Fabricated endorsements for 'mixed nuts to replace regular meals' spread in the Philippines
- This article is more than one year old.
- Published on May 20, 2023 at 11:50
- 5 min read
- By Ara Eugenio, AFP Philippines
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"I recommend everyone should use nutritional nuts to replace meals," says this Facebook post, uploaded on May 1, 2023.
It shares an order form for a product called "Super Meal" that supposedly contains a mix of cashews, almonds and walnuts.
The lengthy caption adds the product has a range of health benefits including reducing nervous disorders and preventing ageing.
The post also features a clip that appears to show well-known Filipino internist and cardiologist Dr Willie Ong -- who regularly gives medical advice to his tens of millions of followers on Facebook and YouTube -- holding a bag of "Super Meal" (archived links here and here).
"It's really good for people with diabetes, or those at risk of diabetes, as it can improve insulin resistance," Ong is heard saying in the clip, which has racked up more than 370,000 views.
The video goes on to show Filipina celebrities: physician Dr Vicki Belo and actress Coleen Garcia-Crawford -- both of whom also apparently promoting the product (archived links here and here).
Similar posts advertising "Super Meal" have also appeared here and here.
The claim appears to have misled some social media users.
"How much doc Willie?" asked one Facebook user who seemed interested to buy the product.
Another Facebook user complained about the product that was delivered to them and said: "I wish you'd sent me the same product you advertised, what I got was all raisins, you are useless."
However, Ong and representatives for Belo and Garcia-Crawford all denied they endorsed "Super Meal".
In a video posted on his verified Facebook page on April 18, 2023, Ong said the only product he's endorsed is a brand of milk for seniors (archived link).
"There are so many scams using my face, not only mine but those of other celebrities and influencers," he said. "If you see these ads, almost all of them are fake."
A representative for Belo told AFP on May 18, 2023: "Please be informed that Belo Medical Group and Dr Vicki Belo are not in any way affiliated with this product and any product not posted on our official websites and pages.
A representative for Garcia-Crawford separately said on the same day: "The video is false. Coleen Garcia-Crawford has not endorsed this product."
Manipulated video
The clip shared in the false posts had actually been digitally manipulated to make it appear Ong, Belo and Garcia-Crawford promoted "Super Meal".
The clips that show Ong had been lifted from two videos previously posted on his verified YouTube channel.
One is a June 2013 video about the general health benefits of walnuts, while another is an April 2023 video about how oatmeal -- not mixed nuts -- could help people with diabetes (archived links here and here).
Ong does not make any reference to "Super Meal" in either video. They had been edited to insert images of the product, as shown in screenshot comparisons of the video in the false post (left) and the genuine clips (right):
Belo's original photo was earlier published in a January 2022 report by Philippine news outlet Inquirer.net and shows her posing beside the "Beauty Industry Pioneer of the Year Award" that her company, Belo Medical Group, had won (archived link).
Below is a screenshot comparison of the video in the false post (left) and the genuine image of Belo (right):
Meanwhile, Garcia-Crawford's purported endorsement was taken from an August 2021 video posted on her verified Instagram account (archived link). The genuine clip shows her promoting a local brand of instant cereal for infants -- not "Super Meal".
Below is a screenshot comparison of the video in the false post (left) and the genuine video of Garcia-Crawfod (right):
Both Ong and Belo had been targeted by posts that share fabricated product endorsements, which AFP has debunked here, here, here and here.
'Outrageous' claims
Mary Jeean Rico, a registered nutritionist in the Philippines, said the claims in the posts are "outrageous" (archived link).
"Athough nuts do serve as a source of protein, fibre and healthy fats, they cannot replace meals," she told AFP on May 19, 2023.
"Nuts are healthy at the recommended amount (1/3 cup or a handful per day) and are good sources of iron, zinc, and dietary fiber," Riem Dante, a Filipino registered nutritionist, said on May 18, 2023 (archived link). "However, this cannot replace the macro- and micronutrients needed for our daily bodily functions."
He added the other purported benefits of the product -- for example against diabetes, nervous disorders or ageing -- are baseless. "Solving these medical issues require pharmacological intervention, lifestyle and dietary changes that go beyond eating nuts," Dante said.
Multiple keyword searches on the Philippine Food and Drug Administration's website found no product registration for "Super Meal", as of May 20, 2023.
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