The Federal Trade Commission recently announced a settlement with Jason Pharmaceuticals regarding its use of consumer testimonials and health benefits claims. Any company that relies on testimonials in its advertising, even a company that like Jason Pharmaceuticals, sells products that often have beneficial health results, must become aware of this settlement.

Jason Pharmaceuticals sells Medifast brand low-calorie meal substitutes. In 1992, the FTC settled a case with Jason for allegedly deceptive weight-loss claims. The settlement order barred Jason from making unsupported claims to consumers about losing weight or keeping weight off. According to the FTC, since at least November 2009, Jason ran ads that featured weight loss claims about low-calorie meal substitutes.

The ads run by Jason Pharmaceuticals prominently featured the use of consumer testimonials. One advertisement stated that:

“When you lose up to 2 to 5 lbs a week with Medifast, you’ll feel terrific. And so will your doctor.

TRUST MEDIFAST.

THE PROGRAM THE DOCTORS RECOMMEND.

Jeff & Maureen lost a combined 169 lbs.!”

According to the FTC, the only disclaimer displayed in most Medifast advertisements containing consumer endorsements was a small, inconspicuous “Results will vary.” The FTC alleged that this disclaimer violated the 1992 order because was insufficient to change consumers’ net impressions that users of these products could expect to achieve the results represented in the advertisements.

As part of the settlement, Jason Pharmaceuticals will have to pay a civil penalty of $3.7 million to settle charges that it violated the previous order by making unsupported claims about its weight loss products.

Under the settlement, Jason is prohibited from misrepresenting that consumers who use any low-calorie meal replacement program can expect to achieve the same results that an endorser does or can lose a particular amount of weight or maintain that weight loss.

In addition, representations in the company’s ads cannot mislead consumers and must be backed up with competent and reliable scientific evidence that includes at least one clinical study. The company is also barred from making any other representations about the health benefits, safety, or side effects of any meal replacement program, unless it’s backed up by scientific research.

The settlement also has a compliance and recordkeeping requirement that for 20 years after the entry of judgment, Jason Pharmaceuticals needs to keep extensive records relating to any marketing or substantiation of any advertising claim.

The FTC continues to push the limits in pursuing enforcement actions. This, for example, is a very aggressive prosecution. People do lose weight using products such as Medifast, and in some instances people have lost significant weight. These ads may have been in violation of the prior settlement, but the FTC decision to pursue this action shows just how far they are willing to go in pursuing enforcement actions.

Because of the FTC’s aggressiveness in cases such as this one, companies that invoke claims of health benefits to consumers need to be sure that these claims are backed by reliable scientific evidence. Companies should also be aware that merely making a flat statement that “results may vary” will likely not help them avoid liability.