The Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) has identified 26 online food advertising companies that exaggerated the weight loss effects of their products by using terms associated with the obesity treatment drug 'Wegovy.' The scale of these misleading advertisements exceeded 10 billion won (approximately $7.5 million).
On July 23, the KFDA announced the results of a focused inspection of summer online diet food advertisements, revealing violations of the 'Labeling and Advertising of Food Act' across 30 products from these companies. The firms misled consumers into believing their products, such as 'Eating Wegovy,' 'GLP-1,' and 'Oleshot,' were proven weight loss medications or functional products.
Particularly targeted were the 'Oleshot' and 'Natural Wegovy Recipe,' which have gained popularity on social media. Oleshot involves consuming olive oil and lemon juice together, while the 'Natural Wegovy Recipe' combines olive oil with boiled eggs. These products were promoted online as having effects like 'fat reduction,' 'appetite suppression,' and 'detoxification,' but they lack medical validation as effective treatments.
Among the products identified, only eight were recognized as health functional foods, while the remaining 22 were classified as general foods. However, even the health functional foods were advertised in ways that implied disease prevention and treatment effects beyond their approved functionalities. Most of the advertisements effectively resembled 'drug-like promotions' that exceeded legal standards.
The investigation found that these companies sold approximately 600,000 products, generating total sales of about 11.5 billion won (around $8.6 million). The pricing structure was also abnormal, with some products sold at prices up to 27.5 times their purchase cost. One company reported sales of 2 billion won (about $1.5 million) by selling a product originally priced in the 2,000 won range for 60,000 won.
Advertising methods have become increasingly sophisticated. Companies employed strategies such as partially obscuring specific drug names like 'Wegovy' and 'Mounjaro' or emphasizing mechanisms of action like 'GLP-1' to evoke associations with drug-like effects. They also used endorsements from celebrities or pharmacists, AI-generated virtual figures, and images of fat reduction to enhance credibility.
The platform strategies have evolved as well. Companies attract consumers through provocative short-form content on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, directing them to their own shopping sites. These short videos often featured strong claims like 'rapid weight loss in a short period' and 'a body that doesn't gain weight even when eating.' On actual sales pages, related phrases were either removed or softened to evade regulation.
Experts point out that this case highlights the dangers of a 'derivative market' created by the global obesity treatment drug craze, as the explosive demand for GLP-1 class treatments like Wegovy and Mounjaro has led to the rapid proliferation of imitation or alternative products.
The KFDA plans to publish the names of the identified companies and products on its website and will request administrative actions and prosecutions from local authorities. Additionally, it has urged consumers to be cautious of advertisements claiming drug-like efficacy for products labeled as 'Eating Wegovy,' 'appetite suppressants,' and 'fat eliminators.'
* This article has been translated by AI.
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