12 february 2018 http://www.openthemagazine.com 91O
ne of the biggest
challenges we face
these days is that of
false advertising. the power
of advertising is such that
people get convinced by
the most unlikely or absurd
claims. Vice-President
Venkaiah naidu himself fell
prey to such an advertise-
ment for obesity pills. It is to
his credit that he was honest
enough to admit his folly.
Why would someone as
learned as our own Vice-President believe that pills could cure
obesity? the answer lies in human psychology—people are
always looking for easy solutions to complex problems. Let’s take
the example of two lifestyle conditions, obesity and diabetes. the
management of these conditions requires lifelong lifestyle modi-
fications like dietary changes and regular exercise, which often
seems to be an insurmountable task. We are therefore always
looking for short cuts and simplistic solutions. Advertisers take
advantage of this human weakness and offer the moon to unsus-
pecting and gullible people. the claims made are unbelievable,
and almost always deride the conventional allopathic system
and its doctors. I will illustrate this with some specific examples.
the net is flooded with advertisements for a product called
Glyxgo which has purportedly been ‘discovered’ by an AIIMS
doctor (Gaurav Gupta) in collaboration with an MIt scientist
(Peter Molnar). It says ‘We tested GlyxGo with almost 2,000
subjects (at the nottingham Clinical trial Centre), over a 10 day
period and the results were shocking... GlyxGo regulates the
blood sugar levels of 97.6% of all participants while taking the
pill, essentially curing them of the disease.’ Dr Gupta goes on to
say he is determined to provide this cure, a combination of plant
extracts, to millions of Indians. Well, for a start, there is no Gaurav
Gupta in the AIIMS endocrinology section. Peter Molnar is listed
as a geophysicist at MIt. And the nottingham
clinical trial site makes no mention of the trials.
In any case, where were the results published?
the advertising is so convincing that even edu-
cated people are lapping up the product, which
costs about Rs 1,900 per bottle. Before people
realise the hoax, the company would have made
its millions and disappeared.
A video doing the rounds on WhatsApp is by
a doctor who conducts popular paid workshops
promising a cure for diabetes. the promo reads:
‘this video explodes the biggest ever deception of the modern
medical science i.e. diabetes.’ It also attempts to convey that diabe-
tes is less of an endocrine disorder and more of a
political disease, and finally equips the reader with a simple
method which can help an individual to cure himself of three
Ds— Diabetes, Drugs & Doctors—and save the nation of ‘a
massive economic burden.’ It goes on to make even more bizarre
statements: diabetes does not mean high blood sugar, you can
have high blood sugar and not be a diabetic/ you can have normal
sugar and be diabetic. What a disaster if people start believing this
and ignoring high blood sugar. the video then goes on to claim
that fruits will cure diabetes, and the fruit sugar fructose will not
raise blood sugar, which is a false statement.
Another area of concern in health advertising is regarding
indigenous or Ayurvedic medication. the recent blockbuster,
BGR 34 is a mix of several herbs (most of which are well-known).
It is being marketed as a new discovery to treat diabetes, meeting
allopathic standards. Yet when one digs deeper for the scientific
evidence on BGR34, there is little in published, indexed medical
literature or journals (ayurvedic or allopathic) that show that
BGR34 is an effective anti-diabetic drug, comparable to allopathic
medication. the irony is that each pill costs Rs 5; the daily dose is
4 pills, so it adds up to Rs 20 a day, which is about 10 times the cost
of Metformin, the most commonly used allopathic anti-diabetes
drug. Another popular drug from this genre is IMe9. Such adver-
tising is harming the cause of Ayurveda, which has a wealth of
wisdom that can be used for the benefit of human kind.
false food advertising is an even bigger challenge. Last year, an
edible oil called Vivo was launched with great fanfare as a means
to reduce blood sugar and blood pressure. fortune Vivo is a blend
of 20 per cent sesame oil and 80 per cent rice bran oil. this impos-
sible claim (how will any oil lower blood sugar?) was made in the
absence of any evidence. Despite numerous complaints against
the product with the regulator, the false advertising continues.
It is obvious that we are surrounded by false advertisements
for health products. It is wise to ask your doctor before believing
any health-related claims. trust your doctor rather than these
advertisements to protect your health.
A sobering survey in the Times of India
recently found that 92.3 per cent Indians
did not trust hospitals and the most trusted
healthcare personalities are Baba Ramdev and
actor Akshay Kumar, who advertises Vivo oil.
need I say more? nDr Ambrish Mithal is chairman and head,
Endocrinology and Diabetes Division at Medanta,
The Medicity, GurgaonBeware the New Malignancy
A MATTER OF LIFE
Fraudulent advertising and patient gullibility can be a deadly combination
Dr Ambrish Mithal
Saurabh Singh