These videos of prominent journalists promoting medicines for Diabetes/Obesity are fake - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
March 14, 2024
Update (14 March 2024):
Another video (archive) featuring prominent personalities such as Mithun Chakraborty, Shahrukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Akshay Kumar, Yogi Adityanath, Hema Malini, and Atul Gawande allegedly promoting a diabetes medicine is currently circulating widely online. Let’s verify the authenticity of the post.
A reverse image search of the viral video has led us to the original videos from which each clip used in the viral video was sourced. Details can be seen below:
Mithun Chakraborty:
The original video was uploaded to the YouTube channel of NDTV on 08 March 2021. In this video, he can be seen discussing his decision to join the BJP. He has not endorsed any diabetes medicine in this video.
Shahrukh Khan:
The original video was uploaded to the YouTube channel of The Economic Times on 15 February 2024. In this video, Khan can be seen speaking at the World Government Summit about films and his career. He has not endorsed any diabetes medicine in this video.
Aishwarya Rai:
The original video was uploaded to Hotstar in 2019, featuring an interview with Anupama Chopra. In this video, she can be seen discussing her career and upcoming films. She has not endorsed any diabetes medicine in this video.
Akshay Kumar:
The original video was uploaded to the YouTube channel of Aaj Tak on 25 February 2023. In this video, he can be seen discussing his life, films, family, etc. He has not endorsed any diabetes medicine in this video.
Yogi Adityanath:
The original video was uploaded to the YouTube channel of ABP News on 26 February 2022. In this video, he can be seen discussing the 2022 UP elections. He has not endorsed any diabetes medicine in this video.
Hema Malini:
The original video was uploaded to the YouTube channel of BBC News Hindi on 11th April 2019. In this video, she can be seen discussing the 2019 General elections. She has not endorsed any diabetes medicine in this video.
Atul Gawande:
The original video was uploaded to the YouTube channel of BBC Radio 4 on 1st December 2014. In this video, he can be seen discussing his book ‘The Future of Medicine’. He has not endorsed any diabetes medicine in this video.
Apparently, the audio in the above videos has been manipulated using AI audio cloning software to create the false impression that they are endorsing a diabetes medicine.
Update (13 March 2024):
Another video (archive) of the Uttar Pradesh CM, Yogi Adityanath, allegedly promoting medicine for the treatment of Diabetes has surfaced on social media. In the viral video, which looks like a clip from an interview with news channel Aaj Tak, he can be seen saying that this medicine can be purchased on a website whose link is shared along with the video. Let’s verify the authenticity of the video.
The reverse image search of the viral video took us to the original footage, which matches the visuals of the viral content. This video was uploaded to Aaj Tak’s YouTube channel on 07 August 2021. After investigating, we found that Yogi Adityanath wasn’t promoting any diabetes medicine in the video. Instead, he discussed political matters like COVID-19 and the 2022 UP Assembly elections. Furthermore, upon noticing the discrepancy in lip-sync, it’s evident that the voice ascribed to him was generated using AI voice cloning software and subsequently incorporated into the viral video.
Moreover, according to media reports, an FIR was lodged at the cyber police station against a Facebook profile ‘Grace Garsia’ for posting this video.
Update (12 February 2024):
A video of the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, allegedly promoting a medicine for the treatment of Diabetes has surfaced on social media. In the viral video, which looks like a clip from an interview with news channel Aaj Tak, he can be seen saying that this medicine can be purchased on a website with a link along with the video.
However, Yogi Adityanath has not promoted this medicine. The viral clip is part of an interview with Aaj Tak news channel on the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
Nowhere in this interview, he spoke about the alleged medicine for diabetes which is seen in the viral clip. This means that the viral clip was made by clipping it from this interview, removing his original audio, and dubbing it in a way that makes it seem as if he was promoting a medicine for diabetes.
Update (04 January 2024):
A recent video featuring Rajeev Dhoundiyal, a journalist from Aaj Tak, endorsing weight loss capsules, is gaining popularity on various social media platforms.
However, we could not find any report of the Aaj Tak reporter endorsing weight loss products. It is highly probable that the video, along with previous ones, has been digitally manipulated. The URL embedded in the viral post directs to a website whose domain was registered in Moscow in October 2023 and is scheduled to expire in a year.
Published (01 December 2023):
Multiple videos are being shared on social media claiming they show visuals of prominent journalists promoting different medicines for Diabetes disease. Those videos can be seen here, here, here, here, and here. The news anchors in the video say that the medicine can stabilize blood sugar levels in ten minutes. These posts provided a link below and asked users to go through the website and purchase the medicine for diabetes. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Videos of journalists promoting medicines for diabetes.
Fact: All the videos shared through these posts are fake. These journalists  never promoted such diabetes medicines on their respective news channels. The links provided in the posts direct to the articles published by fake sites. There is no such medicine approved by the FDA that could cure diabetes in ten minutes. Hence, the claim made in the post is False.
When we searched for the video of Arnab Goswami using relevant keywords, we found the same video on the Republic World website on 16 November 2023. The original video shows Arnab Goswami’s debate on China and Pakistan’s relationships. Arnab Goswami did not promote any diabetes medicine in this video.
The URL provided below the post directs to a website named ‘sparsim.info’. According to the ‘Whois’ website, the domain ‘sparsim.Info’ was registered in May 2023, and the registrant’s name is not specified. This dubious site published fake articles on diabetes medicines with the name of ‘Aaj Tak’ news site.
The other videos shared in the post are also fake. These journalists never promoted any such diabetes tablets as mentioned in these posts. The links provided below these posts are not working. A few users have made posts clarifying that these dubious posts promoting diabetes products with the video clippings of news journalists as fake.
Diabetes & Cure
Diabetes is a chronic medical condition characterized by elevated levels of blood glucose, commonly referred to as blood sugar. This occurs when the body either cannot produce enough insulin or cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. Insulin is a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar and allows cells to absorb and use glucose for energy. More details about Diabetes can be seen here.
In a publication from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is emphasized that individuals with diabetes should engage in weight loss, follow a nutritious diet, maintain physical activity, and incorporate medication into their treatment. Both the World Health Organization (WHO) and India’s National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) state on their respective websites that early diagnosis of diabetes, coupled with the adoption of a healthy lifestyle, can help individuals with diabetes mitigate the severe consequences associated with the condition. However, there is no such medicine approved by the FDA or any other body that could treat Diabetes in ten minutes.
To sum it up, these videos of journalists promoting medicines for diabetes disease are fake.