• The telehealth company Hims & Hers’ Super Bowl ad, “Sick of the System,” promoting compounded weight-loss drugs, has drawn criticism from health advocates, lawmakers and medical professionals.
• The ad co-opts the “Make America Healthy Again” movement’s messaging, which emphasizes natural health solutions, to market pharmaceutical drugs, leading to accusations of misleading and illegal practices.
• Senators Durbin and Marshall have warned the FDA about the ad’s misleading nature, while health experts like Dr. Scott Hagan and Shabbir Imber Safdar have called it “cynical” and “dangerous.”
• The ad promotes compounded semaglutide, a drug not subject to FDA approval, raising concerns about its safety and efficacy. Experts warn of potential overdose risks.
• The controversy highlights the issue of prioritizing quick fixes over sustainable health solutions, underscoring the need for addressing the root causes of poor health, such as processed foods and sedentary lifestyles.

The Super Bowl, America’s most-watched television event, has long been a platform for bold advertising. But this year, a controversial ad from telehealth company Hims & Hers has drawn sharp criticism from health advocates, lawmakers and medical professionals. The ad, titled “Sick of the System,” promotes compounded weight-loss drugs while co-opting the messaging of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement—a campaign rooted in natural health solutions like clean eating and exercise. Critics argue the ad is not only misleading but also illegal, as it fails to disclose the risks of the medications it promotes.

A cynical hijacking of MAHA messaging

The “Sick of the System” ad opens with a scale and a narrator lamenting America’s obesity crisis, blaming a “system built to keep us sick and stuck.” It critiques the $160 billion weight-loss industry, flashing images of junk food while claiming, “Something’s broken, and it’s not our bodies.” The ad then pivots to promote Hims & Hers’ compounded weight-loss drugs as a “life-changing” solution, claiming they are “affordable” and “doctor-trusted.”

Calley Means, founder of TrueMed and a former consultant for major food and pharmaceutical companies, called the ad “illegal” in a post on X. “Ads pushing drugs must communicate the risks of the product,” Means wrote. “This drug has pronounced side effects—but this ad promotes easy prescriptions for millennials as some kind of counter-cultural moral good.” He added, “The fact that they are co-opting MAHA messaging is cynical BS. We don’t have an obesity crisis because of a lack of Ozempic. It is because pharmaceutical companies have rigged our incentives to profit when we are sick.”

The MAHA movement, championed by RFK Jr., emphasizes natural health solutions, including clean eating, exercise and reducing reliance on pharmaceuticals. By aligning its ad with MAHA’s anti-establishment tone, Hims & Hers appears to position itself as a rebel against the system—while simultaneously profiting from it.

Lawmakers and health experts sound the alarm

The ad has also drawn scrutiny from lawmakers. Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Roger Marshall (R-KS) sent a letter to the acting head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), warning that the ad “risks misleading patients.” They noted, “Nowhere in this promotion is there any side-effect disclosure, risk or safety information as would be typically required in a pharmaceutical advertisement.”

The senators highlighted that the ad briefly flashes a disclaimer in small font, stating that the medications are not FDA-approved. However, this disclaimer is easy to miss, and the ad’s overall tone suggests that the drugs are a safe and effective solution to America’s obesity crisis.

Health experts have echoed these concerns. Dr. Scott Hagan, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Washington, criticized the ad’s attempt to portray Hims & Hers as anti-establishment. “They try to present themselves as anti-establishment,” he said. “But the company represents the cutting edge of, basically, capitalism in this space.”

Shabbir Imber Safdar, executive director of the Partnership for Safe Medicines, called the ad “dangerous.” He likened it to “running an ad for a Cadillac and not telling anybody that the car you’re selling is made by a Yugo.”

The dangers of compounded drugs

Compounded drugs, like those promoted by Hims & Hers, are custom-made alternatives to brand-name medications. While they can be useful in certain situations, they are not subject to the same rigorous FDA approval process as traditional drugs. This means their safety, efficacy and quality are not guaranteed.

The FDA has warned about the risks of compounded weight-loss drugs, including the potential for overdose. Despite these warnings, Hims & Hers has capitalized on the growing demand for GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy, which are often in short supply. The company offers compounded semaglutide—the active ingredient in Ozempic—for under 200 a month, compared to the 1,000 price tag for brand-name versions.

While this may seem like a win for consumers, experts argue that the ad’s framing is misleading. “The idea that this for-profit company is not exploiting you financially because it’s making it a little bit cheaper to get knockoff Ozempic—that is a wild claim,” said Kate Manne, author of “Unshrinking: How to Face Fatphobia.”

A call for real health solutions

The controversy surrounding the Hims & Hers ad underscores a broader issue in America’s healthcare system: the prioritization of quick fixes over sustainable, natural health solutions. The MAHA movement’s emphasis on clean eating, exercise and reducing reliance on pharmaceuticals offers a stark contrast to the ad’s promotion of experimental drugs.

As Calley Means aptly put it, “We don’t have an obesity crisis because of a lack of Ozempic.” The crisis stems from a system that profits from sickness rather than promoting true health. Until we address the root causes of poor health—processed foods, sedentary lifestyles and a profit-driven healthcare system—ads like this will continue to mislead consumers and perpetuate the cycle of dependency on pharmaceuticals.

The Hims & Hers Super Bowl ad may have succeeded in grabbing attention, but it has also sparked a much-needed conversation about the dangers of prioritizing profits over people. As lawmakers and health advocates push for greater transparency and accountability, one thing is clear: real health comes from a healthy lifestyle, not from dangerous medicines.

Sources include:

ZeroHedge.com

X.com

NYTimes.com

CNBC.com