NAD Deems Wellnx “Jean Size” Claim A Poor Fit
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
The National Advertising Division says claims for Wellnx Life Sciences’ NV Hollywood weight loss supplement did not align with results of the firm’s studies, and the firm’s “Drop 1 jean size in 2 weeks” does not reflect a standardized measure of sizes.
The National Advertising Division says the “Drop 1 jean size in 2 weeks” claim that Wellnx Life Sciences Inc. made for its NV Hollywood weight loss supplement is not acceptable because it does not rely on a standardized measurement system.
NAD announced Oct. 7 it asked Wellnx to provide evidence that the clinical trials it conducted were “grounded in sound methodology that yields consumer relevant results” and that the claims it made in its ad reflect the findings of those trials. The investigative unit ultimately concluded that the evidence presented showed the product is effective, but failed to convey the messages represented in the ad.
As part of its ongoing monitoring of consumer product advertising, the investigative unit of the Council of Better Business Bureaus reviewed claims the Canadian firm made in a two-page print ad, including implying NV Hollywood could help people of normal size lose weight rapidly.
NAD said Wellnx claims about consumers reducing jean size are not valid since the “lack of standardized sizing for women’s clothing poses an obstacle to reasonably substantiating these claims.”
NAD’s report noted women’s sizes are listed in multiple ways: some companies use waist size – such as 26, 27, 28 – while others use sizes ranging from 0 to 26 that correspond to a non-standardized sizing chart, and still others use designations of small, medium, large or more narrowly differentiated sizes.
The CBBB unit said a comparison of sizing charts from two large U.S. manufacturers – Levi Strauss and Old Navy – showed the guides were based on different waist and hip measurements and did not correspond. For example, at Old Navy a size 0 corresponds to a 23-inch waist and 34-inch hip, while a size 00 – technically smaller than a size 0 – from the Levi brand corresponds to a 24-inch waist and 34-inch hip.
NAD recommended Wellnx discontinue the claims “Drop 1 jean size in 2 weeks” and “Really fast? Like drop 1 jean size in only two weeks fast? NV makes it possible.”
Results Limited To Obese People
Mississauga, Ontario-based Wellnx’s advertising, featuring a “very thin and glamorous model,” promised consumers could “Lose weight fast” and that “NV contains a new weight-loss complex that helps you re-shape your body, losing pounds and inches in just two weeks,” according to NAD.
The ad contains the claim, “When stars like Holly Madison need to lose weight fast, they don’t settle for anything but the best. They use NV, Hollywood’s best kept weight-loss secret. It’s fast and effective! NV’s core ingredients are backed by two clinical studies that demonstrate its incredible weight-loss power.”
The ad also features a photo of Madison, a reality show participant, being chased by paparazzi, with text stating that NV is “The weight loss secret of the stars.”
Wellnx tested NV’s key ingredient Meratrim – a proprietary formulation of sphaeranthus indicus and garcinia mangostana extracts – in two randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trials. All subjects in the trials, each of which had a body mass index over 30, were on a 2,000-calorie diet provided by the company and were required to walk for 30 minutes five times a week.
Results of the studies showed at two weeks, patients in the Meratrim arm had lost 5.15 pounds (2.34 kilograms), with a standard deviation of plus or minus 2.68 pounds. This result was statistically significant when compared with the placebo group, which had an average weight loss of 2.22 pounds, with some participants in the placebo group losing no weight. Those in the Meratrim group had a waist circumference reduction of 1.62 inches, with some losing as little as 0.55 inches, while the placebo group’s average reduction was 0.13 inches.
While acknowledging that the trials were well-conducted and showed the supplement aided in weight loss, NAD found the firm’s claims did not align with the findings because the clinical trials were conducted only in obese people participating in a diet and exercise regimen. NAD recommended Wellnx discontinue claims that “NV Hollywood is ‘fast’ and ‘lose weight fast’ and has ‘incredible weight-loss power.’”
NAD suggested the firm include in its ad a reference to the diet and exercise program that was part of the trials, and note the supplement was tested on people who would be considered obese, not those in a normal BMI range. The CBBB unit also requested Wellnx modify its claims about the supplement being able to “re-shape” one’s body.
In the NAD report, Wellnx stated it would “consider NAD’s recommendations in future advertising.”
This is not Wellnx’s first time facing scrutiny about weight loss claims for its products. NAD in July 2008 urged the firm to discontinue its claims that its Slimquick Extreme product improved weight loss (Also see "Slimquick Extreme Fails To Support “Clinically Proven” Claims – NAD" - Pink Sheet, 21 Jul, 2008.).
In September 2008, lawsuits filed in the U.S. District Court for the Massachusetts District alleged the company misrepresented the contents of its products. Wellnx reached a settlement on the complaints in 2011, according to court records (Also see "Wellnx sued" - Pink Sheet, 22 Sep, 2008.).