Makers of Crowdfunded “Gravity Blanket” Withdraw Unsupported Medical Claims
statnews.com
statnews.com
The answer: people with disabilities.
But by advertising in this way, infomercials appealed both to those with disabilities (who recognized the implied relevance to their condition) and those who benefited from the curb-cut effect[1]. They were able to sell more units for a lower price and also avoid making explicit medical claims.
This kickstarter, possibly following from the popularity of fidget toys, decided to be more explicit.
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[1] The Curb Cut effect is a generally useful observation in UX design you can read about in a few places. Here is one: https://ssir.org/articles/entry/the_curb_cut_effect OXO-brand kitchen tools for arthritis are another example of it.
"The science behind Gravity reveals that it can be used to treat a variety of ailments, including insomnia, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, as well as circumstantial stress and prolonged anxiety."
Assuming that "can be used to treat" means what I think it does, this is simply false: the science doesn't show that. And regardless, claims of this form are specifically forbidden by Kickstarter, which prohibits "any item claiming to cure, treat, or prevent an illness or condition". So they removed this claim, like they should have.
None of this contradicts the fact that you might want to buy one of these blankets if you have insomnia, etc.
But just because it's not adequately supported to pass a clinical trial doesn't mean there isn't something to it or even that claims are "unsupported." You can support a claim lots of ways, including with anecdotes or even just inductive reasoning. It's one thing to say that it doesn't clear the bar for proof we expect of the FDA or to establish a scientific consensus, but that's different from intimating that they're liars.
They made a mistake in their ad copy, that's clear enough. But mistakes like these are common when amateurs try to start up a business or pursue an interest. Claims that they're snake-oil salesmen or frauds because they spoke colloquially, rather than couching terms in the vague messaging of people steeped in the business culture and lingo of health supplements, pharmaceuticals, or medical device manufacturers is really excessive.
Products are vague about their wording because they're legally required to be.
Claiming a cure would be a far bigger news story.
The makers made a medical claim. They had no evidence to support that claim. They've withdrawn the claim.
It doesn't matter if they claimed "helps with" or "cures".
> That said, we wanted to clarify that our blanket is not an FDA approved medical device, and as such, we've tweaked the language on our Kickstarter accordingly. We hope you understand, and we’re very excited for you to try this out for yourselves.
People that dislike snake oil salesmen and don't think there is "my science" and "somebody else's science", but just one science?
It got funding because they made unsubstantiated medical claims, which is illegal for good reason. Otherwise I could sell you "anti-cancer rocks" from my driveway.
I don't think the product itself is so bad: I like the weight of blankets when I sleep and like them to touch the bed on both sides of me. I'd completely understand a lightweight but weighted blanket during the summer, and I'm guessing it would make some folks feel comforted and so on. I'd much rather them have this sort of honesty in their advertising than the language they had.
[0] https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/1620645203/about
[1] https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwIXCnpTwZQaRtzyNOyzkfA
The other kind is the one where the product is very pie-in-the-sky, requires multiple breakthroughs in the process of making said product, and the creator shows a clear lack of expertise or reputation in the disciplines for making the product.
Often, the people that take the bait in the second group are an extreme case of wishful thinking of wanting their past vision of the future (which is today) to be full of wonderful tech products, and they see something remotely futuristic and throw their money at it.
Is it? I looked around for a similar product, and this one seems quite a bit cheaper than the ones that exist now:
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3...
If anything, the only thing backers should be worried about is if they wind up having to spend all their money on litigation defense and not being able to go produce the thing.
Its worth pointing out that Williams Sonoma is known for having weirdly high-priced goods. See this, which comes out every year: https://www.google.co.uk/amp/theconcourse.deadspin.com/the-2...
No, wrong country. I have been to John Lewis [1] many times; their duvets can be expensive too. The thing with the weighted blanket is you'll need one of these duvets as well - or other blankets - for much of the year. It's an extra.
It felt really scammy from the get go but it is an anxious and well off person so I haven't tried to knock down this idea (since worst case scenario the placebo does not work).
I have still shared this article, they will conclude whatever they want.