Skechers and Z-Packs – Aronberg & Aronberg

In this blog we’ve got some unsettling news about two common household products: Skechers shoes and the popular cold-fixer referred to as “Z-Pack.”

A giant settlement was just announced concerning one of the most famous companies in the world: Skechers, the shoe brand/manufacturer.  They’ve been all over the news recently, specifically with their television ads for their “Shape-Ups” shoe line which claims the shoes have a “slimming” effect on those who purchase the shoes.  Skechers poured so much money into the ad campaign that they even hired reality television star Kim Kardashian to promote their shoes in their television advertisements.

Despite its notability, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that the shoe giant will pay $40,000,000 to settle charges over their ads being deceptive.  The U.S. government agency says Skechers has been falsely claiming to have legitimate, clinical studies that to back-up the “slimming” claims in the ads.

Some of the ads for the shoes featured a chiropractor who said—in the ad—that he le an “independent” clinical study which proved that the shoes really did slim down those who wore them.  His claim that the study was “independent” was entirely false.  The chiropractor in the ad was married to one of Skecher’s marketing executives!  That’s like having a dentist say that she conducted an “independent” study to prove that a certain type of toothpaste works—and then it being discovered that the dentist is married to a marketing executive of the same toothpaste company.  Because of Skecher’s questionable actions, they will shell-out $40,000,000 in the settlement and also provide refunds to customers who were duped into buying the shoes in the first place.

Our next issue concerns Zithromax—more commonly referred to as “Z-Pack,” an popular antibiotic used for treating bronchitis and other common infections.  Last year, in the US alone, Zithromax, which is produced by Pfizer, raked in $464,000,000 in sales.  Its popularity is due to its effectiveness and the fact that it can be taken for fewer days than other leading brands.  A 14-year study conducted by Vanderbilt University, however, has yielded some surprising and concerning results about Z-Pack.  Apparently, use of the antibiotic increases chances for sudden and deadly heart problems.  While the overall risk is low, it is present, the doctors involved in the study confirmed.  It’s good to stay informed about the dangers involved with medications.  While we rely on these medicines to cure uncomfortable sicknesses, its important to be aware of the fact that these remedies can have negative side-effects of their own.

If you have any questions about these issues or any other possible legal issues, please contact the Law Offices of Aronberg & Aronberg at 561-266-9191 or email us at daronberg@build.simple.biz.