Billboard in Dubai claiming to cure diabetes via yoga removed

A photo of the billboard was circulating on social media this week.

A billboard in Dubai claiming residents can "beat diabetes, arthritis and back pain in only 10 days with no medicines" has angered doctors, with some saying it's a "dangerous message" which could encourage patients to go off their medications without a doctor's advice.

The billboard is advertising a yoga center called 'Sanjeev Krishna Yoga' and it was promoting one of their programs, 'Rhythm of Life'.

A photo of the billboard was circulating on social media this week and was put up initially on Twitter by a doctor, who questioned the authorization of the advertisement. Her post drew in numerous comments and re-posts from outraged residents.

"First, it was clinical depression that was curable in 10 days with yoga! Now it's diabetes and arthritis? You read that right, #diabetes and #arthitis in 10 days without medications! If that ad is unauthorized as @mohapuae confirmed, who on earth authorized this one?" the tweet said. "It really doesn't take a clinician to question the irrational claims this center is making. If you are diabetic, please don't stop your insulin for 10 days and rely on your mountain pose for a miracle. A little common sense goes a long way.

"It is amusing to see businesses telling people that they can cure their diabetes without diabetic medications when there are so many who have to live with devastating complications of uncontrolled diabetes such as strokes, heart disease, amputations, blindness, kidney failure, etc."

The Ministry of Health and Prevention (Mohap) responded and said that the advertisement is not licensed by it. The ministry tweeted: "This advertisement is not licensed by the Ministry of Health and Prevention, and we inform the concerned authorities to take action against this repeated violation. Please be sure that the ministry is following these advertisements continually."

The owner of the yoga studio, Sanjeev Krishna, claimed to Khaleej Times that the billboard was put up and gifted to him by one of his students.

He claimed it had been taken down on Sunday after he received a call from the authorities, adding that he was not fined, even though there is a Dh5,000 fine for violating advertising rules in the UAE.

He said: "I didn't put up the billboard, it was one of my students who benefited from the program and gave it to me as a gift. The municipality had called and told me it was better if we removed it, so we took it down yesterday."