Last year I wrote an article / newsletter warning consumers about body wraps, abdominal belts and abdominal electrical muscle stimulation for weight loss. 700,000 ab belts and $16 million later, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has finally caught up with another one of these con artists. Makers of the “Ab Force” have been asked to return money to consumers for making false and unsubstantiated claims for their product.
Naturally of course, you cannot wrap something around your waist and expect to lose body fat. Even electrical muscle stimulation of the abdominals will not give you a “six pack.” Seeing abdominal muscle definition requires a very low body fat level and reduction of abdominal body fat requires a caloric deficit.
I am so very pleased to see that the FTC has been busy pursuing justice against fitness fraud.
However, this is only one of thousands of gimmicks, fads and frauds still currently in the marketplace and thousands more that will surely come.
Even if you’re not a “prove it to me” type of person by nature, the best way to protect yourself is to look at all such product claims through the filter of skeptical inquiry, as you educate yourself about the fat loss truth at the same time.
Press release
The Federal Trade Commission has asked a federal district court to order the marketers of Ab Force to return money to consumers who purchased their belts based on the marketers’s advertising claims. The ads made false and unsubstantiated claims that using their electronic muscle stimulation belt caused weight loss and well-defined abdominal muscles, and was an effective alternative to regular exercise.
In 2002, the marketers advertised “Ab Force” using visual images of well-sculpted, gym-clothed bodies wearing the Ab Force device, with verbal references to other, more expensive ab belts that were sweeping the nation at the time. The FTC alleged that through the product name, text and visual images, and by comparing their product to “those fantastic electronic ab belt infomercials on TV,” the defendants made false and unsubstantiated claims about the product’s abilities.
In 2005, the Commission upheld an administrative law judge’s ruling that the marketers violated federal law by making the deceptive claims, and that they intended to convey those deceptive claims, even though the marketers knew that they did not have substantiation. After the marketers appealed, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the decision on August 7, 2006.
Now, the FTC is seeking money back for consumers who purchased the belts from the marketers: Telebrands Corp., TV Savings, L.L.C., and Ajit Khubani. They sold more than 700,000 Ab Force belts and accessories, earning approximately $16 million. The FTC is also alleging that Ajit Khubani unlawfully transferred assets to his wife, Poonam Khubani. The FTC’s case names her as a relief defendant – someone who is not accused of wrongdoing, but who has allegedly received ill-gotten gains, and does not have a legitimate claim to them. The FTC is seeking full redress for consumers who purchased the ab belts, with money from the companies and Khubani, as well as the funds transferred to Khubani’s wife.
The Commission vote to authorize staff to file the complaint was 5-0. The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.
The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, click http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/complaint.shtm or call 1-877-382-4357. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,600 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. For free information on a variety of consumer topics, click http://ftc.gov/bcp/consumer.shtm.
Yeah I always wondered if they work and after reading this article I’m sure that they don’t.I’d still like to know if anyone knows about a belt called gym tronix. Many have told me that they have lost a couple of inches using that belt. Is that true or is this the same type of electronic stimulator product that the FTC was talking about ?As for False marketing… I guess that this should be a lesson and warning to all those equipment companies selling products that claim to tone muscle or loose fat…
I’ve never considered purchasing one of this type of gizmo because I always questioned the validity of their claims. It’s sad how many of this type of junk comes out year after year. Thanks for bringing forth the truth again Tom!
im so pleased on what happened man. Down here in singapore they are advertising ab belts that claims to melt fat away, but im extremely skeptical of them ‘cos first, the “science” behind it is so badly and vaguely explained, and secondly, the model advertising the product was NEVER FAT in her life EVAR.kudos FTC :)