Health & Fitness

Dogs are more than pets — they’re furry family members. If you thought you could help your dog live 30% longer just by choosing different dog food, would you pass up the chance?

That’s exactly what ads for Eukanuba dog food claimed it could do. But according to an FTC settlement with Mars Petcare US announced today, it wasn’t true.

What if you could substantially improve your school grades, standardized test scores, athletic performance, and future earning abilities? You might be interested, right?

That’s just what ads from LearningRx Franchise Corporation, the company that runs a network of more than 80 learning centers, promised its “brain training” programs could do. Some ads went further, claiming the programs are clinically proven to help permanently overcome the symptoms of ADHD, autism, age-related cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease, strokes, and traumatic brain injuries. Customers often spent thousands of dollars for the company’s programs, which could take months to complete.

But before you get on the brain train, know this: These claims are unproven, according to an FTC complaint. Learning Rx has agreed to settle the FTC's charges.

If you’re easing out of your winter cocoon and planning to slip into a tanning bed for a bronzing, consider the poor moth drawn to a flame: it’s headed for trouble. Experts agree that ultraviolet (UV) radiation from indoor tanning devices damages the skin and increases your risk of cancer.

In its ads, tanning device seller Mercola promised its tanning beds, booths, and lamps were “safe,” would “slash your risk of cancer,” and emitted a red light that could reverse the signs of aging. Mercola’s ads also claimed the FDA endorsed indoor tanning as safe. Not so, says the FTC, which announced that Joseph Mercola and his companies, Mercola.com, LLC, and Mercola.com Health Resources, LLC, will refund up to $5.3 million to customers under a settlement with the agency.

The FTC’s Contact Lens Rule makes it easier to comparison shop – which can help you save money. You see (no pun, intended), the Rule gives you the right to get your prescription from your eye doctor – whether you ask for it or not – at no extra charge. You can use the prescription to buy contacts wherever they are sold – from an eye doctor, from a store, or online. Cost and quality can vary a lot from seller to seller, so it pays to shop around for the best deal.