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Posted 06 May 2013
A consumer laid a complaint against the claims for the product Herbex Attack The Fat, The advertisement states, inter alia, “Herbex attack the fat is a powerful herbal syrup that will help you lose weight” and “A few teaspoon a day will help you look your best and boost your confidence”. The consumer claimed that he searching credible scientific databases, he could find no proof that the product or the ingredients will result in the claims being made for the product.
Herbex were unable to supply objective proof to support the claims and the ASA ruled against the claims for the product, as well as the name of the product as it therefore is misleading.
Herbex Attack The Fat / HA Steinman / 20995 Ruling of the : ASA Directorate In the matter between: Dr Harris Steinman Complainant(s)/Appellant(s) Herbex (Pty) Ltd Respondent |
24 Apr 2013
http://www.asasa.org.za/ResultDetail.aspx?Ruling=6513
Dr Steinman lodged a consumer complaint against the respondent’s advertising for Herbex’s “Attack The Fat Syrup” appearing on its website www.herbexhealth.com.
The advertisement states, inter alia, “Herbex attack the fat is a powerful herbal syrup that will help you lose weight” and “A few teaspoon a day will help you look your best and boost your confidence”.
COMPLAINT
The complainant submitted that he “… cannot find any evidence in well-known scientific databases that confirms that this mix of ingredient, or robust evidence for the individual ingredients, that supports the claims and in particular for the dosages used for these individual ingredients in this formulation”.
It was argued that these claims, as well as the name “Herbex Attack The Fat” are unsubstantiated and misleading to the average consumer.
The complainant added that the respondent’s usual expert, Dr Sandell, could no longer be regarded as credible, given recent information to show that he has no qualifications to support his position as a credible expert.
RELEVANT CLAUSES OF THE CODE OF ADVERTISING PRACTICE
In light of the complaint the following clauses of the Code were considered relevant:
• Section II, Clause 4. 1 – Substantiation
• Section II, Clause 4.2.1 – Misleading claims
RESPONSE
The respondent firstly argued that the complainant has not given any new arguments or evidence to warrant a deviation in the Directorate’s usual approach of accepting Dr Sandell. It referred to a Directorate decision in the matter Herbex Website Erroneous / HA Steinman / 10773 (15 April 2008), and submitted that the latest attack does not offer anything new.
It submitted a letter from Dr Sandell in which he confirms the individual efficacy claims made for the ingredient listed in the advertisement. He adds that:
“Due to the combination formulation of Herbex Attack The Fat there is a synergistic action between the ingredients which enables them to be used in lower doses than if they had been prescribed individually. As a result there is a therapeutic effect without the side effects”.
In addition to this, the respondent submitted copies of information pertaining to the ingredients used in the product.
ASA DIRECTORATE RULING
The ASA Directorate considered all the relevant documentation submitted by the respective parties.
In Herbex Appetite Control Tablets / HA Steinman / 20993 (2 April 2013), the Directorate ruled that it would no longer accept verification from Dr Sandell, at least insofar as herbal preparations was concerned.
As a result of this, the Directorate cannot accept the substantiation submitted from the respondent at this time, rendering the claims disputed unsubstantiated.
The Directorate also agrees with the complainant that the product name implies efficacy in reducing fat, something which is capable of objective verification. In the absence of substantiation for the efficacy of this particular product, the Directorate also finds that the name is currently unsubstantiated.
Accordingly, the claims at issue, including the name of the product, are currently in contravention of Clause 4.1 of Section II of the Code.
Accordingly, the respondent is instructed to:
Withdraw the claims and product name,
Action the withdrawal of the relevant claims and the product name immediately upon receipt of this ruling,
Ensure that the claims and product name is withdrawn within the deadlines stipulated in Clause 15.3 of the Procedural Guide,
Refrain from using this claims and product name again in future unless new substantiation has been submitted and accepted by the Directorate in the form of a new ruling.
The cmplaint is upheld.
In light of this it is not necessary to consider the provisions of Clause 4.2.1 of Section II at this time.
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Please could you inform me if you have had any other complaints about Herbex in that it causes me to have a slight shiver even when I am sleeping. I am 58 years old and started using Herex for about one month when I realised that I had this slight shiver on my hole body.
I stopped using Herex tea as well as the liquid substance that is added to my dinking water about two weeks ago.
As prescribed by Herbex I I started walking as part of my regular excersize. I walked for about 30 minutes three times per week and also did some situps.
I have lost about one kilograms and I am now 103.6 kilograms. I did not have these shivers prior to using Herbex so the logical thing to do was to stop using it in the hope that the shivers would stop.
I have not seen a medical docter as yet.
Please reply
Kind regards
Roy
Herbex attack the fat syrup works so powerful i look slim and stunning now. they must just follow the instructions and stick to it in order to see best results.
Considering the facts of the dosage and the ingredients in this product, I would argue that if it worked, it was simply because you stuck to a diet and not because of this product!
From what I’ve observed while searching for slimming and diet solutions. Dr. Harris seems to be against ALL of the products that claim to work. there has not been a single one that he recommended. He always finds something negative to say about each and every product. I stand to be corrected ofcourse but I just think he’s misleading people into believing his nonsense by making it sound like it’s some proffessionally researched information.
@Coco
You are correct in that the purpose of CamCheck is not to guide people to products that work but warn consumers against those that do not, are scams, or lack any proof that they do. The research IS researched and evidence taken from very well researched databases, such as Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database (https://naturaldatabase.therapeuticresearch.com/).
Dear Herbex,
I have been taking Herbex Fat Attack syip drink and Booste Fat Burn for the last 3months and have not lost any weight but GAINED WEIGHT l am convinsed it does not work. Any suggestions from your side please as it has cost me a fortune .
Thank you in antissapation for a reply.
A very unhappy customer.
Brenda
This Herbex has made me so hungry all the time. I am also gaining weight since I started using it and I feel hungry ALL THE TIME! My stomach growls!
VERY UNHAPPY!!!!!
This product probably doesn’t burn fat but it definitely curbs appetite considerably, making a low calorie diet much easier to follow. I’ve found that it gives more energy so exercise is also not so difficult. I definitely give it a thumbs up. All I care about is that it makes me lose weight, how it happens I don’t really care, barring risk to my health of course. I have no bad side effects so it suits my body. Every body is different though so what works on one may just produce nasty side effects for another. A few bad reviews doesn’t mean a product doesn’t work for plenty of others. It’s a fact that by nature people are more likely to complain about products/services than to offer a good review.
@Jane
you are correct that products have different physiological effects in different people. And of course, this applies to psychological effects too, including placebo effects. Knowing the dosages and the ingredients used in this product, it is unlikely to have a true physiological effect but if you benefited, good.
hi
I just started Herbex recently and now reading all the comments Iam in shock because I already bought some of the product trying to lose weight now I wonder if I made the worse mistake of my life but I will continue and see what happens.
Hi All
I have just bought Herbex Fat Burn Kick-Start Pack and would like know if anyone in this forum has used it and how effective it is.
Regards
Enock
I find that Herbex is helping me 😀 I got my body back 2 months after birth. Thank you 🙂
Everyone has there own opinions.
@Michaela
How do you know it was Herbex, and not the diet you stuck to?
From the low dose of the ingredients, I would be very, very surprised that the product did this.
There are many scientific studies testing a weight-loss ingredient that show that even among people taking a placebo, that weight-loss can occur. Here is one from 2014. The study included 114 obese individuals and were studied for 12 weeks. One group was told they would be given an active weight loss supplement (but the supplement was, in fact a sham, 600 mg of brown-tinted rice-flour in clear capsules). The second group were told they were in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial wherein they would be randomly assigned to either active or placebo supplement (but both were shams). Those in the third group received lifestyle education alone without capsules. One participant had extreme recorded weight loss of over 65 lbs (29 kg). For the remainder, weight-loss of up to 3.6 kg occurred, on sham treatment!
Hie i have been using heberx for 2 mnths bt nothing has changed can anyone help me coz i really need to loose this weight
Stop using it best advice!
Complain to herbex company as well,I also started to use it for like 2 days and it does not help in stopping the cravings infact it makes me more hungry but I will continue to use it till it is finished just to see any results.
Hi I weigh 70kg and I would like to lose 20kg because my goal weight is 50kg,i started taking the herbex tea,pills and the drop in water syrup,I am hoping that it will help me to lose weight,I eat 3 times a day but in very small amounts and I exercise for 1 hour 3 times a week so I hope this product helps me because I started taking it just 2 days ago and it says that it will reduce the cravings and it hasn’t been doing that,I still feel very hungry and crave a lot and it’s just my self esteem that’s helping me to over come the cravings,I needed a product to help me stop the cravings and make me feel fuller throughout the day so I hope the cravings stop soon with this product or else Herbex does not work!
I used the drops. At first i felt like my appetite was suppressed but the longer i used it the more i became hungry and ate more. so sorry to say, but it does not work for me.
Can somebody help met, what is the difference between Attack the Fat from Herbex and Fat Burn products from Herbex? is it the same?
@Anita,
They are different products, but if one examines the ingredients, unlikely to work except through a placebo effect, i.e., if you believe they work, and you change your diet, you will lose weight – not because of the product, but because of the diet.
Its been four days now using Herbex fat attack.. Since i started using it im having serious diarrhoea and i had to stop using it.. I don’t know if its the.loosing weight procedure on work im kind of confused and im experiencing headaches since then