“Lose 30 lbs in 30 days”: Assigning responsibility for deceptive advertising of weight‐loss products

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to outline key social marketing issues apparent in deceptive weight‐loss advertising, from the perspective of government policy‐makers, manufacturers, the media, and consumers. The purpose is to examine the complexity of one aspect of the obesity battle and provide a framework for coordinated and integrated social marketing initiatives from a multiple stakeholder perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

The results of deceptive weight‐loss advertising are framed using the harm chain model, and the paper offers recommended solutions based on a framework of marketing, education and policy changes across the network of stakeholders.

Findings

This paper concludes that a resolution to the harm created by deceptive weight‐loss advertising can be achieved by the creation of a more holistic, system‐wide solution to this important health and policy issue. This networked approach must involve all aspects of harm in a multi‐stakeholder solution, including both upstream and downstream integration. Specific recommendations are made for policy‐makers, manufacturers, the media, and consumers to achieve this goal.

Social implications

From a marketing perspective, analyzing the issue of deceptive weight‐loss advertising using the harm chain allows for the creation of a more holistic, system‐wide solution involving stakeholders in all aspects of harm for this important health and policy issue.

Originality/value

This research examines the problem of obesity and weight‐loss advertising from the unique perspective of the harm chain framework. The authors make unified recommendations for various stakeholders including industry, media, government and consumers, in order to direct integrated social marketing and consumer‐oriented strategies within this industry.

Citation

Pirsch, J.A., Landreth Grau, S. and Polonsky, M.J. (2013), "“Lose 30 lbs in 30 days”: Assigning responsibility for deceptive advertising of weight‐loss products", Journal of Social Marketing, Vol. 3 No. 1, pp. 56-77. https://doi.org/10.1108/20426761311297234