Playing to Our Vanity; Ab gizmos, body wraps and other products promise fixes quicker than diet and exercise. A look behind the claims Home Edition

• Published in: The Los Angeles times
• Main Author: Benedict Carey, Jane E. Allen, Linda Marsa and Shari Roan
• Format: Newspaper Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, Calif Los Angeles Times Communications LLC 14.01.2002
• Subjects: Dietary supplements; Exercise; Fitness equipment; Physical fitness; United States; US
• ISSN: 0458-3035

So despite strong native skepticism, many consumers reserve a wisp of hope, and thereon hangs a $5-billion to $10-billion industry of body-shaping products, from supplements to new spa treatments. In recent years these products' claims--melt away pounds as you sleep; increase breast size; lose weight without changing your diet--have become bolder, and more frequent, say those who watch the industry. "There's been a dramatic increase in the amount of advertising and the number of products out there" in the last 10 years, said Rich Cleland, a senior attorney in the advertising division of the Federal Trade Commission, which enforces consumer protection laws prohibiting deceptive practices. Cleland attributes much of this increase to the explosive growth through the 1990s of the dietary supplement industry, which includes such things as herbs, vitamins and diet and nutrition products. Especially on the Internet, pitches for weight loss and body shaping products have adopted a scientific tone. In addition to the standard before-and-after pictures, testimonials and endorsements from unfamiliar doctors, many ads now include references to clinical studies, body mass indexes, bio-availability of nutrients and so on. "They have picked up all the same medical jargon you would get from a reputable medical source" such as the Mayo Clinic or the National Institutes of Health, said [Judith Stern]. Enforma pulled the infomercials off the air but is still locked in a dispute with the FTC over its marketing practices. The company continues selling chitosan products and insists they are safe and effective. "We have a thousand testimonials showing that the Fat Trapper products work," said Drew Grey, chief executive of Enforma, which is based in Woodland Hills. He said Enforma used to make some "heavy claims" about several different products, but that the weight- loss benefits of chitosan are nonetheless real. "We have a long list of experts and reliable information to back up our claims," he said. In test tube studies, the chitosan molecule quickly binds to fat molecules, scientists say. When stirred into a container of bacon grease and water, for example, chitosan preparations can turn the fat into a big, gelatinous glob that sinks to the bottom--an effect that was demonstrated on infomercials. "People saw that on the infomercials and said, 'Wow.' It's very persuasive," said [Susan Bowerman]. "But the intestines are full of bicarbonates and acids and all sorts of things" and it's not yet clear how these interact with the chitosan.