Celsius Lawsuit Alleges Energy Drinks Cannot Burn Fat on Their Own as Advertised

A proposed class action lawsuit alleges that Celsius energy drinks are falsely advertised as able to help speed up metabolism and burn body fat.

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The 42-page lawsuit accuses defendants Celsius Holdings, Inc. and Celsius, Inc. of “courting” health-conscious consumers with marketing claims that the energy drinks can “accelerate metabolism,” “burn body fat,” and help a person “live fit,” even though the products cannot provide the touted health and wellness benefits without diet and exercise.

The filing says that Celsius intends for consumers to rely on its prominent front-label fat-burning and metabolism claims, which suggest that simply consuming its energy drinks by themselves will increase metabolism and burn fat.

“Celsius knows the Wellness Claims are misleading and deceptive, but chose to keep them on the front of the labels, without any elaboration or explanation,” the case reads.

The lawsuit also argues that Celsius’ claims that its energy drinks are “clinically proven” to accelerate metabolism are false and misleading. Although Celsius cites various studies to purportedly bolster its marketing claims that the beverages can burn fat, the studies were funded by Celsius itself, a caveat that is not disclosed to consumers, the case alleges.

The class action lawsuit claims that Celsius has engaged in “healthwashing,” which is the practice of making a product appear healthier than it actually is to appeal to health- and wellness-conscious consumers and induce them to pay premium prices for purportedly health-benefiting products.

“By misleadingly and deceptively communicating to consumers that the [Celsius energy drinks] have certain health and wellness benefits, Celsius deprives consumers of the ability to make informed purchasing decisions and causes them to pay a premium for products they otherwise would not have purchased, or for which they would have paid less,” the lawsuit contends.

‘Clinically proven’ language is misleading, Celsius lawsuit says

Per the complaint, despite contradictory evidence from independent studies, Celsius represents that multiple studies show that the beverages at issue have thermogenic properties and that drinking just one of the energy drinks before exercise can reduce body fat, increase endurance, and reduce fatigue.

The class action suit takes particular issue with Celsius’ claims that its energy drinks are clinically proven to accelerate metabolism and assist with weight loss, given that, according to the case, all of the scientific studies cited by the company were solicited and funded by Celsius itself. Moreover, all but one of the studies share common authors, and one was conducted by a “now long-defunct” business entity, the suit says.

None of these qualifiers, which consumers would likely deem important, are disclosed by Celsius, the case states.

Further, the lawsuit alleges that none of the cited studies prove that consumption of Celsius energy drinks can cause meaningful fat loss without a calorie deficit. Instead, the studies show that the drinks provide only a temporary, minimal increase in “acute metabolic markers,” such as resting energy expenditure and free fatty acid levels, over the course of a few hours—not fat loss over weeks.

Celsius conceals that its energy drinks cannot cause fat loss by themselves, case states

According to the filing, at the “very bottom” of Celsius cans and on the back of its on-the-go drink mixes, in “minute” lettering the suit says is deliberately designed to be easy to miss, the company admits that “CELSIUS alone does not produce weight loss in the absence of a healthy diet and moderate exercise.”

The complaint contends that this hidden admission “flatly contradicts” the unqualified and prominent representations on the products’ front labels that attest the drinks can burn body fat.

Importantly, the lawsuit emphasizes the difference between the front-label claims that the drinks can “accelerate metabolism” and Celsius’ concession that the energy drinks “help maintain” the body’s metabolic function.

“Based on Celsius’s Misrepresentations, partial misrepresentations and the overall impression communicated by the labels, no reasonable consumer would discern that the Wellness Claims as promised by the Healthwashed Energy Products were, in fact, misleading, deceptive, and unfair,” the complaint summarizes. “Considered together rather [than] in isolation, the labels combine to convey the net impression that the Healthwashed Energy Products offer health and wellness benefits such as accelerating metabolism and burning body fat when drinking the Products by themselves.”

Which Celsius drinks are mentioned in the lawsuit?

At issue in the class action lawsuit are Celsius energy drinks in the Essential Energy Sparkling Galaxy Vibe, Sparkling Astro Vibe, Sparkling Tropical Vibe, Sparkling Peach Vibe, Sparkling Raspberry Peach, Sparkling Wild Berry, Sparkling Watermelon, Sparkling Grape Rush, Sparkling Orange, Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade, Sparkling Arctic Vibe, Sparkling Fuji Apple Pear, Fizz-Free Blue Razz Lemonade, Sparkling Kiwi Strawberry, Fizz-Free Raspberry Acai Green Tea, and Fizz-Free Pink Lemonade varieties, as well as the Celsius On-The-Go Strawberry Coconut, Blueberry Lemonade, and Cranberry Lemon varieties.

Who’s eligible for the Celsius lawsuit?

The Celsius class action lawsuit looks to cover all individuals who purchased any of the Celsius energy drinks listed above in the state of Washington between October 26, 2022 and the time of trial.

How do I join the Celsius class action lawsuit?

Typically, there is nothing you need to do to join or sign up for a class action lawsuit when it is initially filed. Should the case be resolved with a class action settlement, class members will typically receive written notice of the deal via mail and/or email with instructions on any next steps and details about their legal rights.

If you’ve purchased any of the Celsius energy drinks at issue, or just want to stay informed about class action lawsuit and class action settlement news, sign up for ClassAction.org’s free weekly newsletter.

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