No tags yet.
We did an Instagram post about this product a few days ago and since then we have been researching the product to really find out what it does, the tests that have been carried out and the results that have so far been founded, so that we can write you an informed blog.
Behold: Modius
The above headset has been designed to help people lose weight. It claims to reduce body fat, create positive hormonal changes and reduce appetite. It does this by sending electrical pulses that stimulate the vestibular nerve in our brain that is connected to the hypothalamus - the part of the brain that controls body weight and appetite. It is recommended that this product is worn for 45 minutes per day, 5 days a week to see results.
Now, where to begin...
There are a few things that have become apparent when doing our research on this product which we will discuss with you now.
Firstly in one of the articles it states:
"Neuroscience has proven that unhealthy weight gain is often an issue which is controlled by the brain".
Unfortunately, we hate to break it to you, but in its simplest form, weight gain most likely occurs as a result of eating more calories then you burn.
Next we are told that:
"Modern diets are not working. Across the globe people are struggling to maintain a lean and healthy body".
Now it may surprise you, but we do agree with this point. Most modern diets are not working but that is because they are not sustainable. People are struggling to maintain a lean body, however, with the majority of cases that is down to a lack of exercise and over-eating. This does not warrant a machine that interferes with our brain to resolve the issue.
The Modius website tells us about the initial study that was carried out on this product. THE study that proves this is innovative science at its finest, right?
"15 human volunteers received vestibular stimulation while various assessments of both its immediate and longer-term impact were carried out.
An initial study looking at the effects of repeated stimulation over a period of 16 weeks, in nine of these subjects, observed a significant reduction in body fat as measured by whole body DXA scans."
At face value, which the product will be sold on, it sounds great! However, the two paragraphs above, pose more questions than answers, such as:
- What were the current lifestyles of these 15 individuals?
- Were they male or female?
- How old were they?
- Was their nutrition controlled during the trial?
- Were they exercising, or prescribed exercise during the trial?
- Was there a control group?
- How frequently were they using the product?
- How were hormonal adaptations measured?
- How can an experiment carried out on 15 people provide strong evidence to support it's use across a much larger population?
We are confident that the weight loss observed by 60% of the subjects cannot not be solely attributed to the Modius. Without further, more rigorous and strictly controlled experiments it is not possible to conclude that this 'innovation' is effective. What concerns us further is that this trial was carried out over a period of 4 months, can they prove that there are no associated side effects from prolonged use? and is there evidence that any hormonal changes are permanent?
Finally we read:
"Modius is intended to assist adults with their weight management goals when used in conjunction with a fit and healthy lifestyle."
So you can't just sit there and plug it in for 4.5 hours a week, you actually have to have a fit and healthy lifestyle for it to work - the bit they identify themselves as the problem area. As Fitness professionals we can assure you that if you have a fit and healthy lifestyle, there is absolutely no need to invest the initial £369.00 for the machine and carry case.
It concerns us that people will buy into this product as a fast (not cheap) way of losing weight. It could be that people have a very unhealthy lifestyle and rely on this instead of actually being active or eating healthy foods.
Whilst this may be a 'new' technology to enter the world of health & fitness, it certainly isn't the first, nor will it be the last product that claims to help people lose weight.
If you find yourself looking to these products to help you reach your goal, or you feel you have tried everything to lose weight and be healthy and nothing seems to work; It's highly likely you're not being told the truth, given the right guidance or adopting a strategy that suits you and your lifestyle. That's where we come in...