Controls on health food ads should be tightened

The news is worthy of note because such ads are common on our TV channels and on the radio too. Consumers should be alert, and the authorities have a duty to protect public health by tightening controls on such advertisements.

The “Teacher Hsieh” group is headed by Hsieh Fu-sung, nicknamed “Teacher Hsieh,” and another suspect, Yu Yu-long. The suspects have released on bail.

According to news reports, the herbal medicine store run by Hsieh is still open and selling the same problematic products.

The idea of keeping fit by taking herbal prescriptions as nutritional supplements is a traditionally popular concept in China. In today’s Taiwan, health products made with herbs almost always sell very well.

The noteworthy thing is that many products of this kind advertised on TV and radio are fraudulent and may pose a threat to the health or life of their users.

The same is true for products that can allegedly help users lose weight or increase height. These products are particularly popular with members of the younger generation, young females in particular.

The “Teacher Hsieh” group has reportedly employed as many as 36 renowned male and female entertainers to endorse their products on TV. This sales-promotion strategy has proved a huge success. The group has made profits exceeding NT$1 billion (approximately US$30 million) in only a few short years.

The reported investigations were carried out after users of “Teacher Hsieh” products reported developing kidney problems and suffering from headaches and diarrhea.

One young man who wished to become taller told the police that after using for two months a food prescription offered by the group at a cost of NT$70,000, he remained exactly the same height.

After this incident, the Bureau of Food Sanitation under the Cabinet-level Department of Health plans to inspect a host of weight-loss and height-gain food products intensively advertised on cable TV to decide if they contain substances harmful to health. This measure is long overdue. The fact that the action has taken until now is a dereliction of governmental duty.

Health authorities should also take a closer look at similar ads on the radio, where some programs are hosted by quacks or makers of suspicious medicines.

Law-enforcement authorities have begun checking up on the entertainers endorsing “Teacher Hsieh.” Entertainers should be more careful in offering endorsements to businessmen. Otherwise they might be punished before the law as well losing the support of their fans.

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