Why the FTC Should Probe Debi Mazar's Weight-Loss Gimmick
Debi Mazar from HBO's Entourage makes the impressive claim that she lost 60 pounds in 10 weeks using a "Belly Burner" belt in a new TV ad (below) that will have viewers asking, Why is a star of Mazar's caliber hawking low-rent weight loss gimmicks?
The FTC, however, will be less interested in why an actress who has no shortage of high-profile work in TV and film suddenly needs to appear in late-night infomercials with the tired and unhappy-looking Carlos Mencia. Instead, the agency might want to compare Mazar's claim that the Belly Burner can help you lose six pounds per week to its own "Red Flag bogus weight loss claims," which suggest that any diet product promising more than three pounds per week of weight loss is probably a scam.
The Belly Burner is a belt that you wrap around your waist while working out. It's supposed to heat up your core while exercising, thus burning calories. I'm going to guess that the FDA has not approved this "one size fits all" device.
In the ad, Mazar says that she gained 80 pounds while pregnant and "had more belly than I actually wanted." She omits to mention that her name is also used by the Freshology diet food company and that in 2008 she told US Weekly she used Pilates to lose weight.
Sure, it's possible that post-pregnancy, Mazar could have lost 60 pounds in a short period, especially if you count the weight of the baby as the first 6-12 pounds. But rapid post-partum weight loss is more likely caused by breast-feeding, in which the child literally sucks calories out of the mother's body. Mazar's testimonial does not feature a clear disclaimer that her results were "not typical." The caption merely says "results will vary."
Belly Burner also has a record: The Electronic Retailing Self-Regulation Program, a direct-response watchdog, cited the company in March for making misleading claims. The company said it would stop running Mazar and Mencia's testimonials in response. The host of the commercial, Bobby Waldron, still has a version of the ad running on his YouTube channel, however.
Mazar's ad also hits another FTC enforcement sweet spot: the agency recently changed its rules to make celebrities liable for any misleading claims they make in ads.
Related:
- Extenze Settles a False Advertising Suit; Now the FTC Should Go After Jimmy Johnson
- New FTC Rules for Bloggers and Celebrities Are All Steve Garvey's Fault
