Advertisment
Tweet 1 (4th November 2018):
A tweet on the advertisers’ Twitter account stated:
“#cancer #healing #spa #superfoods #ketotransformation #aniasfitkitchen #afk #organics
At AFK Lifestyle centre we prevent, treat and cure cancerNd (sic) diabetes patients with Ketogenic diet. A strict Ketogenic Diet for cancer and diabetes patients, which calls….”
Tweet 2 (21st November 2018):
Further tweet on the advertisers’ Twitter account stated:
At AFK Lifestyle Centre we prevent, treat Cancer, diabetes, insulin resistance, depression and many more illnesses with Ketogenic diet, which calls for minimizing carbohydrates and replacing them with healthy fats and moderate amou…”
Website:
A webpage on the advertisers’ website was titled “Cancer Prevention. Nutrition Training After Cancer Recovery” and included the following statement:
“We all have errant, cancerous cells inside us. It’s just a matter of how many – enough to be measured, felt, or even seen on a scan? When it gets to the point you can find it, the immune system has failed in its job to attack and control them. Then the oncologist says it is time for chemo and radiation that will further suppress the immune system. Hence the awful statistics for survival rates of such cancers as breast, colon and prostate cancer. Alternative treatment is rarely promoted by the majority of conventional medical providers. At AFK Lifestyle centre we prevent, treat and cure cancer patients with Ketogenic diet. A strict Ketogenic Diet for cancer patients, which calls for minimizing carbohydrates and replacing them with healthy fats and moderate amounts of high-quality protein, can offer hope against cancer – both for prevention and treatment.
Your normal cells have the metabolic flexibility to adapt from using glucose to using ketone bodies. Cancer cells lack this ability so when you reduce carbs to only non-starchy vegetables, you effectively starve the cancer.”
Advertisers’ own Facebook Page (21st November 2018):
“AFK Personal Training & Nutrition
At AFK Lifestyle centre we prevent, treat Cancer, diabetes, insulin resistance, depression and many more illnesses with Ketogenic diet, which calls for minimizing carbohydrates and replacing them with healthy fats and moderate amounts of high-quality protein, can offer hope against cancer – both for prevention and treatment.
Your normal cells have the metabolic flexibility to adapt from using glucose to using ketone bodies. Cancer cells lack this ability so when you reduce carbs to only non-starchy vegetables, you effectively starve the cancer.”
The post ended with the following statement:
“Don’t miss out on (sic) opportunity to help yourself or someone you love. #ketoforcancer #keto #ketodiet #cancerretreat #nutrition #afk #lifestylecentre”
Complaint
Five complaints were received in regards to the various pieces of advertising. The complainants raised the following complaint issues:
Issue 1:
The complainants considered that the claims in the various advertisements to prevent, treat or cure illnesses such as cancer or diabetes was misleading and were not capable of substantiation.
Issue 2:
One complainant considered that the content on the webpage titled “Cancer Prevention. Nutrition Training After Cancer Recovery” insinuated that chemotherapy was bad and was the reason for the poor cancer survival rates and that the Ketogenic diet was better than chemotherapy.
Issue 3:
Complainants considered that the claims to cure cancer were dangerous and were preying on the vulnerable and could encourage patients to stop taking medication.
Issue 4:
One complainant considered that the advertisers were not a licenced practitioner and therefore, were not licenced to provide medical services.
Response
The advertisers apologised for the mis-wording in their social media post. They said that they had explained on the day of the post to media and had taken down all posts that went out at the same time. They said that they do not cure or have a cure for cancer and they have never had cancer patients, nor have they ever claimed to have cured anyone from cancer. They said that the information in the post was a wording mistake which they take responsibility for.
In regards to the website, they said that their website was only new and the designer who was wording on the site took the wording that was used in their advertising.
Finally they said that since this they have not advertised again.
Conclusion
Complaints Upheld.
The Complaints Committee considered the detail of the complaints and the advertisers’ response. The Committee noted that the advertisers had advised that the advertising had been removed and that the advertiser had also stated that the social media post had contained “mis-wording”, however, the Committee noted that the advertising had comprised of two Tweets on separate dates in November 2018, a Facebook post and a page on the advertisers’ own website.
Issue 1:
The Committee noted that the advertisers had stated that they did not cure, nor did they have a cure for cancer and that they had never claimed that they had cured anyone of cancer. The Committee considered, however, that the advertisers had used the term “cure” in relation to cancer in both Tweet 1 and on their webpage and had also claimed to cure diabetes in Tweet 1. The Committee also considered that the advertisers’ had claimed to prevent illnesses such as cancer and diabetes in each advertisement objected to. The Committee noted that no evidence had been provided by the advertiser to substantiate the claims made in their advertising. In the circumstances the Committee considered that the two Tweets, the webpage and the Facebook post were in breach of Sections 4.1, 4.4, 4.9, 4.10, 11.1, 11.8 (a) and (b) and 11.10 of the Code.
Issue 2:
The Committee noted that the webpage had included the statement “We all have errant, cancerous cells inside us. It’s just a matter of how many – enough to be measured, felt, or even seen on a scan? When it gets to the point you can find it, the immune system has failed in its job to attack and control them. Then the oncologist says it is time for chemo and radiation that will further suppress the immune system. Hence the awful statistics for survival rates of such cancers as breast, colon and prostate cancer”. The Committee considered that the advertisers had linked the suppression of the immune system by chemotherapy and radiation with their statement on the survival rates of certain cancers, without providing a link to any substantiation for such a claim. The Committee also considered that the advertisers’ claim to “prevent, treat and cure cancer patients with Ketogenic diet” was an absolute claim in regards to the Ketogenic diet and was comparing the Ketogenic diet to chemotherapy and radiation as a treatment for cancer. The Committee noted that the advertisers had provided no comments on this aspect of the complaints other than to say the advertising had been removed. The Committee considered that the webpage was in breach of Sections 4.1, 4.4, 4.9, 4.10, 11.1, 11.8 (a) and (b) of the Code.
Issue 3:
The Committee noted that the advertising had been removed by the advertisers. The Committee considered that the claims to “prevent, treat and cure” cancer and other illnesses such as diabetes was a serious claim and one that could take advantage of vulnerable people who were diagnosed with such serious diseases. In the circumstances the Committee considered that the advertising was in breach of Section 11.6 of the Code.
Issue 4:
The Committee noted that no comment had been received on this aspect of the complaints, nor had evidence been submitted to demonstrate that the service provided was under the supervision of a suitably qualified health professional. The Committee considered that the content of the advertisements, in presenting an unsubstantiated treatment as an alternative to recognised treatment, had discouraged essential treatment for conditions for which medical supervision should be sought. As the advertisers’ had not provided any evidence that they were a medical professional, the Committee considered the advertising was in breach of Section 11.5 of the Code.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Complaints Committee noted that the advertising had been removed by the advertisers’.
The Complaints Committee told the advertisers not to refer to the efficacy of the ketogenic diet in relation to cancer treatment or other serious ailments until they held appropriate evidence to substantiate the claims. The Committee also told the advertisers that they should not make claims in relation to advice and/or treatment for serious conditions without holding an appropriate qualification.
