- 4 months ago
Don't believe everything you see on TV! Join us as we count down our picks for the most controversial As Seen on TV health products that were busted for deceptive advertising! From miracle supplements to magic bracelets, these products promised incredible results but delivered nothing but lawsuits. Did you ever fall for any of these? Let us know in the comments!
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00:00Everything you've ever learned about dieting is wrong.
00:03The truth is, you don't need to diet to lose weight.
00:06Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 10 worst as seen on TV health
00:11products
00:11that were busted for deceptive advertising.
00:13Now there are mixed reviews.
00:15Some people believe this is all for your health, and some people believe this is just a hoax.
00:22Number 10, Coral Calcium Supreme.
00:24If you're looking for an overall health supplement, I have just the thing.
00:27This is called Coral Calcium Supreme by Bob's Best.
00:30It's designed to supply your body with the minerals you need in order to maintain your pH balance.
00:34Infomercial pitchman Kevin Trudeau built an empire selling this seemingly miraculous dietary supplement.
00:40Trudeau and his partner, Robert Barefoot, boldly claimed that their marine calcium could cure catastrophic illnesses like MS and cancer
00:47simply by adjusting the body's internal pH levels.
00:50Yes, according to Trudeau, the cure to all of life's most deadly diseases was basically just eating fancy ocean chalk.
00:57What didn't the doctors think of that?
00:58The natural body has a pH of 7.4, and it needs natural minerals to maintain this level, so your
01:03body can function at its peak.
01:05Upgrade your overall health and quality of life with Coral Calcium Supreme.
01:08Unfortunately for hopeful consumers, these claims lacked any competent scientific backing,
01:13and both the FTC and FDA eventually intervened to shut down this dangerous misinformation.
01:17In 2004, Trudeau was ordered to pay a $2 million settlement for these fraudulent medical assertions.
01:22This legal defeat foreshadowed Trudeau's eventual prison sentence over a deceptive weight-loss book,
01:28ending his run as a television's top snake oil salesman.
01:31Bob Barefoot is called Mr. Coral Calcium.
01:34Bob, thank you for being my guest today.
01:35I'm real happy to be here today.
01:37Now, you've been sued by the FTC and attacked by the Food and Drug Administration.
01:41Yes, that's true.
01:42Number 9, Extends.
01:44By now, you've probably seen those Extends TV commercials.
01:47You know, the simple pill that can actually make a man larger and increase performance and pleasure, regardless of age.
01:53Promoted by Jimmy Johnson and a parade of late-night spokespeople,
01:56this herbal supplement promised immense physical growth and dramatically improved male performance.
02:01The infomercials were everywhere,
02:03using suggestive language and enthusiastic testimonials to sell an illusion of natural enhancement to insecure viewers.
02:09When he told me he'd bought some Extends and what it did, I thought to myself, this could be fun.
02:15But these grandiose assertions possessed absolutely zero credible scientific evidence.
02:20Medical professionals repeatedly debunked the product,
02:23pointing out that an herbal pill cannot physically alter human anatomy.
02:26Facing intense legal scrutiny over their false advertising,
02:29the deceptive company finally buckled under the mounting pressure.
02:32In 2010, they agreed to a colossal $6 million class-action lawsuit settlement.
02:37The product is called Extends.
02:39And believe me, it's going to put some very fun nights in your bedroom if you just give it a
02:45chance.
02:46Number 8, Cortislim.
02:47No offense to casual dieters,
02:49but if you only want to lose 5 to 10 pounds, then Cortislim is not for you.
02:53This widely broadcast diet supplement attempted to capitalize on the public's anxiety regarding daily stress.
02:59Through an aggressive TV campaign,
03:01Cortislim marketers falsely claimed that everyday stress caused the human body to overproduce cortisol,
03:06which inevitably led to severe weight gain.
03:09They claimed that their miracle pills would actively block this hormone,
03:12thereby allowing users to effortlessly melt away up to 50 pounds.
03:15And Cortislim stifles your appetite while enhancing your metabolism
03:19so you eat less as you burn calories and shed inches.
03:22Drop 15 to 50 pounds with Cortislim.
03:25The FTC said, hold up,
03:27and clarified that there was no reliable scientific evidence to support the claim
03:31that everyday stress-induced cortisol causes massive weight gain,
03:35let alone that a pill could magically reverse it.
03:37To settle these egregious false advertising charges,
03:40the primary corporate defendants were legally forced to surrender an eye-watering $12 million.
03:44The holiday season is here,
03:46and that means overeating for so many.
03:48Don't let stress, poor diet, lack of exercise, and weight gain ruin your holidays.
03:53Be a Cortislim success story.
03:56Step off the scale and enter the Cortislim lifestyle.
03:59Number 7.
04:00Kenoki Foot Pads.
04:01Hey guys, it's Joe,
04:02and next up in the Glam Lab,
04:03I am trying Foot Detox Pads.
04:06Never really heard of them,
04:07but I've seen them all over Instagram,
04:08and now I really want to try them.
04:10Detoxification products frequently rely on pseudoscience,
04:13but these adhesive patches elevated deception to an art form.
04:16The ubiquitous late-night infomercials instructed viewers
04:19to stick the pads onto the soles of their feet before sleeping.
04:23By morning, the pads would miraculously turn black,
04:26proving that they had extracted harmful toxins,
04:28heavy metals, and metabolic waste from the bloodstream.
04:31These all-natural ingredients are supposed to draw the toxins like a magnet.
04:35They can even pull out metals and poison out of your body,
04:38like lead and arsenic.
04:39Yeah, no.
04:40You weren't detoxing through some magic foot pad.
04:43You were just marinating your feet in wood vinegar like a weird sweaty salad.
04:47You see, the chemical on the foot pad was designed to turn black
04:50the exact moment it absorbed normal human sweat.
04:53The feds officially banned the fraudulent pads,
04:55securing a $14.5 million judgment against the deceitful marketers.
04:59I have to say, I have been meaning to kickstart myself
05:02back into a healthier lifestyle.
05:04I need to be watching my diet better.
05:05I need to be exercising more.
05:07And this is definitely giving me that motivation.
05:11Number six, Sensa.
05:12They've discovered the most revolutionary weight loss breakthrough
05:16of the 21st century.
05:17It's called Sensa,
05:19the amazing new clinically proven sensation
05:22that you sprinkle on to take the weight off.
05:24The diet industry is notorious for selling shortcuts,
05:27but this flavored powder promised the most unbelievable shortcut of all.
05:31Infomercials instructed customers to generously sprinkle Sensa
05:34over all their favorite unhealthy meals.
05:36Because why eat a salad?
05:38Well, you can just aggressively season a double bacon cheeseburger
05:40with magic diet dust.
05:42Whether you need to lose 10 pounds, 50 pounds, or more,
05:45now you can.
05:46Simply sprinkle Sensa on,
05:47continue to eat all the foods you love,
05:49and watch the pounds come off.
05:51According to the pitches,
05:52mysterious tastings inside the powder
05:54would dramatically enhance the food's smell and taste,
05:56tricking the brain into feeling satisfied sooner.
05:59This supposedly triggered weight loss without restrictive dieting.
06:02Not surprisingly,
06:04the FTC determined that the clinical studies
06:05provided to substantiate these claims
06:07were deeply flawed.
06:09After investigating the Baseless campaign,
06:11the government issued a $46.5 million judgment
06:14and forced the disgraced company
06:15to refund thousands of deceived customers.
06:18Go ahead and continue to eat your favorite foods.
06:20You'll begin to lose weight without having to think about it.
06:23It's as simple as sprinkle.
06:25Eat and lose weight.
06:27Number 5.
06:28Sketcher Shape-Ups
06:29Life can be a real workout,
06:32but with Shape-Ups,
06:33you'll turn your workout into a part of your everyday life
06:36without ever going to the gym.
06:38Even globally recognized footwear brands
06:40are not immune to deploying questionable health gimmicks.
06:42Backed by an astronomical marketing budget
06:44that included a flashy Super Bowl commercial,
06:46these sneakers featured a uniquely unstable rocker-bottom sole.
06:50Sketchers advertised that merely walking around in these shoes
06:52would noticeably tone your legs,
06:54strengthen your abs,
06:55and promote faster weight loss than standard sneakers.
06:58Shape-Ups are revolutionary.
07:01Shoes with comfort and style
07:02designed to make you more fit,
07:04healthier,
07:05and yes,
07:06happier.
07:06The FTC naturally investigated these bold assertions
07:10and concluded that the studies were either completely fabricated
07:12or fundamentally flawed.
07:14As a result,
07:15Sketchers agreed to an unprecedented $40 million settlement in 2012.
07:19So here's a rule going forward.
07:20When a company promises that you can get fit by not doing anything,
07:23just don't listen to them.
07:25As a result of what the FTC calls deceptive advertising,
07:29Sketchers now has to foot a $40 million bill.
07:32Most of that money will go to consumers
07:34who paid as much as $100 for these
07:37and three other brands of toning shoes
07:39but wound up feeling like only their wallets ended up leaner.
07:42Number 4.
07:43Power Balance Bracelets
07:45What I have to demonstrate for you today
07:46is a revolutionary new product.
07:48What we've been able to do
07:49is harness naturally occurring frequencies
07:51and program them into a mylar hologram
07:53to help improve your balance,
07:54your strength,
07:55and your flexibility.
07:56These colorful silicone wristbands
07:57became a cultural phenomenon in the 2000s.
08:00Featuring a shiny hologram in the center,
08:02the accessories supposedly interacted
08:04with the human body's natural energy field.
08:06Promoters promised that wearers
08:08would experience instant improvements
08:09in athletic strength,
08:11bodily balance,
08:12and joint flexibility.
08:13One of the great things about this product
08:14is that they don't actually need to be wearing it.
08:16They can either be holding it.
08:17I could set it on the top of his head.
08:18It wouldn't matter.
08:19All that matters is that the product
08:20is within one to three inches
08:21of your body's energy field.
08:22Despite earning prominent endorsements
08:24from professional athletes,
08:25the underlying science was pure fantasy.
08:28Following intense consumer backlash
08:29and rigorous investigations,
08:31the manufacturer was forced
08:32to release a humiliating public statement,
08:34admitting there was no credible evidence
08:36supporting their claims.
08:37This disastrous admission triggered
08:39a devastating $57 million class action lawsuit,
08:42rapidly bankrupting the company
08:44and permanently destroying
08:45their previously lucrative fitness empire.
08:47Do you guys remember those?
08:48When I was in high school,
08:49every athlete wore one.
08:51And they were just like a total scam,
08:54a complete hoax.
08:56Number three,
08:56electronic ab belts.
09:05If sitting on the couch
09:06while electricity zaps your stomach
09:08into a perfect six-pack
09:09sounds too good to be true,
09:11that's because it absolutely is.
09:12Products like the Abtronic
09:14and FastApps flooded screens
09:15with chiseled models,
09:16claiming their electronic muscle stimulation
09:18magically burned fat
09:20and turned you into a Greek god.
09:22Sure, this tech is great
09:23for physical therapy,
09:24but unless your therapy involves
09:25aggressively eating potato chips
09:26on the couch,
09:27it's not melting any belly fat.
09:29The secret is
09:30electro-muscle stimulation,
09:32or EMS,
09:33a scientifically proven technique
09:35that actually generates
09:37active muscle contractions.
09:38The Federal Trade Commission
09:39then launched
09:40the wonderfully named
09:41Project Absurd
09:42to protect consumers
09:43from these deceptive ads.
09:44As a result,
09:46the makers of these devices
09:47were forced to pay millions
09:48in combined settlements
09:49to reimburse disappointed customers.
09:51Abtronic alone was slammed
09:52with an $83 million settlement.
09:54Turns out,
09:55if you want that chiseled stomach,
09:56you actually have to work for it.
09:58Ah, dang.
09:59The Abtronic X2
10:00targets two separate muscle groups
10:03at the same time.
10:04So,
10:05you super-strengthen your core
10:06and really maximize
10:08your exercise routine.
10:09Number 2.
10:11Q-Ray Ionized Bracelets
10:12Excitement like this
10:14has been sweeping the nation.
10:15People everywhere
10:16are coming out
10:17to tell us
10:17how much they love
10:18their Q-Ray Ionized Bracelet.
10:20Long before holograms
10:21dominated the fitness scam market,
10:23Q-Ray utilized
10:23ubiquitous infomercials
10:25to peddle magic bracelets.
10:26The marketers insisted
10:27that their proprietary
10:28ionization process
10:29allowed the bracelets
10:31to balance the wearer's
10:32yin and yang energy.
10:33We wish we were kidding.
10:35This supposedly delivered
10:36significant and immediate relief
10:37from severe chronic pain.
10:38The amazing Q-Ray Ionized Bracelet
10:41is so revolutionary
10:42that its manufacturing process
10:44is a closely guarded secret.
10:45However,
10:46clinical testing
10:47conducted by Mayo Clinic researchers
10:49concluded that
10:50these pricey bracelets
10:51perform no differently
10:52than a standard placebo.
10:53Taking decisive action,
10:55the feds dragged the company
10:56into federal court
10:57for false advertising.
10:58A judge famously labeled
10:59their scientific assertions
11:01as technobabble
11:01and ultimately ordered
11:02the promoters to surrender
11:04up to $87 million
11:05to fully refund
11:06the vulnerable consumers
11:07they had intentionally
11:08misled.
11:09Based on ancient health techniques
11:10practiced for centuries,
11:12the Q-Ray Ionized Bracelet
11:13works with your body
11:14naturally
11:15to help improve
11:16your vitality,
11:17your overall sense of wellness
11:18and personal balance.
11:19Number 1.
11:20Enzite
11:21This is Bob.
11:22Bob is doing well.
11:24Very well indeed.
11:26While late night audiences
11:26chuckled at the awkward
11:27smiling Bob commercials,
11:29a truly monstrous
11:30criminal enterprise
11:31was operating
11:32behind the scenes.
11:33Enzite was aggressively
11:34marketed as an all-natural
11:36supplement promising
11:37dramatic physical enhancement
11:39and limitless male vitality.
11:41These claims were entirely
11:43unsupported by medicine
11:44and founder Steve Warshak
11:45was using the product
11:46to orchestrate a predatory
11:47credit card fraud.
11:48And with a call to Enzite
11:50about natural male enhancement,
11:52Bob is living large.
11:53In a few short weeks,
11:54Bob has a big new
11:55spring of confidence,
11:57a generous swelling
11:59of pride,
12:00and the one thing
12:01every man deserves,
12:02a little well-earned respect
12:04from the neighborhood.
12:05Unsuspecting customers
12:07found themselves locked
12:08into continuous subscriptions
12:09that they could not cancel,
12:10and in 2008,
12:11federal authorities
12:12brought the hammer down.
12:14Bob might have been
12:14smiling on TV,
12:15but the only thing
12:16getting enhanced
12:16was Warshak's 25-year
12:18prison sentence
12:18for fraud
12:19and money laundering.
12:20A judge also ordered
12:22a $500 million
12:23asset forfeiture,
12:24permanently dismantling
12:25the deceitful empire
12:26for good.
12:27He was blinded
12:28by his own arrogance
12:29and greed.
12:30That is the bottom line
12:32tonight from a federal judge
12:33who hit Steve Warshak
12:34with a 25-year prison sentence
12:36and a $500 million fine.
12:39Did you fall for any of these?
12:40Let us know
12:41in the comments below.
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