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Lean, Mean, People Grilling Machine

by Ryan Johnson, Feb 24 2009
medical19_02

The latest & ultimate in slimming & health technology. SPA Capsule.

So I’m going to veer off the subject of The Skeptologists Pilot Production this week in favor of throwing a nice juicy steak into the yard of ravenous dogs.

In my piles of junk email and notifications of millions of dollars and Euros, (still waiting for those checks) and right before I hit the junk/delete button without a thought, I paused and scanned a particular email.  I immediately dismissed it as ridiculous trash, but, sad as it is, I thought to myself that someone’s actually buying these things! I read through it a bit more, and the whole thing got more and more funny and sad at the same time. So I thought that I would share:

Knowledge about the Far Infrared Capsule

What is Far Infrared?

FIR is a kind of electromagnetic spectrum. Modern science have proved that the part of the suns invisible spectrum is very beneficial for the human body; it°s wavelength is between 0.75 and 1000 microns.
All humans sends and receives Far Infrared waves. The range of Far Infrared waves generated by the human body is 6 to 20 microns. The peak value point of the human body receive Far Infrared is 102 microns, 5.6 microns and 9.8 microns.
The Royal Far Infrared SPA Capsule have five nanometer-grades of far infrared ray glazed radiant tubes; it is painted with micro elements and is made by special high techniques. It eradicate far infrared rays between 0.9 – 1.8 microns which is harmful to the human eye. The far Infrared heat (Far – Infrared light waves) penetrates through your skin and creates a natural resonance with your body. It’s being used for beauty salons and hydro.

Functions of Far Infrared

  • Promotes metabolism
  • Cellular purification (remove toxins)
  • Weight loss and body shaping
  • Calms down stress
  • Skin care and help to nutrient essence to the skin
  • Pain relief & diminish inflammation
  • Preserve health
  • Helps circulation and increases blood flow
  • A new theory of modern science proved that far infrared could stop the development of cancer.
  • Liver detoxification
  • Massage benefits and deep relaxation
  • Improve Sleep

Why Far-Infrared waves can remove toxins?

Humans are bio-accumulators and toxins cannot be expelled immediately after entry and are stored in our bodies. When toxic gases such sulphur dioxide, carbon dioxide or toxic substances such as lead, mercury or chlorine meets large water molecules, they are encapsulated by the clusters of water. Where these toxins are accumulated, blood circulation are blocked and cellular energy impaired. When Far- infrared waves is applied to these large ware molecules, the water begins to vibrate. This vibration reduces the ion bonds of the atoms, which holds the molecules of water together. Mostly the toxins will drain with perspiration and emiction. So, drink enough water before your far-infrared treatment.

spa_capsule_sauna_interieur

Why Far-Infrared waves can make you loose weight?

It burns up to 600 calories in a 20 minute session, as many as running 10 km. Royal Far Infrared SPA Capsule assists in weight loss in three significant ways:

  • It reduces heavy metals, causing poor digestion and weight gain.
  • It decreases fat stored (lipophilic) toxins. Sometimes weight loss can°t be accomplished unless these toxins are removed first.
  • Although weight loss due to water loss is quickly regained, the sending of more blood to capillaries and converting fats and carbohydrates results 600 calories burned during one FIR sauna treatment.

Functions & Principles of Far Infrared Spa capsule

1. Light therapy
The Far Infrared SPA Capsule are equipped with red and blue LED-lights which is high technology ling therapy equipment. Light therapy is not only established as an effective treatment for pain relief and wound healing but also controls the bodies inner clock, which influences many biological functions including the timing of sleep, hormone production, body temperature and mood. FIR Spa Capsule light therapies corrects a patients physiological inability to absorb enough light, helping the brain- and in turn the body – to function efficiency again. It helps to treat the unsightly and uncomfortable skin condition psoriasis. And at last the light therapy has moved into beauty salons, helping to slow down and even reverse the signs of ageing.

1. Ozone disinfections

FIR Spa Capsule is equipped with a professional Ozone generator. Ozone is also a immune system modulator and has powerful analgesic properties. From a naturopathic perspective, ozone supports body detoxification and helps with cleansing the lymph system.

capsule_spa_matelas_detente

How to use the FIR Capsule

  • The clients body must be covered with a bath towel to keep the temperature and to avoid causalgia. It will be more comfortable and effective. The neck should also be covered with a bath towel to keep the heating inside. People could enter the capsule immediately when the temperature reaches 25°C ~ 35°C ( 77°F ~ 95¬F ) after turning on the machine. Do not enter the capsule when it is under the high temperature to prevent uncomfortable feelings which is due to staying in the sudden high temperature for a long period of time.
  • Some professional beauty salons also uses it in aromatherapy.
  • It is good to drink a lot of water (more than 500 ml) before the treatment, which helps to perspire.
  • Environment for using: You can not use it outdoors or where it is windy and moisty. The indoor temperature should be more than 23°C ( 73.4°F ) or else the user will not reach the ultimate effect.

capsule_spa_lumiere_detente

Model: SPA 301
Size: 2200x740x1050 (mm)
Weight: 88kg
Power: 1200 Watt
Material: Acrylic
Length: +- 1.80m
Weight capacity: +- 150kg

Configuration

  1. Nanometer Grade Far Infrared ray glazed pottery tube
  2. Red and blue LED – colour Lamp
  3. Ozone Disinfection
  4. 5cm- thick mattress, body shaping sleeping plate

How it works:

The FIR rays° when tuned to the human body is absorbed by the cells invigorating the cellular activities and stimulating the blood vessels allowing increased oxygen to reach the joints and carrying greater amounts of nutrients to cells and skin.

The heat energy penetrates the body tissues to a depth of 4 to 5cm quickly and efficiently, and instead of using energy to convert air to higher temperature, as for example in a steam sauna, the energy is diverted directly to heat the body.

– – –

OK, so I want one, but just because it looks really cool, and maybe I could re-build it to become my own personal spaceship escape pod.  Or, well, maybe not.

There’s so many false claims, voodoo magic and pseudoscience in this that I don’t know where to start, but you, my fellow readers, surely do. But here are my questions: How should a skeptic treat a solicitation like this? Is it enough to just press delete? Should we take some type of action to make sure that others don’t all prey to obvious fraud and deceptive practices? I’d like to use this as an experiment to hear from the community about how we, as critical thinkers and skeptics, should feel responsible to this type of advertising, if at all?

I can hear the saliva dripping canines gnashing right now, so I throw it to you! Have at it! I can’t wait to see the comments for this one!

36 Responses to “Lean, Mean, People Grilling Machine”

  1. Calin says:

    I think my favorite part (other than the problems with tense and sentence structure) is where it talks about vibrating water molecules. The first thing I thought was, great…now the water will remember those toxins.

    Seriously, I don’t think there’s any real response here. They sent you spam, they’re not going to listen to any response. If this were being promoted via media or at a demonstration etc. I could see attempting to do something. However, since it was via email there’s really nothing you can do. It’s no different than Nigerian royalty needing banking advice.

  2. Aggrazel says:

    FAIL! 150KG weight limit … HA! I’m 150KG and there’s no way my ass would fit in that thing.

  3. Brian says:

    A skeptic must prioritze. If it’s just spam, ignore. If this thing starts taking off and selling, then worry about responding. Which seems unlikely.

  4. Ryan Johnson says:

    Oh, Good Point Calin,

    Allow me to clarify: I have no intention to contact the marketer, they KNOW their selling crap! And trying to go after the marketer is like a Whack-a-Mole game anyway, once you get one, another one pops up somewhere else.

    My thoughts are along the lines of educating people, creating resources to inform and essentially limit this type of product from even being marketable because of a lack of interest. I realize, of course, that this is pie in the sky, but as a thought experiment, I’d love to understand what ideas people have to combat this type of false marketing.

  5. Tuffgong says:

    When I say “vibrating water molecules” I immediately thought, “so it’s a giant microwave!” Great, so I can finally cook a whole deer!

    The only thing you can do is forward the email to others and say that this is a scam. Mention in the email to reply back if they need an explanation why. Hopefully, none are sent back. If they are, then at least someone will be the wise.

    The Skeptologists should have a regular feature of debunking scam products like Kinoki foot pads and this monstrosity. I could see a few episodes a season focusing on that. It would be fun and could draw some good press to the show. You’ll get no more flak than the Mythbusters get for doing something that people don’t agree with, which is to say each episode.

  6. Brian says:

    I agree with Tuffgong on doing a regular episode of the Skeptologists. I have seen Dateline or 20/20, etc, do “investigative reporting” on things like the foot pads, etc. Target products that get some actual airtime, and do a digestible version of “why this product is crap”. More or less use the same technique that news agencies do when they investigate things. “Tonight at 10: Does water cause cancer!? Tune in!”. It would be a sure way to get some good ratings at the very least. If people see a product that makes some crazy claims on tv, then they see someone analyzing it, they will tune in more readily then debunking things that they don’t really care about. They are always looking for something to throw money at to make them feel better, and if you guys are out there giving down to earth advice, they maybe wont throw their money away.

  7. Tuffgong says:

    That would a pragmatic use of the show that I hope they can get away with come airtime. As more of these things show up, the show can keep taking them on. As a consumer, it’s always stuff like this that makes you wonder whether its true or not but here we actually have people qualified to find out!

    I could even see them taking on infomercials as a whole like vacuum infomercials always use the bowling ball demonstration to show how much suction they have. Does that work? Is that really a good indicator of suction? I would be very curious to see them investigate it. Another vacuum one is the Orec classic “turn on the ultraviolet light and watch it all get sucked up” bit. They could compare the effectiveness of a product on an immediate mess (like bolts on a floor, or a shirt soaked in coffee for maybe 2 minutes) vs. actual stains and messes that have been around for a bit. Of course they would use the product consumers would have, not anything used for demonstration. I’m giddy thinking about this!

    If they do test products and some are actually what they claim they are, that could bring attention to an important point about skeptics, they aren’t the boogie men out to get the things that make people feel better. Skeptics are to recognize the truth and this is to be applied neutrally to whatever comes along. If they prove a product works, great! They are to treat that now different than if it had not worked and that could be effective in teaching people a point about skepticism.

  8. Brian says:

    “… they aren’t the boogie men out to get the things that make people feel better.”

    wow, thats actually a really great way to think of it. Worst thing you can do is alienate the average audience. Something like that, although not the central part of the show, could help bring in viewers and build their trust. Most people are annoyed when you tell them “there are no ghosts”, etc. They say things like “you are just arrogant, thinking that there is nothing bigger then you”. But, if you can save them money (in “this economy”), they may not see you as that boogie man.

    Of course, the risk one would run at doing this, is that it is more or less copying Penn and Tellers show.

  9. If it helps me “loose” some weight, I’m all for it.

    Okay, so picking at the spelling among the plethora of mad-eyed pseudoscientific claims is probably like criticizing Dr. Frankenstein’s choice of his monster’s eye color, but it’s still grating.

  10. Max says:

    A YouTube video titled “The Shamwow sucks!!!!” got 185000 views.

    How about skeptical chain letters? Forward to all your friends.

  11. Anonymous Coward says:

    The problem with things like this is that you really can’t do much about them. If you manage to make your government legalise against these scams, and good luck with that, they’ll just take up shop somewhere where it’s still legal and keep sending the spams. And the machine itself cannot be outlawed unless it does some actual damage, so they could probably still import the thing and sell it domestically. The only solution is better science education, nothing else will help.

  12. MadScientist says:

    This rubbish is already on the market; there are numerous websites advertising the stuff.

    I’m a chemist and spectroscopist, and the claims are 100% Pure Bull. The guy doesn’t even have a clue of the typical bounds to what is referred to as the ‘far infrared’. For some idea, see this Caltech page:

    http://www.ipac.caltech.edu/Outreach/Edu/Regions/irregions.html

  13. SionH says:

    But on the plus side, we now have the word “moisty”, so I’m happy.

  14. Max says:

    They’re just grouping long-wave IR (6-20 microns) with far IR. The human body does emit LWIR that a thermal camera can see. They’re wrong to call the range 0.9–1.8 microns far IR, but they’re right that it can be “harmful to the human eye”. If their capsule caused eye damage, they’d be in trouble.

  15. Kesnit says:

    I know the comments about grills and “microwaving people” are jokes, but it seems to me, just that kind of thing is going to happen to those not-so-skeptical people who use this device.

    Heat it up to 77 degrees F? Stay there until it is over 90? Of course you are going to sweat! If it says how long the victim is supposed to stay in there, I missed it, but it sounds like a recipe (pun intended) for dehydration. If someone is already a little dehydrated (as can easily happen on a hot summer day, or if the air is cold and dry), it wouldn’t take much to kill someone.

  16. Max says:

    Oh please, you could say that about a sauna, jacuzzi, and Phoenix Arizona. That’s why they recommend drinking water.

  17. catgirl says:

    I’m a spectroscopist, so I work with IR spectra daily. So I wonder if the IR waves that my body is emitting are affecting my work? Or maybe I can use my work equipment to ‘loose’ weight. The UV lamps we use for aging samples are apparently the same ones used in tanning beds, so my company could open up a spa for extra income.

  18. Max says:

    I can picture the advertisement for tanning beds: “Same UV lamps used for aging samples!”

  19. How weird is this. I was sitting in traffic yesterday and my girlfriend asked what an Infrared Sauna was. She pointed to a tanning salon opposite with a sign reading along the lines of “Infrared Sauna – now you can lose weight and get a tan!” I shrugged. “I dunno, a waste of money? Special delivery skin cancer?”

    Holy freaking cow man. Who would have thought I’d be reading about it here so soon. Coincidence? Fate? Psychic communication? You decide!

    Ok, I’ve decided. Coincidence and the fact snake oil sales are a global trade.

    Anyway, I wonder if the unit these guys were advertising in their shop front was combining UV tanning globes and Infrared. Who knows. Who cares. These “easy weight loss” scams are sickening. People have been dumbed down to the point where they expect access to anything via a remote control. Easy weight loss usually follows with even easier weight gain shortly after. Exercise and a healthy diet are the key factors….not light globes and wishful thinking.

  20. MadScientist says:

    @catgirl:

    Give me a few months and I’ll rebuild my multichannel IR imaging radiometer – then we can take your ‘brightness temperature’ in different bands and assess the impact of your long-wave emissions (or absorptions) on your work. It’s really simple when you convert the radiance to brightness temperature – if the camera says you’re not so bright then obviously the radiation is having a negative impact on work. I wish I knew how to upload images to these posts – then I could post some old images showing how bright one of my colleagues is.

  21. Kristin C says:

    So… basically what they’re selling you is a pod-sized sauna?

  22. Maria Marques says:

    The global economic crisis looks “constructed” . Can Skeptics comment about it?

  23. Traveler says:

    It would be fun to contact the seller.

    “Dear Sellers of the FIR Capsule,

    I am a Nigerian prince afflicted with toxins, poor metabolism, and stress about my finances. I would be willing to pay triple your normal price, if only you will help me move funds out of Nigeria to keep them away from the corrupt government. All I need is for you to wire me the funds necessary to begin the process, and provide me with the following data about yourself…”

  24. Mchl says:

    Tuffgong said: “The Skeptologists should have a regular feature of debunking scam products like Kinoki foot pads and this monstrosity.”

    That the best idea I’ve heard lately! And at the end of the segment blow it up in Mythbusters/Brainiac style!

  25. labrador says:

    The Sham Wow sucks?!? NNNooooooooooooooooooooooooo

  26. Anibal says:

    This advertisement is so full of crap that I could not bear to read it all. At least the pod does look cool.

  27. Max says:

    But I thought the Germans always make good stuff

  28. The ShamWow! will go the way of the Popeil Pocket Fisherman, but my money’s on Vince The Pitch Guy as America’s Newest Star With No Discernible Talent.

  29. Matt McBride says:

    Why can’t we get a skeptical late-night infomercial to debunk
    the claims of some, most, hell all, of these products?

  30. Lowies says:

    Your comments are so pointless without facts! Where can one find any factual info to backup your criticisms? Starting with the above mentioned capsule..
    I know the thruth is out there, but where??

  31. Lowies, I believe the source for the information you’re looking for is found in a far away land called “Reality”.

    Can you make toasted cheese sandwiches in this thing?

  32. Jennifer Hattabaugh says:

    When it comes to gimmicks and gadgets for the beauty industry, I look to Paula Begoun for her excellent myth busting and research abilities. For anyone interested in the subject, I highly recommend checking out her website and her books. One special report currently on her website is: http://www.cosmeticscop.com/skin-care-facts-cellulite-myths-facts-produce-reviews-options-treatments.aspx

    As a licensed esthetician I like to know the difference between the money wasters and the actual skin enhancers.

  33. Susan says:

    Oh, man…I’m laughing so hard my eyes are getting moisty.

  34. Fred says:

    Okay, I’m late to the party here but the same health claims are being made for the FAR Infrared heating pads. These pads even have jade stones embedded in them.

  35. stefanie says:

    I want to know how much the price of infra red capsule? Thank you

  36. sue says:

    they are now selling this fir infrared to HEAL people! and people are buying it! they say it cures morgellons, all i see is it cures you of having money. but this dam thing can hurt people cant it? it no cure i know that much