Ukmedix has welcomed a drive by the Federal Trade Commission of the US to clamp down on TV and radio stations who broadcast misleading and deceptive advertisments for health products. Especially singled out for mention were those brodcasters who air exaggerated claims for weight loss products and supplements. The FTC Chairman Ms Platt Majoras is determined to get tough with the offenders and take affirmative action if they don't shape up soon.

While noting that more needs to be done to stop the bogus advertisments, notice was taken of the fact that some broadcasters don't let certain weight loss supplement companies advertise with them and are more discerning with who they let advertise with them and this has produced definite improvements in the quality of advertising on air.

Despite the improvements ridiculous claims were still being aired that promised massive weight loss with no exercise and no effort and these were the companies that needed to be targeted. The way forward will be to name and shame those media organisations that accept advertising revenue with no regard for the veracity of the claims made by the adverts and with scant concern for the health of listeners.

The FTC will also be notifying the offenders by official letters to warn them that they are being observed and to tell them that they need to get their house in order and pull the weight loss adverts. The campaign will also include legal action against the broadcasters and this will aim to get compensation for the people who have been duped into buying the weight loss supplements.

The campaign was originally started in 2003 and was called Red Flag and it was planned to work with the media organisations in order to help them see which companies were making serious claims and which ones were not. The Red Flag campaign also hinted that legal action could and would be started if they didn't shape up.

At this point the FTC has yet to sue a media organisation and has so far concentrated its energies on the manufacturers of the supplements that use the outrageous weight loss claims but it is keen to remind the media of it ability to sue them also. The FTC believes that self regulation by the media companies is the sensible way forward to solve the problem and that legal action will only be used as a last resort.