| As Seen On TV |
 |
| Separating
the cream from the crap
|
Infomercials are like car wrecks; they're horrifying to watch and, yet, you can't look away. To help you wade through the outrageous promises and 'scientifically proven results,' the list below presents the most ubiquitous infomercial products and the cold hard truth about them.
| The
Cream |
The
Crap |
- Product:
The Orbitrek Elliptical Trainer
-
Claim: "ORBITREK simulates walking or running with NO
IMPACT!"
-
The Truth: Elliptical trainers
provide a low-impact workout cardio workout.
-
Bottom Line: This is not the highest quality elliptical trainer you can buy, but it might be a good choice for people on a budget. Just remember that if it's going to get lots of heavy use from several family members, it may not last as long as a higher quality machine.
|
- Product:
Electrical muscle stimulators (EMS) including The Ab Energizer, AbTronics,
The IGIÁ ELECTRO-Sage 8, Electro Gym, etc.
-
Claim: Lose weight and tighten abs, thighs and buttocks without
actually exercising.
-
The Truth: BWAA HA HA HA! Yeah, right.
-
Bottom Line: There is no
evidence that EMS can improve strength or weight
loss. Please don't encourage these people by buying their products.
|
- Product:
Tamilee Webb's Ab-Away Pro
-
Claim: "Using Ab-Away Pro...will result in firmer abs and a sculptured waistline."
-
The Truth: Ab exercises will not 'sculpt' your waistline or
lead to weight loss.
- Bottom Line:
This machine will work your abs, but range of
motion is limited. It
works for strengthening the abs, but you can do crunches for free.
|
- Product: Hollywood Celebrity Diet
-
Claim: "Reduce body fat, pounds, and inches in only a
few days with the Hollywood Celebrity Diet fat burning weight loss
program."
-
The Truth: You have to drink (only) juice for two days.
-
The Bottom Line: Stay away from this diet or any diet that requires starving yourself. Aside from being unhealthy, you'll just put the weight back on when you go back to normal eating habits.
|
- Product:
Total Gym 1500
-
Claim: "You'll strengthen and tone nearly every major
muscle group in your body."
-
The Truth: The Total Gym offers resistance similar to cables
or resistance bands.
- Bottom Line:
At $250, this gym is
a bit on the pricier side (at least, when compared to many other infomercial products), but it does work all the muscles of your body. This type of resistance can be difficult if you're not used to it, so keep that in mind before you buy it.
|
- Product: Body By Jake Bun and Thigh Rocker
-
Claim: Jake promises that you can "[t]one
and tighten your buns and thighs in just 3 minutes a day!"
-
The Truth: You can't lose weight by doing 3 minutes of
exercise, even when using the Thigh Rocker which offers an allegedly
'revolutionary' arcing motion.
-
The Bottom Line: This is basically a $160 squat machine. You're better off doing squats with free weights or on machines at the gym..
|
Navigating
the World of Infomercials
While
not every product on television is crap, it's a good idea to remain vigilant and
not be taken in by ridiculous promises. Here's a quick tip sheet:
- Avoid all electrical
muscle stimulators (EMS). They don't work.
- Don't waste your money on
ab gadgets. You don't need any equipment to get a great ab workout
and, besides, ab exercises do NOT reduce spare tires or love handles.
- Be skeptical of any
product that promises results in just minutes a day. You can't lose
weight by doing 3 minutes of any activity unless it's liposuction and I
don't recommend that.
- Be wary of fitness
'experts' and any reference to scientific studies. If it's not in a
peer reviewed journal (like the Journal of the American Medical Association)
it's not worth the paper it's printed on.
- More
about fitness fraud
