Lap Band Marketing Suffers

?The desire to achieve the perfect weight is at an all time high across the country, but for those living in the Southern California area, the solution has long been right before their eyes. For many years, there have been dozens of billboards plastered across the roadside advertising the controversial lap band surgery. The billboards are quick and to the point, many simply stating "Results proven! Call 1-800-GET-THIN!"

In fact, the billboards were so direct that it led to widespread outrage about the dangers of the lap band procedure. While lap bands do help overweight individuals shed pounds quickly, the surgery doesn't come without risk. In several cases, patients have suffered from life-altering side effects and even death from the surgery.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) located in the Los Angeles area have long expressed concern about the ads and the misguided message they send. The FDA has even gone as far as to state that the billboards violated federal law by not including any information about the possible risks during surgery.

Despite this, the ad campaign has been going strong for several years, being called one of the most aggressive ad campaigns in California history. The 1-800-GET-THIN advertisements could be seen on billboards, park benches, buses, TVs, and even heard on the radio.

As the campaign grew more and more popular, the number of Southern California patients who died during the procedure also increased. This caused the Allergan Inc., makers of the lap band, to stop selling their products to all companies and clinics affiliated with the misleading billboards.

As of 2011, that company that runs 1-800-GET-THIN has failed to renew their advertising contract. No comment has been made from the company itself, but many billboards that previously hosted the '1-800-GET-THIN' advertisement can now be seen advertising restaurants, law firms, and nearby strip clubs.