When It Sounds Too Good To Be True

Last week, it was the SEC; this week, it’s the FTC or Federal Trade Commission. That’s the agency that, among other things, enforces federal laws against unfair or deceptive business acts or practices, including false advertising.

So what happened?

The FTC settled a lawsuit against a chiropractor who sold a “breakthrough” weight-loss system for $1,895 a pop. He also licensed and franchised the system to other chiropractors and professionals to sell.

Although the defendant didn’t admit or deny the allegations, he agreed to stop making the following claims about his system:

1. That you could lose twenty to forty pounds, or more, in forty days.
2. That you could do that safely and without cutting calories or exercising.
3. That you could burn between 2,000 and 7,000 calories per day.
4. That you could treat diabetes, psoriasis, and other conditions.

I’m no doctor, but as far as I know, it’s not possible to lose that much weight or burn that many calories without starving yourself or exercising like you’re on meth. According to the complaint, the people who bought the system were told—only after the fact—to eat about 500 calories per day. To put that in perspective, the bowl of cereal you had this morning was at least 200 calories. Good luck getting through the rest of the day.

The defendant also agreed to pay $2 million in refunds; to pay $30 million more if he violates the settlement agreement; to stop presenting friends, relatives, or business partners as satisfied customers who endorsed his system; and to stop using a non-disparagement clause in his contract that punished people for criticizing the system.

Buyer, beware: All that glitters ain’t gold, and there’s no substitute for good nutrition, exercise, and sleep.