Acai Berry Diet As Seen On Oprah: Acai, Oprah, And The Truth!
Let the truth be told: the claim by many websites that they sell the acai berry diet as seen on Oprah is completely false. True, acai was featured on Oprah briefly but not in the way these websites would have you believe. No mention of the acai berry as an effective weight loss supplement was ever made nor did Oprah endorse any specific acai berry supplement.
False Advertising
Even if a particular acai brand does not claim that it was endorsed by Oprah herself, the as-seen-on phrase makes it appear that she really did endorse the brand. So how do these sites get away with using the supposed acai-Oprah connection to suggest an endorsement of their supplements by the popular talk show host? These companies simply include attention-grabbing tags on their pages like the overused “as featured on…” or “named as the number 1 Superfood by…” and then go on to use any reputable celebrity, popular show, network, or health expert illegally to sell more of their products. While smart consumers can spot these scams a mile away, sadly, most people take what they see at face value.
If you badly need to lose weight for instance, wouldn’t you be willing to try a product that’s been “endorsed” by a famous celebrity? Surely this product can deliver as promised, right? Well not really. While there can be no question as to the potential health benefits of acai berry, its popularity has also made it an easy target for scammers to make a quick buck. This has made it difficult for interested consumers to separate fact from fiction.
Oprah Addresses the Matter
Not surprisingly, her supposed recommendation of acai berry as a wonderful weight loss product and her endorsement of specific acai berry supplements, has not escaped the attention of the celebrity host. After all, the “Acai berry diet as seen on Oprah!” catchphrase is all over the internet. With so many websites illegally using Oprah’s image and claiming she endorsed a specific brand of product, the perception became reality in the eyes of the consumer. Oprah was forced to set the record straight and pursue those behind these websites legally. Here’s the official statement from the Oprah camp as published on her website:
“Consumers should be aware that neither Oprah Winfrey nor Dr. Oz are associated with, nor do they endorse any acai berry product, company or online solicitation of such products, including MonaVie juice products. Attorneys for Harpo are pursuing companies that claim such an affiliation.”
Other Celebrities as Endorsers
It seems that these scam companies would stop at nothing to convince people that their product works. They’ve also taken to “recruiting” other celebrity endorsers. Again, it’s all a matter of public perception. The approach used this time would be pasting pictures of famous Hollywood personalities with captions like “(they) all enjoy the benefits of acai…” These sites don’t actually say enough to get them into legal trouble but what they are doing is definitely deceiving the public.
Lesson learned: don’t believe everything you see, hear, or read about acai. Oprah has already revealed the truth about the “acai berry diet as seen on Oprah” hype and that should keep these sites quiet… at least until they find a new publicity stunt.