How to Spot a Fitness
Fraud
by Deborah L. Mullen, CSCS
"Turn
your body into a super fat-burning furnace!"
"Washboard abs in just 5 minutes a day!"
"Exciting new development!"
"Research proven!"
If It Sounds To Good Too Be True, It
Probably Is.
How many times have you heard this? Yet, ads and infomercials can be so
seductive, you really want to believe the wild claims they promise,
so you may be tempted to suspend good judgment and buy into the fantasy.
Substandard and fraudulent products hurt more than just your wallet. When
a product doesn’t do what it claims to do, you’ll feel let down. This
can lower your self-confidence and can even lead you to believe that your
fitness goals will never be achieved. This article will help you to
identify fitness frauds and give you tips and resources on so you’ll be
able to make better decisions when buying fitness products.
Buyers Beware Checklist
Quackery is not easily detected. Use this checklist before purchasing
a product advertised in a mail-order catalog or on TV.
- Is the product supported entirely by
testimonials?
- Is there any controlled, randomized
scientific evidence supporting the sales claims?
- Do the experts associated with the
program have the proper credentials?
- Is the person selling the product
believable?
- Does the promotion use any
pseudomedical jargon?
- Does the promotion boast a secret
formula or answer?
- Do the claims seem miraculous or
far-fetched?
- Is the product appealing to your
vanity?
- Does the suggested use of the product
seem out of keeping with the desired outcome (e.g., "just three
minutes a day toward slimmer thighs")?
- Does the fine print contain any
disclaimers?
- Does the offer include additional
free prizes?
(Buyers
Beware Checklist from "Consumerism and Quackery", IDEA Magazine,
May 1998 by Len Kravitz, PhD.)
Online Buying Tips
You need to have confidence in the company and product you’re buying
online. Does the company have your best interests at heart? If in doubt,
search for clues as to their reliability. Do they have a phone number? You
may want to call to check them out further. Ask a question by e-mail and
see how long they take to respond. Ask the company for independent
research that substantiates their claims and promises. You can check out
the company on the Better
Business Bureau’s Business Report page. Their page states "The
Better Business Bureau collects and reports information to help
prospective buyers make informed decisions in dealing with business and
charitable organizations."
If In Doubt, Ask An Expert
The media is quick to announce the latest health/fitness discovery,
regardless of the source. Unfortunately, this new claim may later be
retracted when proper studies are made. But quacks will use (and misuse)
questionable data to convince you to buy their product. What should you
believe? If you don’t have the time to sort through information
dispensed from reputable sources, you should ask an expert. A certified
fitness instructor should be able to separate fact from fiction.
Your Tax Dollars At Work
The Federal Trade Commission says that "consumers waste billions of
dollars on unproven, fraudulently marketed, and sometimes useless health
care products and treatments." They advise all workout
"wannabes" to exercise good judgment when evaluating advertising
claims for fitness products. Be sure to check out these two articles by
the FTC:
The
Muscle Hustle: Test Your Exercise I.Q.
Pump
Fiction: Tips for Buying Exercise Equipment
Avoid the lure of fitness-product
charlatans and increase your skills at making educated buying decisions.
Try not to buy the hype and stick to "if it sounds to good too be
true, it probably is."
ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE EMAIL THE MODERATORS
|
