Television and radio commercials for breast-enhancement treatments and weight-loss products and equipment will be banned across the country starting next month.

The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television and the State Administration of Industry and Commerce (SAIC) issued the ban on Wednesday.

The ban is targeted at misleading advertisements in which some medical organizations exaggerate the results of treatment, inviting "experts and patients" to show the "magic effects," according to the two administrations.

Zhao Jian, deputy director of the SAIC's advertising supervision department, said the problem is "very serious" and has harmed consumers' legitimate rights and interests.

"Misleading commercials have also affected credibility of radio and television," he said.

The Beijing Administration for Industry and Commerce (BAIC) received only one complaint about TV direct-selling commercials in 2004, but the number soared to 451 last year.

The complaints focused on the exaggerated effect and poor quality of the products, according to the BAIC.

Early this month, consumer rights watchdogs said they were investigating a breast enhancement treatment that promises to transfer unwanted weight from the hips to the breasts.

Bolibao, a "miracle" treatment touted on 17 TV stations, was accused in a China Central Television documentary of causing gynaecological problems and of having no effect at all.

So far the ban has gained wide public support and recognition from large TV shopping companies.

Nine out of 10 people randomly surveyed on the street by China Daily said such commercials should have been banned a long time ago.

Deng Chuanmei, a 40-year-old mother, said she felt embarrassed when she saw some of the breast enhancement advertisements on TV, especially when she was with her husband or 15-year-old son.

"Some of them are like pornographic movies," she said.

More than 1,000 people have also expressed support for the ban on Sina.com, one of China's largest websites.

Large TV shopping firms such as the Shanghai Seven Star TV Shopping Company said the ban would better regulate the market and benefit the industry in the long run.

"We'll suffer a loss of about 20 per cent in business, and a large number of small companies may face shutdown," a sales manager of the company said. "But we consider the policy positive for a healthy TV shopping industry."

Advertisement rates may be up to 5,000 yuan (US$625) per minute for such commercials, which last anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes, he said.

At about 2:00 pm on Wednesday, 18 of the country's 53 TV channels were broadcasting such commercials, according to a report by The First, a daily newspaper in Beijing.

However, Zhu Changhao, vice-chairman of the China Association of Pharmaceutical Commerce, urged the governing bodies to issue harsh punishments for any violations.

"Otherwise, I'm not optimistic about the result of the ban," he said.

Source: China Daily