Packaged Facts Offers New Market Forecasts

A slow economy and rising healthcare costs have increased consumer interest in dietary supplements. But market-research company Packaged Facts (Rockville, MD) has provided more numbers to ground these general arguments.

In its latest report, Nutritional Supplements in the U.S., 4th Edition, Packaged Facts indicates that retail sales of dietary supplements exceeded $9 billion in the United States, last year-an 8% increase from 2008. What’s more, that increase is part of an overall market growth of 26% from 2005 to 2009.

Ad for Weight-Loss Drink Banned in UK

In response to complaints from television viewers, the United Kingdom’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned an ad for weight-loss beverage Optislim. The agency says that the drink’s television ad infers that consumers can use the drink to lose weight in lieu of exercising.

ASA says that the ad shows a woman stretching and getting ready to exercise. She then goes to the kitchen and fixes herself an Optislim shake, while a voiceover states, “Shake fat fast with Optislim three-second workout. Your complete weight-loss solution.” The ad then cuts to a shot of the woman relaxing on a couch.

OptiPharm, the product’s marketer, says that the ad’s on-screen disclaimer, “When used as part of a calorie-controlled diet and healthy lifestyle,” indicates that the drink is not meant to replace exercise. It said that the ad was meant to express that the woman did not have time to go to the gym, instead opting for the drink. OptiPharm also said that UK firm Clearcast, which reviews advertising materials to ensure they are compliant with regulations, had reviewed the ad. ASA ruled that the ad cannot be broadcast in its current form.