Hoodia Supplement Advertising Might Contain Hype
Doug Smith

Defined Tag: hoodia supplement.
The alleged appetite suppressing properties of the hoodia supplement are becoming legendary. They appear to be confirmed by various worldwide news sources. Hoodia gordonii is a flowering succulent plant that grows natively in the African desert. Because of the weight loss promise of hoodia supplements, the plant is in high demand.

American hoodia products are sold as supplements and not as drugs. That means they are not subject to federal drug advertising regulations. The U.S. FDA must approve all drugs before public distribution. Unless drug-like claims are made for hoodia supplements, it is not regulated by the FDA.

Note that the hoodia advertising IS regulated, even if the product itself is not. Claims and statements made in drug and supplement advertising must be supported by proof. The Federal Trade Commission or FTC has this jurisdiction. The FDA and the FTC combine forces to ensure that the marketing of hoodia-based supplements meets regulations.

There are two main goals of the FTC's "truth in advertising" laws. The first is that advertising materials must be truthful and not misleading. The second is that the advertiser must have appropriate documentation to prove their product's claims before their ads are released. A few general examples based on advertising hoodia supplements are explained below.

Hoodia ads must beware of both implied and express claims. If a hoodia supplement ad claims that university studies prove their product caused weight loss, that is an express claim to a specific benefit. The advertiser is essentially saying that it has these university studies that prove this result. There is also an implied claim that the hoodia supplement was subjected to legitimate scientific studies. Therefore the advertiser must be able to produce the standard scientific protocols used to study the hoodia supplement.

Advertisers claiming that two-thirds of weight loss doctors take their supplement must be able to produce the results of a statistical survey to prove this express claim. The implied claim is that these doctors endorse this particular hoodia supplement, because the doctors allegedly took it regularly. The hoodia supplement data must be able to satisfy both claims.

The advertising of hoodia is regulated, even though the product itself is not. Yes, that sounds backwards. However, any claims related to a hoodia supplement product must be supported by scientifically valid documentation.

Copyright 2007 by Doug Smith. All rights reserved worldwide. Unauthorized duplication prohibited.