The legality of slimming advertisements in Singapore

Governments in newly affluent countries like Singapore perceive a growing obesity problem, which in turn attracts the attention of numerous suppliers of slimming aids of dubious value. Advertisements relating to these appear in many cases to breach the Sale of Food Act and the Medicines Act. Under these provisions, oral and transdermal slimming aids which are not prescription drugs or on the General Sales List must have a permit if they are to be advertised, which is granted if the authorities are satisfied as to the existence of evidence for efficacy. If perceived to be harmful, however, a product can be banned and if the associated advertisement is misleading it will attract a financial penalty. Slimming aids formally excluded (like herbal preparations) can be brought under the Act by executive order and banned from sale. That this formidable array of controls is rarely applied is due to the voluntary regulatory machinery of an advertising standards authority, a non-governmental body with a parallel in many other countries. However it has limited resources. It is suggested that either the executive or the advertising authority or both could adopt more rigorous criteria for the application of the law in the interests of the public.