A federal administrative law judge has ordered the marketers of the Ab Force belt to stop making claims on TV infomercials that the belt promotes weight, inches, or fat loss, well-defined abdominal muscles or can take the place of regular exercise.
Chief Administrative Law Judge Stephen J. McGuire upheld a Federal Trade Commission complaint charging Telebrands Corp., TV Savings LLC and their owner, Ajit Khubani, with unfair or deceptive acts or practices and false advertising.
According to the FTC, the Fairfield, NJ-based operation marketed and sold the Ab Force ab belt--an electronic muscle stimulation device that causes the muscles to contract involuntarily. The FTC administrative complaint filed last year, alleged that the respondents’ infomercials falsely claimed that users could achieve weight loss, fat loss, and inch loss, get well-developed abs, and that use of the belt is an effective equivalent to regular exercise.
The order would also prohibit Telebrands from making similar claims about other products like the Ab belt.
