The Consumer Council has exposed a series of suspected advertising scams promising rapid height increase in adolescents and adults.
This followed complaints from consumers who were lured by these magazine ads to the beauty centres.
A study of the advertising claims in question revealed that invariably they promised "rapid height increase" through "physiotherapy/medical therapy" with the aid of drugs, devices and the skills of professionals, and "no need for surgery or injection".
Often the ads were reinforced with vivid text and graphics promoting height increase to anyone of all ages and genders regardless of the state of under-development in height or body growth.
Some made the claim of using the most advanced technology to "re-activate the soft tissues between the bones so as to achieve growth effect of up to 1-5 inches".
The Council has sought the expert opinion of the Hong Kong Medical Association and the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association on such advertising claims.
Both are unequivocal in their reservations and doubts about the validity of the claims, and of the opinion that the claims are medically groundless based on mistaken notions.
First, the use of physiotherapy for height increase has no scientific proof.
The fact is height increase is outside the scope of the science of physiotherapy. The so-called physiotherapies administered at the beauty centres are not orthodox physiotherapies as, by their own admission, none of their staff are qualified physiotherapists, but only beauticians.
Second, the claim that height increase is still attainable at any age, is misleading.
The fact is the human body would cease growth in height after the end of puberty - generally 18 years for the male and 16 years for the female, though this could vary from individual to individual.
The growth in height is due to the growth of epiphyses (growing ends) of the long bones of the lower limbs. The knees, for example, would be fused after puberty.
Third, only surgery or drug injection can provide the solution for height increase.
In the case of children, the eventual height could be modified by the use of growth hormone injections daily, with a calculated effective dose, before puberty.
Any such therapy should be preceded with a thorough assessment of the child, for example, to check the blood type to determine the type of growth hormone most appropriate for the therapy. In some situations there could be undesirable side-effects like joint pain, high blood sugar etc.
Nevertheless, in any case, growth hormone would not work for adults after puberty, but only bone stretching surgery, often an expensive, painful procedure that takes many months to see results.
Lastly, there is absolutely no scientific evidence to any so-called "advanced technology" in height increase. Complaints lodged by consumers who had been to these beauty centres could easily testify to this misleading claim.
There is currently no specific legislation governing misleading advertisements in the print media. As an immediate measure, the Consumer Council calls on the Government to extend the scope of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance to cover false or misleading trade descriptions, in addition to goods only at present, on also services.
The Consumer Council reserves all its right (including copyright) in respect of CHOICE Magazine and Online CHOICE ( https://echoice.consumer.org.hk/ ).