A leading obesity expert has slammed Dr Goyer and the "Medical Weightloss Institute" for spruiking blood tests for "hormone imbalances" and bespoke treatments that allegedly alter hormone production to aid weight loss.

The group, which has come to the attention of Australia's health professional watchdog, will not say what it is prescribing people on its website, but it does say its diet is a "piece of cake" and that some patients have lost so much weight they have become unrecognisable.

The treatment allegedly involves no calorie counting, no strenuous exercise and won't make people feel hungry while they lose weight off "trouble areas". Advertisements say patients will be cared for by "Australia's top weight loss doctor" Tom Goyer.

There are just a few catches. Dr Thomas Clement Goyer formerly worked for the now disgraced "Advanced Medical Institute" which targeted men with sexual dysfunction through its garish "Want longer lasting sex?" billboards.

Last year the federal court ruled AMI (also known as ACN Pty Ltd, NRM Corporation and NRM Trading Pty Ltd) had engaged in unconscionable conduct by selling expensive and questionable drugs to men with erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation, including injections for their penises.

In his judgment Justice Tony North described Dr Goyer as arrogant and not committed to patient care, and, along with the other doctors Justice North said Dr Goyer had not met professional medical standards.

Moreover, Dr Goyer does not seem to be an expert in obesity, endocrinology or weight loss medicine despite describing himself as one of Australia's best. A search of medical literature reveals no obesity or weight loss research published by him.

Professor John Dixon, a respected obesity researcher for many years at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, said Dr Goyer was not a recognised authority in the field and that his "institute's" claims were highly questionable and aimed at "very, very vulnerable people".

While blood tests are frequently used to detect sickness in overweight and obese people, Professor Dixon said he had never heard of blood tests for hormone imbalances to tailor-make diets.

Furthermore, he said there was no clinical test to determine how somebody would respond to particular weight loss interventions or easy ways to lose weight and keep it off long term.

"It's appalling ... Clearly this is taking vulnerable people and sucking money out of them," said Professor Dixon.

Anti-quackery crusader Dr Ken Harvey, of Monash University, has called for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to investigate the Medical Weightloss Institute for potentially engaging in misleading, deceptive and unconscionable conduct.

In a complaint sent to the commission, Dr Harvey said the promotion of the business was "exploitative" and "preys on a vulnerable population, the overweight and obese".

He has also asked the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency to discipline or prosecute Dr Goyer for allegedly breaching Australia's code of conduct for doctors. The code says doctors must provide treatment based on the best information available, provide information about their services that is factual and verifiable, and not exploit a patient's vulnerability or lack of medical knowledge.

Dr Harvey has also complained about the clinic publishing patient testimonials – a banned practice for health professionals – and for offering free consultations, which may amount to an inducement. The Age tried to contact many of the people who had provided testimonials for the clinic to ask about their treatment and the results. None of them responded.

A spokesman for the ACCC would not comment on the complaint but said NRM had appealed the federal court's 2015 judgment against the company. The appeal was heard in May. No judgment has been made.

While Justice North called for appropriate regulatory authorities to examine the "serious failings" of AMI and NRM doctors, it is unclear what, if anything, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency has done.

A spokeswoman for AHPRA would not comment on what action had been taken against Dr Goyer for his involvement with AMI, or if it was looking into complaints about Dr Goyer's involvement with the Medical Weightloss Institute.

Dr Goyer declined to answer questions. However, a spokesperson for him said the Medical Weightloss Institute was "currently addressing a number of issues raised by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Authority in connection with its advertising" and "denies any intention to mislead or deceive the public".