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Overcharging And Under Delivering

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Anyone with the misfortune of suffering from insomnia will know what it’s like to endure the late-night TV ads for the latest fad in beauty or fitness. It’s as if the good looking and healthy people in life stay up late to catch the infomercial that will take them beyond the next threshold or something.

Most likely, the ads are targeting people like me who are slightly overweight and could do with some aesthetic improvement. If that’s the case, they are bang on the money because I seem to catch every new exercise machine, miracle food, and even laser hair removal advertisement and if you don’t believe me, just check the cupboard under my stairs. It’s like a museum of last year’s ‘in-thing’.

Value for Money or Not?

The question is whether or not the health and beauty industry overcharges for equipment sold with exaggerated claims and raised expectations for people who use their products. I’m no Mr. Universe and I’ve not really studied physiology; or whatever it is you need to understand if you want to enable you to mold your body into something attractive, but I can tell you one thing.

The more fad gadgets I buy, the more pounds I lose. Sadly, they are from my bank account rather than my waistline. I’m not saying the gadgets don’t work, but the very reason I have the extra baggage in the first place is keeping me from making the most of my abdominal cruncher, my air-walker, my pulley toning system, and my collection of fitness DVDs – I’m just too lazy to use them.

More Expensive Better Results

I have spent more than my fair share of hard-earned on the latest gadget in the hope that I will commit to using something if it costs more and trust me, it doesn’t work. Bear in mind, this is someone who will cut the bad piece off his bread before placing it in the toaster so it’s not like I have money to throw away. My wife is no better and after spending nearly £300 on a laser-hair-removal kit, I still kiss her and her mustache good night every time we go to bed together.

Now I have the pleasure of listening to endless requests from my beloved for another hair-removal product called ‘No-No’. Can you guess what my response is?

(It’s no…just in case you didn’t get it)

Gadgets are Great – when you use them

Okay, so you might think I have been a little harsh on the gadgets on offer, but I’ve been reasonably honest and told you I simply don’t use them. I have no doubt the healthy juicer and home gym equipment I have so keenly invested in over the last ten years are effective for those people who put them to use.

How could they not be when there are at least three athletes and the occasional doctor endorsing them on national television? My problem is not with the gadget, it’s with my motivation, and the minute an infomercial for a lazy man’s solution to being himself hits our screens, I’m sold. Until then, it’s another packet of cheese and onion flavor Hula-Hoops and a can of Cherry Coke to wash them down.

The Gadget that Works for Me

I once had a set of blackout blinds that helped, because it was like the middle of the night when the sun was in the sky and I found myself sitting up watching daytime TV instead. Thankfully, that gadget taught me there was more to life than watching Jerry Springer re-runs and I soon found a job. I suppose it’s ironic that the very gadget I bought to help me veg out actually did the complete opposite and sent be to work. Perhaps I should buy my wife a beard-trimmer instead of a shaver and I might get lucky.