This study examines the long-term efficacy of the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) 2003 Red Flag Initiative, which aimed to curb the prevalence of deceptive claims in over-the-counter (OTC) weight loss product advertising. The principal component of this effort was the FTC’s promotion of voluntary guidelines which encouraged media outlets to screen advertisements for the seven deceptive (“Red Flag”) claims prior to publication. By analyzing the content of English-language advertisement airings appearing in nationally circulated print magazines and on television programs between 2010 and 2011, this study evaluates the success of the Red Flag Initiative as a long-term regulatory solution to deceptive advertising in this market. This study finds that the FTC’s voluntary initiative failed to halt the dissemination of deceptive claims during the time period analyzed. In response to the FTC’s actions, manufacturers appear to have engaged in offsetting behaviors and employed other creative content to convey similar deceptive information in their advertising, allowing them to avoid scrutiny while continuing to mislead consumers.

这项研究考察了联邦贸易委员会（FTC）2003年红旗计划的长期效力，该计划旨在遏制非处方（OTC）减肥产品广告中欺诈性声明的普遍性。这项工作的主要内容是FTC推广自愿准则，鼓励媒体在发布之前筛选广告以掩盖七种欺诈（“红旗”）声明。通过分析2010年至2011年间在全国发行的印刷杂志和电视节目中出现的英语广告播出的内容，本研究评估了红旗计划作为该市场上欺骗性广告的长期监管解决方案的成功。这项研究发现，FTC的自愿举措未能在所分析的时间内阻止欺诈性主张的传播。作为对FTC行动的回应，制造商似乎参与了抵消行为，并利用其他创意内容在广告中传达类似的欺骗性信息，从而在继续误导消费者的同时避免了审查。