE MAGIC TO MAKE HAIR GROW! WHITE MAGIC TO BECOME PREGNANT! WHITE MAGIC FOR WINS AT [the] RACING TRACK! WHITE MAGIC FOR PROTECTION! WHITE MAGIC FOR EVERYONE! ... Invoke beneficient [sic] powers to solve your problems! So simple, even a child can follow! For use by persons of all religions!"2. Under Section 3.7 of the CAP Code (2010) I challenge whether the advertiser can substantiate any of the following claims, and under Section 3.8 I challenge whether the claims "exaggerate the value, accuracy, scientific validity or practical usefulness" of the advertised book:(i) "White Magic Spells" can "Make Yourself Better Looking", and(ii) "Stop Hair Falling Out"(iii) "Influence a Magistrate or Judge"(iv) "Create a Money Magnet to Attract All The Cash You Need"(v) "Make Hair Grow"(vi) "Find A Lost Pet"(vii) "Get Out of Debt"(viii) "Multiply Your Chances of Winning Competitions, Lotteries, etc."(ix) "Receive Money Owed To You"(x) "Get Rid of Facial Spots"(xi) "To Make An Infertile Womb Fertile"(xii) "Possess X-Ray Vision: See Beyond Material Structures"3. Under Sections 3.7 and 3.8, I likewise challenge the following claims:(i) The "24 Sacred Talismans of Futhark" can "BRING VIRILITY", and(ii) "...BRING SPEEDY CONCEPTION"(iii) "...BANISH ANY ADDICTION"4. (i) The advert contains the text:"And so potent is White Magic that it enabled one woman, homeless and penniless, to obtain the home she wanted! It also brought her a £10,000 win at bingo!"(ii) Under Section 16.3.15 of the Code, I challenge whether the advert "exploit[s] cultural beliefs or traditions about gambling or luck".5. Under Section 12.23, I challenge whether the advertiser can "provide scientific evidence, if relevant consisting of trials conducted on people" for their claims that "White Magic" can "Stop Hair Falling Out" and "Make Hair Grow".6. I confirm that I have no connections with the advertiser or the magazine. I confirm that I am not involved in legal proceedings with the advertiser or the magazine."
Lots of nonsense has been written about online social networking services like Facebook, myspace and Twitter.Thanks to the most amazing service of all - it's called Google Alerts, by the way - today I bumped into one of my oldest and bestest pals!"Dr" Gorania - the irresponsible quack pictured above - was the subject of my first ever ASA complaint nearly a year ago. I can't tell you how pleased I am that he's still peddling his homeopathic miracle cures. I love writing complaints about him!On this occasion (advert visible here), the good "doctor" claims he has"...worked on these principles [of homeopathy] and treated 20,000 patients of lucoderma (vitiligo) and the success rate is very good (excluding those who do not wait for reasonable [sic] time)..."That's a slightly more modest claim than the one he used last time.
"The success rate is very good - 100%"With that much success, one might have thought that "Dr" Gorania would be the toast of the medical world. Alas, you won't find his name in any medical journal.
One of the reasons is that "Dr" Gorania isn't actually a doctor - at least, not in the sense of having spent six or seven gruelling years training to earn a degree in medicine. In fact, Gorania doesn't appear to have a degree at all.
It's back to the ASA for my latest complaint. Keep up the good work, "Dr" Gorania!"I write to complain about an advert appearing in "Spice Business" magazine (Volume 39, Aug-Sep 2010, p24.The advert, for "Dr" Veja Gorania, promotes his "Homeopathic Clinic" and offers a treatment for vitiligo and numerous other medical problems.I suspect that the advert may be in breach of several sections of the British Code of Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing (CAP) code (2010). I enclose a scan of the advert.1. "Spice Business" is a magazine catering to the Asian restaurant trade. 2. The advert contains the text:"Homeopathic CLINIC - Patients are highly depressed due to the age old [sic] incurability of white spots. According to the homeopathic school of thinking and philosophy the 'internal causes of the diseases are the same, irrespective of name [sic] of the disease'. Dr Gorania successfully worked on these principles and treated 20,000 patients of lucoderma (vitiligo) and the success rate is very good (excluding those who do not wait for reasonable [sic] time). It proves that if the 'internal cause of any disease is properly diagnosed and correctly treated with the finest precision this [sic] should scientifically respond to practice [sic]'.Other treatments include: Alocepia, Areatea, Thining [sic] and Falling of hair, Unwanted hair, Balding, Arthritis, Hypertension, Asthma, Eczema, Psoriasis, Colitis, Thyroid Disorder, Tinnitus, Acne, Depression, Sexual problems, Infertility and many more. Patients can be seen at LUTON, LONDON, LEICESTER, BIRMINGHAM and MANCHESTER branches (home visits also available).Oral medications uproot internal causes - No need for harmful UV light exposure - No hospitalization [sic] - Side benefits - If vitiligo recurs we will treat [sic] free of charge"3. In January this year (or maybe December 2009?) I submitted a complaint about the same advertiser and a broadly similar advert. You later wrote to tell me:"...we have already investigated and upheld complaints about this advertiser in the past...I've therefore passed the case to our Compliance team..."4. Therefore, I again challenge whether the advertiser can substantiate any of the following claims:(i) Veja Gorania has successfully treated 20,000 patients suffering from vitiligo and has had a "very good" success rate(ii) Veja Gorania is able to treat any of the named conditions with homeopathy5. I also challenge whether the following statements are misleading:(i) The description of Veja Gorania as a "doctor" in the context of claiming to treat many tens of thousands of patients suffering from dozens of medical conditions(ii) "...internal causes of the diseases are the same, irrespective of name [sic] of the disease"(iii) "It proves that if the 'internal cause of any disease is properly diagnosed and correctly treated with the finest precision this [sic] should scientifically respond to practice [sic]'"(iv) "Oral medications uproot internal causes"6. I confirm that I have no connections with the advertiser or the magazine. I confirm that I am not involved in legal proceedings with the advertiser or the magazine."
An observant chum of mine recently spotted an interesting page on Amazon's UK website. The page in question was - shall we say - somewhat problematic.A little more scratching around revealed dozens more pages that were similarly problematic.
Hulda Regehr Clark, if you didn't already know, was a quack medicine saleswoman who fled the US after a string of difficulties with the authorities.
Despite claiming to have discovered "The Cure For All Cancers", in 2009 she died from multiple myeloma - a form of cancer.The fact that Amazon stock the book is not particularly noteworthy. (I have always been an advocate of absolute freedom of expression.)
My complaint concerns not the book itself, but the sales pitch that Amazon are using to flog it.Naturally, Amazon had nothing to do with writing the text - most likely they scanned it from the back of the book - but that won't be much of a defence in the event of a breach of the Cancer Act 1939.The page promoting Hulda's classic tome isn't the only problematic entry on Amazon's website. Here is one advertising a book by that effluent magical finger woman, Vianna Stibal.And here's another promoting a book from a pillar of the mainstream medical establishment, one Patrick Holford!
In total I found a staggering one hundred and one advertisements on Amazon UK's website which, I rather suspect, will be of interest to Trading Standards. (Not all of them are as outrageous as the three examples above, but they all pages which contain cancer cure claims of one form or another - some of which were submitted as reader reviews.)
Give Amazon's deserved reputation as a responsible bookseller, I do hope the material will be removed very quickly. But, just in case, a complaint has been also been lodged with the ASA. The entire list can be seen here.
(Grateful thanks to the aforementioned chum who generously helped me put the complaint together, and spotted the adverts in the first place.
Out shopping for a loaf of bread today, I thought I'd pop into my local Ayurvedic Beauty Salon.UPDATE, 16 Sep: The ASA have been in touch to say the brochure contains many claims that seem to be in breach of the CAP Code. It has therefore been passed to their Compliance Team. 
(Image credit - brochure front cover)
ASA complaint follows, and the relevant pages of the brochure are viewable here and here.
"I write to complain about a brochure promoting the "Karma" beauty salon in Luton.The brochure was picked up from inside the salon itself and makes claims about various complementary therapies which I suspect cannot be substantiated.1. The brochure contains the text (page 5):"Thermal Auricular Therapy...clears sinuses, blockages and helps Hay Fever"2. Under Sections 3.7 and 12.1 of the CAP Code (2010), I challenge whether the advertisers can substantiate their claim that thermal auricular therapy (popularly known as "Hopi Ear Candling") can "[clear] sinuses, blockages and [help] hay fever".3. The brochure continues (page 7):"Ahava Deluxe Dead Sea Mud Envelopment...An application of dead sea [sic] mud follows providing you with an all over [sic] detoxification aiding blood circulation and lymphatic drainage...This treatment helps to relieve joint inflammation, muscle pain and psoriasis. It also detoxifies the skin, cleanses the body of impurities..."4. Under Sections 3.7 and 12.1, I challenge whether the advertisers can substantiate any of the following claims:(i) The treatment can provide an "all over [sic] detoxification aiding blood circulation and lymphatic drainage"(ii) The treatment can relieve psoriasis(iii) The treatment detoxifies the skin and cleanses the body of impurities5. The brochure continues (page 7, repeated page 8):"Health Body Wrap...For instant inch loss - works by stimulating the lymphatic system with essential oils and forcing natural waste through the body using unique wrapping technique [sic]...Course of 6 wraps recommended..."6. (i) Under Section 13.1, I challenge whether the claim "instant inch loss" can be substantiated.(ii) Under Section 13.4, I challenge whether the brochure has shown that "weight reduction is achieved by loss of body fat".7. The brochure continues (page 8):"Vibrosaun...at the same time detoxifies the body and reduces calorie counts (up to 300 calories per session!...The unit is designed to increase blood circulation, reduce high blood pressure and aid kidney function. It can also assist in reducing symptoms of insomnia and aid asthma sufferers..."8. Under Sections 3.7, 12.1 and 13.1, I challenge whether the advertisers can substantiate any of the following claims:(i) The Vibrosaun detoxifies the body and "reduces calorie counts (up to 300 calories per session!)"(ii) The Vibrosaun reduces high blood pressure and aids kidney function(iii) The Vibrosaun can aid asthma sufferers9. The brochure lists (pages 12-14) a number of Ayurvedic treatments available at the salon. Under Sections 3.7 and 12.1, I challenge whether the advertisers can substantiate any of the following claims:(i) The "PAADA ABHYANGA FULL LEG AND FEET MASSAGE...helps those suffering from arthritis"(ii) The "AYURVEDIC BACK MASSAGE...assists with whiplash injuries"(iii) The "PODI KIZHI BOLUS BAG MASSAGE WITH MEDICATED POWDER" can help "treat arthritis, paralysis..."(iv) The "KAYASEKAM OIL BATH (ROYAL TREATMENT)...slows down the aging process, helps heal fractured bones, increases body immunity and increases muscular, digestive and sexual power" and "Removes all Vata and Kapha toxins"(v) The "SHIROABHYANGA TRADITIONAL INDIAN HEAD MASSAGE...drains any accumulated toxins"(vi) The "KADI VASTI POURING OF OIL" is "An effective treatment for low back pain, sciatica, slipped disc and neurological diseases of the lower limbs"(vii) The "GREEVA VASTI" treatment "helps with...paralysis and any whiplash"(viii) The "NETRA VASTI...protects and promotes good vision, help[s] with...cataract[s], night blindness, glaucoma, and decreases any pain or secretion of lachrymal fluid"(ix) The "NASYA" treatment "Relieves headaches, migraines, sinusitis" and "helps with diseases of the eyes, ears[,] nose, mouth and throat, with swellings, gland enlargement and tonsilitis"10. Under Section 12.23, I challenge whether the advertisers can substantiate their claims that the "SHIROABHYANGA MASSAGE" (page 13) "relieves...baldness" and "prevents hair fall [sic]".11. I confirm that I have no connections with the advertiser. I confirm that I am not involved in legal proceedings with the advertiser."
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