Misleading height-growth ads / KBS 2025.03.05.

[Anchor] Parents hoping to see their children's height grow, even by just a little, often resort to every possible method, desperately holding onto any solution. In such cases, if they come across a post claiming that a child grew 1 centimeter a month after taking a certain medication, they can't help but be tempted. More than half of these health supplement advertisements have been found to be false or exaggerated. Reporter Jeong Yeon-wook has the story. [Report] At a pharmacy in downtown Seoul. Inquiries from customers looking for height-increasing medications are constant. [Pharmacy Staff/Voice Altered: "Many people do ask. Especially mothers of sons. They think it's better than not giving anything."] The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety reviewed 200 advertisements related to height growth and found that more than half, or 116 of them, were deemed inappropriate. Most of these ads misled consumers into believing that regular food products were health supplements that could aid in height growth. There were also cases where false claims were made about preventing diseases such as "precocious puberty." Some even deceived consumers with fake reviews stating, "My daughter grew 1 centimeter a month after taking the medication." 105 cases of hormone medications known to be effective for height growth were also found to be sold online without a doctor's prescription. Experts advise that it is preferable not to take such products if they do not present clear clinical trial results, and that regular exercise and a balanced diet are more beneficial for height growth. [Song Jong-geun/Pediatrician: "Jumping exercises can stimulate the growth plates, and eating proteins and calcium is essential, which can be obtained from foods like eggs, beef, and anchovies."] The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety also urged people to check for health supplement certification marks and verify the exact benefits to avoid being misled by false or exaggerated advertisements. This is Jeong Yeon-wook from KBS News. ▣ KBS 기사 원문보기 : http://news.kbs.co.kr/news/view.do?nc... ▣ 제보 하기 ◇ 카카오톡 : 'KBS제보' 검색 ◇ 전화 : 02-781-1234 ◇ 홈페이지 : https://goo.gl/4bWbkG ◇ 이메일 : [email protected] Copyright ⓒ KBS. All rights reserved. 무단 전재, 재배포 및 이용(AI 학습 포함) 금지