ASA upholds complaints against six health websites
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld complaints about the way the Hemaview “live blood screening” service is promoted on six websites.The sites are:
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld complaints about the way the Hemaview “live blood screening” service is promoted on six websites.
The sites are:
- Nourishe Health and Wellness (www.nourishe.co.nz)
- Osiris Health (www.osirisheath.co.nz)
- Discover Health ( www.reshapers.co.nz)
- Bowen Clinic (www.bowenclinicbop.co.nz)
- Proactive Health (www.proactivehealth.co.nz)
- Richard Whelan, Medical Herbalist (www.rjwhelan.co.nz)
All six ran variations on the same theme, claiming Hemaview could be used to identify a range of maladies.
A complainant said that there was no reliable research to substantiate the claims being made.
After a detailed deliberation (which can be read in full here), the ASA agreed, and upheld the complaint.
The authority considered there was a risk that the wording on the websites may give consumers an impression that the process does perform a diagnostic role "when this does not appear to be the case."
A similar complaint against Whangarei Treatment Providers Ltd (www.wtp.co.nz) was settled after references to Hemaview were removed from its site.
A similar complaint against It’s All About Health (www.itsallabouthealth.co.nz) was not upheld on the basis that Hemaview claims were carefully and responsibly worded.
NBR staff
Fri, 29 Oct 2010
Fri, 29 Oct 2010
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ASA upholds complaints against six health websites
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