Far infrared, the fruitloop favourite
FAR-INFRARED rays are flavour of the month in fruitloopery circles. Rupert Roker alerts us to a recent judgment by the UK Advertising Standards Authority banning an advertisement put out by Nuga Best, maker of a 鈥渢hermal massage bed鈥� with various add-on gadgets.
鈥淏BC teletext recently announced 鈥淯K space agency aiming high鈥�. 鈥淓r, I hope so,鈥� comments Feedback reader John Cook鈥�
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The advertisement exhorted: 鈥淏urn off Calories with Tourmanium, the Special Nano Ceramic by Nuga Best鈥� and went on to state: 鈥淭ourmanium abundantly emits Far Infrared Rays and Anions naturally, providing its miraculous healing properties.鈥�
The ad went on to claim: 鈥淔ar Infrared Rays generated by the Tourmanium Internal Projectors鈥� bring about enhanced metabolism, relief of muscle/joint pains and improved immunity of your body.鈥�
These are among a total of 10 claims in the advert that are rejected by the ASA, whose judgment at states: 鈥淭he ad must not appear again in its current form. We told Nuga Best to ensure they held robust substantiation for all their claims in future.鈥�
Unfortunately, Nuga Best is by no means alone in this field. There is also the Ion Sports Watch, which, its makers says, 鈥渨ill help balance the human body鈥檚 electric balance by Far Infrared Ray and Minus Ion emitted from Tourmaline and minus ion powder.鈥�
This watch, which Michael Thompson found on sale when he broke off his car journey to stock up on magazines and coffee, may or may not be the same as the 鈥�100 per cent Brand New Minus Ion Sport Wrist Bracelet Watch鈥� that Ian Tokelove found selling on Amazon for 拢4.95 at . This, too, is claimed to emit far infrared rays and negative ions. 鈥淎s a result,鈥� we are told, 鈥渋t can make you calm, soothe, and relax your mind, ease your body tension, promote restful sleep, improve concentration, increase level of energy鈥� boost your metabolism, enhance your immune function鈥︹��
And there鈥檚 more. Adam Bell tells us about Accapi sportswear, which he saw promoted in the catalogue. These 鈥減erformance garments鈥� are 鈥減owered with infra-red technology鈥� which 鈥渆nhances and improves your athletic performance, recovery and general well-being鈥�.
These products take their place with the Far Infrared Rays TEXtile (FIR-TEX) naively favoured by the Red Bull Formula 1 team (5 June 2010) and the 鈥淔at busting Brazilian undies鈥� we reported on two weeks ago (2 April).
Our response to all of them is to repeat that in reality far infrared rays are merely radiated warmth, and nothing more. Hold your hands near a warm cup of tea and you will feel far-infrared rays. The healing and performance-enhancing claims made by the manufacturers of these products are, as the ASA found in the case of Nuga Best, unsubstantiated. Readers may have a more forthright way of describing them.
Hairdryers鈥� erroneous marketing claims
INTRIGUED by the erroneous marketing claims of various readers鈥� hairdryers (22 January and 26 February), Tina Hirschbuehl decided to check her own.
鈥淕iven that my cats, who dislike noise, run a mile when I switch on a) the hoover or b) the hairdryer,鈥� she says, 鈥淚 was surprised to find that my hairdryer proclaims 鈥楽ILENCE鈥� in bold letters on its side. I just hope that this propensity to do the opposite of what they claim is limited to hairdryers and doesn鈥檛 apply to products such as toothpaste (mine says 鈥榳hitening鈥�).鈥�
LOOK out, London, Suzy is coming. Londoner Les Bessant is worried, and who wouldn鈥檛 be? He recently received an unsolicited email from someone called Suzy Dior, who told him: 鈥淎fter two years working at a healing and health retreat in Thailand, I will be coming to London now, bringing lots of new, cutting-edge information to you about healing your health based on science, chemistry, energy, magnetism, vibration and other quantum healing methods.鈥�
It might be best to leave town for a while, Les.
IS THIS self-contradictory, or is it merely confused? Paul Brown sends us from Australia, in the technology section the Melbourne paper The Age: 鈥淭he video game Mortal Kombat will remain banned from being sold in Australia after the Classification Review Board upheld a decision for it to be classified 鈥渞efused classification鈥�.
FLICKING through the 鈥淐onfident Computing鈥� supplement distributed with the London Daily Telegraph newspaper on 19 March, John Chard was disconcerted by the claim that Windows 7 is 鈥淒esigned to make life quick and easy鈥�. He was quite happy about the 鈥渆asy鈥� part, but not at all sure he wanted his life to be 鈥渜uick鈥�.
From the grave in his own words
FINALLY, the UK Sunday tabloid News of the World offered the headline 鈥淛ordan drove me to suicide鈥� on Sunday 27 March. The article that followed was an exclusive from the model鈥檚 former husband Alex Reid 鈥渋n his own words鈥�. A case of resurrection, Dean Conrad presumes, as Reid is evidently alive and well.