The Perceptions of Overweight and Obese Individuals Regarding Weight-Loss Dietary Supplement Advertisements: A Pilot Cross-Sectional Survey
Abstract
Introduction: The negative health consequences of overweight and obesity underscore the importance of weight loss in mitigating these issues. Weight-loss dietary supplements (DS) are highly sought-after by overweight or obese individuals, with widespread advertisements promoting their use. This study aimed to investigate the perceptions of overweight and obese individuals regarding weight-loss DS advertisements.
Methods: Over a six-week period from 5th April to 17th May 2023, an online pilot cross-sectional study was conducted targeting overweight and obese individuals in Malaysia. The study utilized a convenience sampling method to recruit participants.
Results: Of the 146 participants, most were female (82.9%), 53.4% were overweight, and 46.6% were obese. Most respondents believed that weight-loss DS advertisements often contained exaggerated, unverified, and misleading information. Nearly 90% acknowledged that exaggerated advertisement claims might influence consumers, and about 85% believed that people are influenced to buy frequently advertised weight-loss DS. Despite these perceptions, about 40% reported purchasing a weight-loss DS after seeing such a product in an advertisement, while less than 50% of those who purchased weight-loss DS sought information from healthcare professionals.
Conclusion: The study found that almost 40% of the respondents had purchased a weight-loss DS after seeing such products being advertised. Individuals with higher income, married people, and older respondents appeared more likely to purchase a weight-loss DS. These findings underscore the necessity for stricter regulatory frameworks and comprehensive consumer education initiatives to protect consumers from misleading information and unethical marketing tactics within the weight-loss DS industry. Implementing targeted public health interventions could further safeguard consumers from the risks associated with exaggerated product claims.
References
Bentham J, Di Cesare M, Bilano V, Bixby H, Zhou B, Stevens GA, et al. Worldwide trends in children's and adolescents' body mass index, underweight and obesity, in comparison with adults, from 1975 to 2016: A pooled analysis of 2,416 population-based measurement studies with 128.9 million participants. Lancet 2017; 390:2627-42. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32129-3.
World Health Organization. Obesity and overweight 2024. Available at https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight
Lim JS, Chock TM, Golan GJ. Consumer perceptions of online advertising of weight loss products: The role of social norms and perceived deception. J Mark Commun 2020; 26:145-65. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527266.2018.1469543
Mohamad Nor NS, Ambak R, Mohd Zaki N, Abdul Aziz NS, Cheong SM, Abd Razak MA, et al., An update on obesity research pattern among adults in Malaysia: A scoping review. BMC Womens Health 2018; 18:5-15.
National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019 Non-communicable diseases, healthcare demand, and health literacy. 2019. doi: 10.1186/s12905-018-0590-4.
Apalasamy YD, Awang H, Mansor N, AbRashid N, Kamarulzaman ND, Lih Yoong T. Factors associated with obesity and abdominal obesity among Malaysian older adults. Asia Pac J Public Health 2021; 33:547-54. doi: 10.1177/10105395211014634.
Rao VRBV, Candasamy M, Bhattamisra SK. Obesity an overview: Genetic conditions and recent developments in therapeutic interventions. Diabetes Metab Syndr 2019; 13:2112-20. doi: 10.1016/j.dsx.2019.05.004.
Alsulami S, Baig M, Ahmad T, Althagafi N, Hazzazi E, Alsayed R, et al. Obesity prevalence, physical activity, and dietary practices among adults in Saudi Arabia. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1124051. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1124051.
Dikaiou P, Bjorck L, Adiels M, Lundberg CE, Mandalenakis Z, Manhem K, et al. Obesity, overweight and risk for cardiovascular disease and mortality in young women. Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2021;28(12):1351-9. doi: 10.1177/2047487320908983.
Kim R, Jun JS. Impact of Overweight and Obesity on Functional and Clinical Outcomes of Early Parkinson's Disease. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2020;21(5):697-700. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2019.11.019.
Zou Y, Pitchumoni CS. Obesity, obesities and gastrointestinal cancers. Dis Mon. 2023;69(12):101592. doi: 10.1016/j.disamonth.2023.101592.
Ling J, Chen S, Zahry NR, Kao TSA. Economic burden of childhood overweight and obesity: A systematic review and meta?analysis. Obes Rev 2023; 24:e13535. doi: 10.1111/obr.13535.
Fujioka K. Current and emerging medications for overweight or obesity in people with comorbidities. Diabetes Obes Metab 2015; 17:1021-32. doi: 10.1111/dom.12502.
Natesan V. Therapeutics in Metabolic Diseases. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2023;1396:255-73. doi: 10.1007/978-981-19-5642-3_17.
Abd Malik MA, Ali MF, Muhammad NA. The use of weight loss products among overweight and obese patients in Malaysia. Malay J Med Health Sci 2019; 15:23-30.
Campbell A, Carins J, Rundle-Thiele S, Deshpande S, Baker B. Motivators of Indiscriminate and Unsafe Supplement Use among Young Australians. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(19). doi: 10.3390/ijerph18199974.
Nathan JP, Kudadjie-Gyamfi E, Halberstam L, Wright JT. Consumers’ information-seeking behaviors on dietary supplements. Int Q Community Health Educ 2020; 40:171-6. doi: 10.1177/0272684X19874967.
Hua SV, Granger B, Bauer K, Roberto CA. A content analysis of marketing on the packages of dietary supplements for weight loss and muscle building. Prev Med Rep 2021; 23:101504. doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2021.101504.
Lee A, Vasquez LJ, Wong WC, Shin J. Evaluation of dietary supplement advertisements in popular Spanish, Chinese, and Korean media outlets: A cross-sectional study. BMC Nutr 2015; 1:1-8. Available at https://bmcnutr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40795-015-0038-2
Rosenberg K. Dietary Supplement Labels May Be Inaccurate and Misleading. Am J Nurs. 2022;122(12):56. doi: 10.1097/01.NAJ.0000904100.46205.b5.
Schmitz Sm Md MPH, Lopez Hl Md MS, Mackay DN, Nguyen HB, Miller PB. Serious Adverse Events Reported with Dietary Supplement Use in the United States: A 2.5 Year Experience. J Diet Suppl. 2020;17(2):227-48. doi: 10.1080/19390211.2018.1513109.
Abd Wahab MS, Hamdi H, Ali AA, Karuppannan M, Zulkifli MH, Maniam S, et al. The use of herbal and dietary supplements for COVID-19 prevention: A survey among the public in a Malaysian suburban town. J Herbal Med 2023; 39:100650. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hermed.2023.100650
Ibrahim NI, Zainuddin NS, Shamsudin J. The Use of Weight Loss Products and Body Mass Index among University Students in Kota Bharu, Kelantan. Malaysian J Health Sci 2023. 21:131-41. http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/JSKM-2023-2102-10
Wahab MSA, Abd Hamid NN, Yassen AO, Naim MJ, Ahamad J, Zulkifli NW, et al. How Internet Websites Portray Herbal Vitality Products Containing Eurycoma longifolia Jack: An Evaluation of the Quality and Risks of Online Information. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022; 19:11853. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191911853
Wahab MSA, Zaini MH, Ali AA, Sahudin S, Mehat MZ, Abdul Hamid H, et al. The use of herbal and dietary supplement among community-dwelling elderly in a suburban town of Malaysia. BMC Complement Med Ther 2021; 21:1-13. doi: 10.1186/s12906-021-03287-1.
Yusoff, MSB. ABC of content validation and content validity index calculation. Educ Med J 2019; 11:49-54. http://dx.doi.org/10.21315/eimj2019.11.2.6
Amariles P, González LI, Giraldo NA. Prevalence of self-treatment with complementary products and therapies for weight loss: A randomized, cross-sectional study in overweight and obese patients in Colombia. Curr Ther Res 2006; 67:66-78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.curtheres.2006.02.001
Blanck HM, Serdula MK, Gillespie C, Galuska DA, Sharpe PA, Conway JM, et al. Use of nonprescription dietary supplements for weight loss is common among Americans. J Am Dietetic Assoc 2007; 107:441-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jada.2006.12.009.
Pillitteri JL, Shiffman S, Rohay JM, Harkins AM, Burton SL, Wadden TA. Use of dietary supplements for weight loss in the United States: Results of a national survey. Obesity 2008; 16:790-6. doi: 10.1038/oby.2007.136.
Dickinson A, MacKay D. Health habits and other characteristics of dietary supplement users: A review. Nutr J 2014; 13:14. doi: 10.1186/1475-2891-13-14.
Pouchieu C, Levy R, Faure C, Andreeva VA, Galan P, Hercberg S, et al. Socioeconomic, lifestyle and dietary factors associated with dietary supplement use during pregnancy. PLoS One 2013; 8: e70733. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0070733.
Jeffery RW, Rick AM. Cross?sectional and longitudinal associations between body mass index and marriage?related factors. Obes Res 2002; 10:809-15. doi: 10.1038/oby.2002.109.
Lipowicz A, Gronkiewicz S, Malina RM. Body mass index, overweight and obesity in married and never married men and women in Poland. Am J Hum Biol 2002. 14:468-75. doi: 10.1002/ajhb.10062.
Muhihi AJ, Njelekela MA, Mpembeni R, Mwiru RS, Mligiliche N, Mtabaji J. Obesity, overweight, and perceptions about body weight among middle-aged adults in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Int Sch Res Notices 2012; 2012:368520. https://doi.org/10.5402/2012/368520
Hobbs R, Broder S, Pope H, Rowe J. How adolescent girls interpret weight-loss advertising. Health Educ Res 2006. 21:719-30. doi: 10.1093/her/cyl077.
Wahab MSA, Jalani MM, Goh KW, Ming LC, Faller EM. Why did I consult my pharmacist about herbal and dietary supplements? An online survey amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022; 19:10994. doi: 10.3390/ijerph191710994.
Kaplan Y, Demir O, Karadas B, Kaplan MD. Online weight loss supplement market and public health: An analysis of Turkish websites marketing weight loss supplements. Cumhuriyet Med J 2012; 34:138-45. http://dx.doi.org/10.7197/1305-0028.973
Chan SP, Chui WC, Lo KW, Huang KC, Leyesa ND, Lin WY, et al. Consensus statement: Appropriate consumer education and communication programs for weight-loss agents in Asia. Asia Pac J Public Health 2012; 24:641-49. doi: 10.1177/1010539511402189.
Xing S, Sharp L, Touchette D. Weight loss drugs and lifestyle modification: Perceptions among a diverse adult sample. Patient Educ Couns 2017; 100:592-97. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2016.11.004.
Ariffin SH, Wahab IA, Hassan Y, Abd Wahab MS. Adulterated traditional-herbal medicinal products and its safety signals in Malaysia. Drug Healthc Patient Saf 2021; 13:133-40. doi: 10.2147/DHPS.S305953.
Abd Wahab MS, Abd Malik NA, Sahudin S, Meor Mohd Affandi MMR, Othman N, Ali AA. Exploring the factors associated with the intention to assess customers’ herbal and dietary supplement use by community pharmacists in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. J Appl Pharm Sci 2019; 9:108-16. http://dx.doi.org/10.7324/JAPS.2019.91215
Wahab MSA, Sakthong P, Winit-Watjana W. Qualitative exploration of pharmacist care for herbal and dietary supplement users in Thai community pharmacies. J Pharm Health Serv Res 2019; 10:57-66. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jphs.12238
Ting CY, Abd Wahab MS, Lee KS, Tan RT, Ming LC. A cross-sectional study on the use of, preference for, and perceived reliability of mass media for drug-related information among the general public in Sarawak. Ther Innov Regul Sci 2017; 51:212-20. doi: 10.1177/2168479016674041.
Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Public Health and Pharmacy
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with Journal of Public Health and Pharmacy retain the copyright of their work. The journal applies a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0), which grants the following rights:
-
Copyright Retention: Authors retain the copyright of their work, maintaining full control over their intellectual property without restrictions.
-
Right of First Publication: Authors grant the journal the right of first publication of their work. This ensures that the work is initially published and credited in Journal of Public Health and Pharmacy.
-
License to Share and Reuse: The work is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, allowing others to copy, distribute, remix, and build upon the work for any purpose, even commercially, as long as proper credit is given to the authors, and any new creations are licensed under the same terms.
