America’s obesity crisis and weight loss solutions debate took center stage during this year’s Super Bowl, thanks to a provocative advertisement from Hims and Hers.
Quick Takes
- Hims & Hers aired a controversial ad offering alternative weight loss medications to high-priced options like Ozempic.
- The advertisement faces backlash for bypassing FDA approval and potential safety concerns.
- Calls for legislative action emerge to close advertising loopholes and ensure proper disclosures.
- Novo Nordisk, maker of Ozempic, questioned the safety of compounded medications.
Super Bowl Ad Controversy
Hims & Hers broadcast a Super Bowl ad presenting its compounded weight loss drugs as a cheaper alternative to FDA-approved medications. These drugs, unlike their approved counterparts, do not undergo the FDA premarket review. This raises health safety concerns. Critics, including Senators Dick Durbin and Roger Marshall, highlighted the ad’s failure to mention potential side effects or safety risks and criticized it for exploiting advertising loopholes.
The ad critiqued the $160 billion weight loss industry, claiming that it profits from failure by promoting temporary fixes instead of long-term health. Hims & Hers portrays itself as a solution for affordable, doctor-trusted weight loss options. However, the FDA has issued warnings about compounded drugs, flagging their higher risks compared to those undergoing standard review.
Regulatory Concerns
The controversy raises regulatory questions as compounded drug advertisements fall under FTC jurisdiction, not typical FDA prescription drug ad regulations. Concerns about circumventing safety requirements have prompted legislative discussions. The FDA has received reports of adverse effects from compounded semaglutide, not mentioned in the ad.
“We plan to soon introduce bipartisan legislation to close this gap, so that patients are not deceived by advertisements that glaringly omit critical safety and side effect information,” wrote Senators Durbin and Marshall.
Novo Nordisk responded with an advertisement questioning the safety of compounded medications, emphasizing the importance of FDA oversight. Meanwhile, the Partnership for Safe Medicines reiterated that commercials for compounded drugs should comply with FDA ad rules, underscoring the public’s reliance on trustworthy information in health-related marketing.
Alternative Health Solutions
Critics in support of lifestyle changes argue that genuine health improvement comes from addressing daily body needs, not quick-fix medications. This sentiment aligns with Responsible Man‘s launch of the Emerson Multivitamin, crafted to support men’s health naturally without artificial fillers. While alternatives raise different debates, they emphasize long-term health and responsible living over temporary pharmaceutical aids.
Despite the backlash, Hims & Hers continues to defend its practices, noting its compliance with existing laws and expressing a willingness to collaborate with Congress to enhance healthcare access. The debate over how we handle the obesity epidemic—and market solutions to it—continues to unfold.
