Supragenix Discontinues Certain Advertising Claims for ‘CB-1 Weight Gainer,’ NAD Recommends Company Discontinue Additional Claims

New York, NY – Oct. 7, 2013 – The National Advertising Division has recommended that Supragenix, LLC, discontinue certain advertising claims for the company’s “CB-1 Weight Gainer” dietary supplement, including claims that “CB-1 produces an actual increase in body mass that you keep when you stop taking it, not just temporary water weight.”

NAD is an investigative unit of the advertising industry’s system of self-regulation. It is administered by the Council of Better Business Bureaus.

As part of its routine monitoring program and in conjunction with an initiative with the Council for Responsible Nutrition designed to expand the review of advertising claims for dietary supplements, NAD requested Supragenix provide substantiation for television and Internet advertising claims.

According to the advertiser, the product is formulated alkamides derived from Echinacea plants and a proprietary blend of zinc glutonate, cholecalciferol and a ternary antioxidant system. The advertiser explained that a number of the claims for which NAD sought substantiations were discontinued before NAD opened its case, including:

•  “CB-1 Weight Gainer is the only Safe and Effective All-Natural weight gain supplement.”
•  “If you want to gain weight, bulk up, or add some sexy curves, there is only one solution, CB-1 Weight Gainer.”
•  “The #1 solution for rapid weight gain.”
•  “You gain weight to look fit or define those sexy curves.”

NAD noted that although these claims may have ceased airing on television prior to the onset of the challenge, they continued to appear on the Internet until more recently.

In light of the advertiser’s decision to not provide substantiation for these claims, NAD determined that the advertiser’s discontinuance of the claims was necessary and appropriate and recommended that the claims not be used in further advertising.

NAD further recommended that the advertiser discontinue the claims

•  “Average weight gain of 9.4 lbs. in only 4 weeks”
•  “stimulates appetite and slows metabolism.”
• “CB-1 produces an actual increase in body mass that you keep when you stop taking it, not just temporary water weight.”

Finally, NAD recommended the advertiser discontinue its unsupported claims that both men and women reported gaining weight in particular forms and on particular body parts.

While Supragenix took issue with NAD’s findings, the company said in its advertiser’s statement that it would “modify its claims to conform to ASRC’s decision and will develop claims based on the outcome of clinical studies on its formula.”