[Urbane]

Electronic Ab Devices: Magic or Myth? Part 1
Air Date: January 31, 2002
THE INFOMERCIALS CLAIM THIS IS A TECHNOLOGICAL BREAKTHROUGH FOR PHYSICAL FITNESS. YOU SIMPLY STRAP ON AN ELECTRONIC BELT, HIT A BUTTON OR TWO, GO ABOUT YOUR NORMAL BUSINESS, AND, OH YEAH, END UP WITH THE BODY OF YOUR DREAMS. SO ARE ELECTRONIC AB DEVICES A MIRACLE OR A MYTH? WE'VE BEEN INVESTIGATING.

Introducing Fast Abs, the no sweat, full body workout.

Introducing the revolutionary Ab Energizer system featuring 21st century scientific technology. To get firm, toned abs without breaking a sweat.

Introducing the revolutionary Ab Tronic Fitness System.

You just sit and relax and watch your abs tighten.

NO MATTER WHETHER IT'S KATHY DERRY AND PETER VIRGILE FOR FAST ABS.

JOHN MCCAFFERTY AND KITA PELLY FOR AB ENERGIZER.

OR TODD JENSEN AND JULIE SHIPLEY FOR THE AB TRONIC FITNESS SYSTEM.

ALL THESE INFOMERCIAL HOSTS ARE PITCHING THE HOTTEST PRODUCT IN DIRECT RESPONSE TV ELECTRONIC AB DEVICES.

THESE ALLEGED "MUSCLE MAKING MACHINES" MAKE AMAZING CLAIMS, FOR INSTANCE

You'll see how the Ab Tronic System gives you the results of 600 sit-ups in just 10 minutes without any effort.

Olympic athletes, fitness experts and astronauts have known for years about this amazing technology.

Now with the touch of a button you can go from flab to rock hard abs.

WHAT'S MORE, VIEWERS TELL US THEY ABSOLUTELY HOPE THE CLAIMS ARE TRUE.

What intrigued you about the product?

Troy Hailey: Cause it said I didn't have to do anything. I could just read a book and go to work and wear it if I want to and not actually have to do the sit-ups.

Helen Vallone: You know, put the belt around your waist, put the gel on, and it would just be no hassle.

Kim Moore: Of course I wanted it to happen. You know you spend 40 or 50 dollars and you look like somebody who can be in the Miss or Mrs. Universe contest.

WITH SHIPPING, THE ELECTRONIC AB DEVICES COST US BETWEEN $50 AND $135. THEY CLAIM THE SECRET IS ELECTRONIC MUSCLE STIMULATION. STIMULATION UNITS ATTACHED TO THE BELTS SEND ELECTRONIC IMPULSES INTO YOUR MUSCLES, MAKING THEM CONTRACT AS IF YOU WERE DOING A SIT-UP.

NOW PRINTED GUIDEBOOKS THAT COME WITH THE DEVICES DO SAY THAT DIET AND AEROBIC EXERCISE IS ALSO NECESSARY FOR A HEALTHY BODY. AND FINE PRINT IN THE INFOMERCIALS ALSO REFERS TO A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE AND THAT RESULTS MIGHT VARY.

BUT THE COMMERCIALS SHOW AMAZING BEFORE-AND-AFTER PICTURES TO PROVE THE DEVICES CHANGE YOUR BODY FROM FLABBY TO FABULOUS AND THE TESTIMONIALS ARE VERY CONVINCING .

In the last 14 days I lost 2-and-a-half inches off my waist and 2 inches off my hips.

I saw muscles that I never knew I even had and I just love it.

The Ab Energizer, and the Ab Energizer system has changed my life, given my life back to me.

The ads even use medical experts to prove they're selling the future of fitness, for instance, Ab Tronice uses Dr. Julio Garcia to sell its device.

The Ab Tronic causes a firm contraction of the muscle, stimulating that muscle whether you want to or not. It's going to contract.

WE CALLED DR. GARCIA BUT HE WOULD NOT TALK TO US. HOWEVER IN A GOOD MORNING AMERICA TV INTERVIEW

GARCIA SAYS AB TRONIC TOOK SOME OF HIS COMMENTS OUT OF CONTEXT.

HE SAYS THE INFOMERCIAL MADE IT SOUND AS IF THE AB TRONIC MACHINE ITSELF WILL MAKE YOU LOSE WEIGHT,

WHICH IS NOT WHAT HE REALLY THINKS.

AbTronic also uses research from the University of Maryland to sell its device 7 doctors from the University of Maryland did a 4-week study of abdominal strength of 31 healthy volunteers.

THAT RESEARCH WAS CONDUCTED BY DR. GAD ALON.

So we called Dr. Alon. He told us Ab Tronic never contacted him. The research comes from work done in the mid-1980's. And what Ab Tronic says in the infomercial has nothing to do with the studies he or the University conducted.

We also asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to talk about electronic ab devices. It would not give us an on-camera interview.

However the FDA told us it considers these ab machines to be unapproved medical devices.

It says the companies should not be selling them because they've not been approved.

When we asked if the ab companies were breaking the law the FDA said yes.

It says electronic ab devices are under investigation.

DESPITE OUR EFFORTS, WE WERE UNABLE TO CONTACT AB TRONIC FOR A RESPONSE.

FAST ABS SAYS IT IS TONING AND EXERCISE EQUIPMENT, NOT A MEDICAL DEVICE, AND FDA AUTHORIZATION IS UNNECESSARY FOR IT TO SELL THE PRODUCT. HOWEVER IT SAYS IF THE FDA DETERMINES IT'S A MEDICAL DEVICE, IT WILL BRING ITSELF UNDER FDA COMPLIANCE.

AND THOMAS NELSON, THE CEO OF AB ENERGIZER TELLS US HIS COMPANY IS ACTIVELY TRYING TO WORK WITH THE FDA.

Tomas Nelson, Ab Energizer: What's important here is that the FDA has never contacted Ab Energizer and told us that we're breaking the law. The FDA has not contacted the Ab Energizer and asked us to do anything. We contacted the FDA and were informed that they would like to see us apply for approval, and that's what we're doing.

BOTH FAST ABS AND AB ENERGIZER ALSO TELL US ITS DEVICE SHOULD BE USED AS PART OF A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE THAT INCLUDES DIET, AND AB ENERGIZER SUGGESTS OTHER EXERCISES. BOTH SAY THE PRINCIPAL BEHIND THE PRODUCT HAS BEEN SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN.

SO WE ASKED DR. BEN HURLEY, AN EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGIST FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND IF THE ELECTRONIC AB MACHINES COULD POSSIBLY DELIVER ALL THAT THEY PROMISE.

Crenshaw: The pitch people on TV look fabulous. Did they get that way using devices like this?

Dr. Ben Hurley, Ph.D., University of Maryland: My guess is that most of that came from their genetic endowment more than anything else. Perhaps a lot of it also came from exercise, but I would be very surprised if any of it came from these devices.