Date: Fri May 27 1994 13:00:50
From: Pete Porro
AP 05/27 09:17 EDT V0838
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) -- Forget silicone, says a hypnotist who ran newspaper
ads saying he could help women develop larger breasts through the power of
suggestion.
Kentucky's attorney general doesn't believe it and accused Steve Marek of
deceptive business practices in a lawsuit filed Thursday.
The advertisements claimed women could increase their breasts "one full cup
size without surgery or implants, safely, through hypnosis with a program
developed by a medical doctor," the lawsuit said.
"The theory is that some women, during puberty, may suppress their growth
for some reason or other," a state investigator said in an affidavit filed
with the lawsuit.
"When hypnotized, he took them back to puberty and asked them to release the
suppression. He indicated the client had to be very motivated to do this," the
affidavit said.
The claim is made "in the absence of any medically recognized evidence that
such treatments are successful," Attorney General Chris Gorman said in the
lawsuit.
Marek operates a counseling service in Lexington and is not a medical
doctor, although he does have a doctorate from the American Institute for
Hypnotherapy in Santa Ana, Calif., the lawsuit said.
A message left at Marek's office Thursday seeking comment was not returned.
Marek told the state investigator he "performed the technique on two friends
about a year ago, but only as a personal favor," the lawsuit said.
He was just starting to offer the service publicly and had five or six
prospective clients, the lawsuit said. The 12-week program cost $375, the
lawsuit said.
Gorman is seeking a $2,000 fine for each violation of the state's consumer
protection law, and a court order barring Marek from offering breast
enlargements.
Marek's ads also claim he can help clients lose weight, stop smoking,
overcome alcoholism and prolong their lives.
Return to The Skeptic Tank's main Index page.
The views and opinions stated within this web page are those of the
author or authors which wrote them and may not reflect the views and
opinions of the ISP or account user which hosts the web page. The
opinions may or may not be those of the Chairman of The Skeptic Tank.