The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is taking action against one such company, the makers of Cellasene, for making false and unsubstantiated claims in its marketing materials. Cellasene is supplement containing ginkgo biloba, grape seed extract and other herbal ingredietents; the recommended eight-week regimen costs up to $240, and sales totaled about $54 million just last year. The FTC argues that the company has no clinical evidence to support its claim that Cellasene “fights cellulite from the inside.” Rexall, the Florida-based company that makes Cellasene, denies the charge and is protesting the FTC’s request for a permanent injuction that would prohibit Rexall from making the claims. The FTC is also asking a judge to rule that Rexall refund the purchase price to consumers.
The desire to look and feel better is universal. It’s also one that leaves many of us susceptible to false claims and advertisements that guarantee to fix whatever problem we believe needs fixing. Over the years there has been no shortage of products and devices claiming to banish the fatty deposits known as cellulite. Unfortunately, nothing short of surgery can eliminate fat from a single area of the body, but that doesn’t keep many companies from claiming otherwise.