Health · Healthcare & Policy · 4 hrs ago
UK watchdog bans adverts for Rangan Chatterjee's blood-testing venture
The UK Advertising Standards Authority banned adverts for Do Health's blood tests after finding their claims misleading.
BBC doctor and podcast host Rangan Chatterjee promoted the venture on Facebook and LinkedIn.
Do Health offers an annual subscription costing £249, with blood tests and personalised lifestyle coaching.
The adverts suggested the tests could diagnose or help prevent serious conditions, including type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's disease.
The watchdog said it had seen no evidence to support those claims.
Do Health said references to Chatterjee's father's illness explained his interest in prevention, and argued his LinkedIn post was commentary rather than advertising.
The watchdog rejected that argument, saying the post promoted a service he had co-founded.
The Advertising Standards Authority banned adverts for Rangan Chatterjee’s blood-testing venture, Do Health, ruling that they misled consumers.
The watchdog said there was no evidence supporting claims that the tests could diagnose, prevent or otherwise address conditions including type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.
Chatterjee promoted Do Health in posts on Facebook and LinkedIn.
The ASA rejected Do Health’s argument that a LinkedIn post was commentary rather than an advert, finding that it promoted a service Chatterjee had co-founded.
Do Health said references to Chatterjee’s father’s illness explained his interest in prevention.
- Who
- The Advertising Standards Authority banned adverts for Do Health, promoted by Rangan Chatterjee.
- What
- The watchdog ruled that the adverts were misleading because claims about the tests were not substantiated.
- When
- Not stated
- Where
- Chatterjee promoted Do Health on Facebook and LinkedIn.
- Why
- The ASA said it had not seen evidence that the tests could diagnose, prevent or otherwise address the named medical conditions.
Do Health
Advertising Standards Authority
Basis for promotion
Do Health
Do Health said references to Chatterjee’s father explained his interest in prevention.
Advertising Standards Authority
The ASA said the references gave consumers the impression the tests could identify serious conditions and help prevent them worsening.
LinkedIn post
Do Health
Do Health argued the post was commentary about healthcare and the launch of a venture, not an advert.
Advertising Standards Authority
The ASA found that it promoted a service Chatterjee had co-founded.
Evidence for health claims
Do Health
Do Health disputed the ASA’s interpretation of its promotion.
Advertising Standards Authority
The ASA said it had not seen evidence supporting the claims about diagnosing, preventing or addressing medical conditions.
This story does not have a timeline yet.
- Regulator
- Advertising Standards Authority
- Venture
- Do Health
- Promoter
- Rangan Chatterjee
- Advertised subscription
- £249 annual subscription for blood tests and personalised lifestyle coaching
- Platforms
- Facebook and LinkedIn
What people are saying
We had not seen evidence to substantiate that Do Health’s blood tests could diagnose, prevent or otherwise address conditions such as type 2 diabetes or Alzheimer’s disease.
Therefore, because we had not seen any evidence to substantiate that Do Health’s blood tests could prevent and diagnose medical conditions such as those named in the ads, we concluded the ads were misleading.
I’ve had a father who got chronically unwell, got an autoimmune disease, and was on kidney dialysis for 15 years. I don’t want that for me.