The Healthy Bee

While gym memberships have slid since 2006, home gym equipment sales continue to grow. Fitness infomercials are among the most popular TV commercials used to sell home exercise equipment. Of the six most profitable infomercial products, three are related to fitness. (1, 2)

Most of us dream about enjoying amazing workout results by investing only minimal time and effort. Fitness infomercials are designed to create this fantasy, which lulls us into purchasing products that may not live up to their claims.

The Successful Infomercial Program Profile and Fitness Products

Successful infomercial programs promote products that:

*are reasonably-priced,

*are revolutionary and innovative,

*cannot be found anywhere else,

*can make life easier and better, and

*produce immediate, transformational results. (3)

In order to fit this profile, marketers of fitness products often promote the fantasy of fast fitness. While the notion of undergoing a rapid body transformation appeals to the viewer, product claims may exceed the ability of the human body to achieve such accelerated results.

Many fitness gadgets have been taken to task by consumer groups for making unsubstantiated claims. While some products have been tested and shown to be reasonable supplements to a total exercise program, others are ineffective. (4, 5)

Despite consumer complaints and negative reviews, however, sales from fitness infomercials are booming. Why? Infomercial marketing tactics intrigue and motivate us to purchase a product regardless of its quality or effectiveness.

7 Common Marketing Tactics that Sell the Fast-Fitness Fantasy

These 7 common marketing tactics used in fitness infomercials target our emotions, establish product credibility, and offer bargains we can’t seem to refuse.

1. Emotions: Ads aim at the very core of our being–our sense of self and, perhaps, our vanity. They strike the chords of our emotions and play on our universal dreams, desires, and needs.

Our imaginations begin to mold our fantasies. Next, they establish credibility and trust, while easing skepticism about the ability of the product to fulfill our dreams of scupting a gorgeous body.

2. Testimonials: We listen to the stories of peers who profess amazing results from using the product and toy with the notion that, just maybe, it will work for us, too.

3. Endorsements: We tend to trust the word of celebrities, trainers, and elite athletes. If Oprah endorses a product, that pretty much seals the deal for many of us.

4. Scientific research: If a fitness device is based on a new scientific discovery or is university tested, isn’t that real proof that it is effective? Not necessarily!

Each of these confidence-building strategies has its shortcomings. Results claimed by compensated models may well be due to their total weight control and exercise program, rather than due to the product itself.

Scientific studies conducted or sponsored by manufacturers are often disclosed only upon request. Even results from university research may not be accurately represented in fitness infomercials, particularly if all of the findings do not support the fast-fitness profile. (5)

Nonetheless, according to one survey, viewers are more likely to trust infomercials than Congress, used car salesmen, and corporate executives! (3)

Once they have gained some reasonable level of our confidence in the product, they attempt to close the sale by:

5. Overcoming objections and upping the ante: Marketers emphasize the uniqueness of the product and urge us to accept no substitutes. They create a sense of urgency with limited-time offers and great bargains for the shopper in us.

6. Guaranteeing no risk: If you don’t get results, you will get a full refund! So, what have you got to lose?

7. Being persistent: Fitness infomercials repeat the same message frequently. Repetition, particularly late at night when our subconscious minds are more vulnerable, may well tap into the power of suggestion that prompts the buy.

Sold! Viewers will generally watch for 13 to 15 minutes before calling.

Add-On Sales For More Quick Profits

The purchase decision may be just the beginning of profits from fitness infomercials. Shipping, handling, and taxes are expected. But as a new, enthusiastic buyer, beware that you are likely to encounter a barrage of add-ons before you have completed the transaction. Pay close attention, or your credit card may automatically be charged monthly for additional products. And later, if you exercise your money- back guarantee, you may get the runaround from an automated system.

All told, you may pay the original advertised price many times over and, unfortunately, never see results. At some point you may come to realize that your fast-fitness fantasy was, from the start, the manufacturer’s quick-profit, dream-come-true at the expense of consumers.

Consumer Knowledge is Power

Do not let your emotions override patience and logic. Take a step back and research the fitness infomercial product and its claims. If you can move past the impulse buy:

*Check out user reviews on the specific product of interest.

*Visit consumer-related sites before buying exercise equipment.

*Ask the opinion of a fitness professional, preferably one who has formal training and an advanced degree in exercise science.

*If you decide that the product is worth a try, be sure to read the fine print on the website.

Educate yourself by learning fundamental exercise and weight control principles so that unsubstantiated product claims will be more transparent to you. Fitness knowledge gives you the power to prevent falling for the fast-fitness fantasy before you make the purchase.

References:

1. Consumer Reports. (2009, January 6). Tip of the day: Choose a home exercise machine to fit your budget. Retrieved January 19, 2009, from http://blogs.consumerreports.org/health/2009/01/home-workout.html?resultPageIndex=1&resultIndex=1

2. The Marqui Automation Company. (2005, May 7). The all-powerful infomercial. Retrieved January 18, 2009, from http://www.marqui.com/blog/the_allpowerful.aspx

3. Infomercial Marketing. (2006, April 7). The right kind of product for an infomercial is… Retrieved January 19, 2009, from http://infomercialmarketing.wordpress.com/2006/04/

4. Federal Trade Commission. (2003, November). Avoiding the muscle hustle: Tips for buying exercise equipment. Retrieved January 18, 2009, from http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt113.shtm

5. Consumer Reports. (2009, January). Assessing exercise infomercials’ claims. Retrieved January 19, 2009, from http://www.consumerreports.org/health/healthy-living/fitness/staying-fit/infomercial-exercise-2-08/how-they-tested/infomercial-exercise-equipment-how-they-test.htm

 

 

 

 



By: Denise K. Wood, Ed.D.

About the Author:

The mind—body—spirit debate has developed into a well known researched fact over the past decade. While there has always been some amount of contribution given to the mindset of any patient, only recently has the concept of caring for the “entire self” become a common practice in today’s modern medicine and prevention programs. Mind—body—spirit wellness has reached new levels of inclusive factors for today’s health conscious individuals. Holistic health has finally reached acceptance in many offices of doctors and practitioners of medicine.

The power of caring for one’s entire body is really quite impressively powerful. Individuals who have opted for total mind—body—spirit wellness have been able to determine great levels of health and energy within their own framework by allowing their entire being into account. Studies on the power of the mind have shown some shocking results, the effects have been proven to be of course, mind—blowing.

Holistic health is essential in providing high quality total care for your self, your family, and your overall well being. Studies have proven that holistic health practices have dramatically reduced the number and frequency of illnesses related to common every day exposure. School children living in mind—body—spirit wellness focused homes miss less than half of the school days due to illness than that of their classmates still living in traditional Western medicine focused homes.

Accounts of real world individuals being able to provide testimony to the effects of holistic health practices on their daily lives are continuously increasing. Many individuals offer that the mind—body—spirit wellness approach to life has given them not only their physical health back, but their emotional health as well. For those who place more emphasis on the testimony of physicians and health care practitioners, there are an increasing number of offices that practice mind—body—spirit wellness as part of their routine care.

Holistic health and the mind—body—spirit wellness approach to life has also opened up a while new industry for the entrepreneurial spirit. Many manufacturers feel that it has been nothing short of a blessing to fully endorse their product without doubting the word of their advertisers. There is a vast and endless ocean of new and improved products which adhere to holistic health practices and principles which have emerged onto the market as of late, and for the most part, these products actually do what they say they are going to do. Of course, we wouldn’t be an enterprising society if a few unscrupulous manufacturers didn’t sneak in there for their piece of this multi billion dollar industry. Our culture responded appropriately by deeming specific authorities on the topic to be the final word in quality and effectiveness.

By developing institutes that focus completely on mind—body—spirit wellness and awareness, there has been a successful and remarkable overhaul in the basic integrity of holistic health materials and products. While of course there are still some scam factories out there, the vast majority of holistic health companies want to be part of this ever growing, popular, and health enhancing trend that is changing the lives and souls of everyone involved.

Holistic health products that are able to make claims of providing “miracle” results are generally not considered to be authentic products endorsed or even recognized by any authority of holistic health practices. Rather, while there have been case reports regarding “miraculous results” on an individual basis, the mind—body—spirit wellness community does not promote grand promises but instruction, focus, and of course, directives that help individuals enhance their mind—body—spirit connection. Very few products on the holistic health market today receive genuine endorsements or “approval” from these authorities. Those that do have not only been proven to deliver what they promise, but also meet a strict standard of what constitutes and actual holistic health product.

As the mind—body—spirit wellness and awareness movement grows and matures over the next few years, there is bound to be growth in numerous areas of product development. What has reached the market now can be considered to be some remarkable enhancements in the holistic health practice. In fact, there have been a few products which not only earn the endorsement of leading authorities, but actually are not expected to be able to be produced better than they are right now. This is a pretty bold statement considering that technology and education will never be static yet those few products out there that are being praised and sung by the leading authorities have literally taken the holistic health product market by storm.

Our society will most likely continue the never ending search for powerful new health remedies and holistic health products which enhance the mind—body—spirit wellness experience with great enthusiasm and vigor over the next ten years. After all, what is considered a relatively new phenomenon in this country has been considered to be tradition in other societies for centuries. There is a wealth of knowledge waiting for us to uncover as time goes by.

The mind—body—spirit wellness movement and the holistic health practices that are now finally being viewed as medical advancements will continue to offer our society a new way of looking at health, not to mention a vast assortment of new health treatments. This can only be considered to be good news for those who suffer from chronic conditions, serious health problems and illnesses, or the healthy who wish to remain that way.





By: shannon lokker

About the Author:

Some strategies on finding affordable health insurance in Florida.

I’ve been a health insurance agent since 1985. I help Connecticut residents find health insurance and have for the last several years have also managed a website that helps people in other states including Florida find health insurance. You can find a health insurance broker in Florida by requesting quotes through my site.

Health Insurance Plans of Florida — Tips to Help You Pick the Right Policy

Choosing the best health insurance plan involves the following:

Finding a policy with or without using a health insurance broker in Florida who can offer you the lowest cost (but only with respect to the other two criteria)

Finding one of the health insurance plans of Florida that has a network that meets your needs

Finding the Florida health insurance plan with coverage that meets your needs

Choosing the right medical insurance policy involves finding the best rate quote amongst the Florida health insurance plans that meet your needs as to network and coverage. Choosing the lowest price is of course very easy. Determining whether the health insurance plan’s network of doctors meets your needs is only a little more difficult. Choosing a health insurance policy that covers you well can be complex. You may want to enlist the aid of a licensed health insurance broker in Florida. Most of this article focuses on the basics of determining how well a policy covers you.

In a perfect world, everyone would read and understand their insurance policies. However, I realize that many people will find a health insurance broker in Florida that they feel comfortable with and will want his or her recommendations. However, whether you use a broker or not, I strongly recommend that you contact the Florida office of Insurance Regulation in Tallahassee, FL (850) 413-3140 and make sure that any health insurance plan is approved by them. Insurance Departments cannot ensure that you get the best policy for your individual needs, but they do their best to make sure that each health insurance plan and each health insurance broker meets certain minimum standards. Be sure to work with companies and brokers that are in good standing.

Choosing the Florida Health Insurance Plan with the Right Network

Health insurance carriers usually have websites that will list the MDs and medical facilities that accept their plans. All that I’m aware of will have a printed list that they can mail to you. The right plan will have your physician on their list or at least physicians who are located a convenient distance from your home. If you travel it is important to find a plan that covers you well in other geographic areas as well.

Choosing the Florida Health Insurance Plan with the best coverage for you

Health insurance policies may be the most complex of the insurance contracts offered to individuals and families. Understanding how your medical plan will pay for your medical bills can be difficult. Fortunately most of the brochures and outlines of coverage that you may receive from a health insurance provider will have a similar structure. They will have sections similar to the following:

What is Covered?

Health Plan Exclusions and Limitations

What is Covered?

This section will detail what medical procedures your health insurance policy will cover. The policy should have a phrase like “reasonable and customary” or “usual, reasonable and customary” or something similar when describing how much they will cover.

Watch out for health insurance policies with:

Monetary limits for each procedure

A long list of procedures that the medical insurance policy will cover

Better health insurance policies will not list dollar amounts for each procedure. They will pay using a formula that is based on what other physicians and hospitals will charge you in the same geographic area. A phrase like “usual and customary” indicates that they use such a formula. The cost of medical care rises so quickly that a dollar amount that seems impressive today may not fully reimburse you even a year from now.

Solid health Insurance policies will not have a long list of procedures that they will cover listed on the policy. The long list seems impressive because the list takes up a lot of space. Look at the statements below. It should be easy to choose between one and two.

“Our health insurance plan will cover you for everything except for expenses caused by self-inflicted injuries and substance abuse.” (”I’ve been to every city in Florida except Orlando.”)

“Our health insurance policy will cover your nose, your ears, your toes, your hands, your right lung, your calf and your knee” (”I’ve been to Orlando, Miami, Jacksonville, Tampa and Miami Beach”)

Health Plan Exclusions and Limitations

This section will tell you what is excluded. Typically plastic surgery will not be covered. Also experimental procedures and expenses caused by self-inflicted injuries will not be covered. You should understand each of these limitations before you commit to a policy. Most policies will not include maternity insurance, so if you want to get pregnant, make sure that you know how your policy will cover maternity expenses. Unfortunately, maternity insurance is not available in many states except as part of a group insurance plan.

To summarize:

Determine what health insurance plans will cover you in your area

Determine which health insurance plans offer adequate coverage

Choose the plans that offers the best value based on price and coverage

The health insurance options Orlando residents have are similar to the health insurance options Miami residents have, since the plans will work in similar ways throughout the state.

This article can be copied and reprinted but only in its entirety and with the links intact. The article was originally published on https://lovetherates.com/articles/health-insurance-broker-florida-article.htm. The article starts with the heading “Hospitalization Only Insurance” and ends with this sentence.



By: Alston Ballkcom

About the Author:

As stated by the Texas Department of Insurance, the Texas Legislature enacted three bills that allow small business employers to form cooperatives for the purchase of employer health benefit plans in Dallas, Houston and throughout Texas. All three types of cooperatives are private purchasing cooperatives under state law. Texas Insurance Code Chapter 1501, Subchapter B provides for the formation of Purchasing Cooperatives. Two of the three have special characteristics; for clarity, we will refer to the broader category as “private purchasing cooperatives.”

Who may form a cooperative?

Two or more small employers may form a small employer health coalition. Any person - other than a health carrier - may form a health group cooperative. A health carrier may assist a sponsoring entity in forming a cooperative. A health group cooperative must have at least ten participating employers.

How do I start a cooperative?

All three types of purchasing cooperatives must be formed as a nonprofit corporation. For more information on how to form a nonprofit corporation, you should consult the Texas Secretary of State, specifically the Filing Guide for Business Organizations and Non-Profit Associations.

Texas Insurance Code Chapter 1501, Subchapter B provides for the formation of Purchasing Cooperatives. Small business employers interested in assistance with forming or joining a small employer health coalition should also consider contacting their insurance agent or one of the existing small employer health coalitions. Once the cooperative has received a certificate of incorporation or certificate of authority from the Secretary of State, the cooperative must file that document and the cooperative’s organizational document with the Texas Department of Insurance. The address for filing these documents is: Filings Intake Division, Mail Code 106-1E, Texas Department of Insurance, P. O. Box 149104, Austin, Texas 78714-9104.

What Type of Cooperative Should I Form?

This decision will be based on the goals for the cooperative and the employers interested in joining. You should consult the description of the types of cooperatives available and review the statutes and regulations associated with each. Things you should consider when forming a cooperative include the potential for growth in the cooperative, the complexities associated with potential growth, interest from a carrier and a sponsoring entity in the cooperative, and carrier requirements, such as participation levels.

How Do I Join a Cooperative?

All of the cooperatives registered and listed with the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI). Contacting a cooperative in your area is the first step you should take in joining a cooperative. For certain cooperatives, there may be an annual open enrollment period, which will limit your opportunities to a certain period each year. Small employers interested in joining a cooperative should also remember that, as individual employers, they are guaranteed issuance of coverage from an insurance company or HMO that offers coverage to small employers. Similarly, a small business employer must be allowed to join a health group cooperative and purchase coverage during the next annual open enrollment period.

What Type of Cooperative Should I Join?

Various factors will influence your decision about the type of cooperative to join, including whether your company is a small or large employer, the rates offered by the cooperatives in your area, a cooperative’s administrative or membership fees, and whether a particular cooperative is accepting new members or currently enrolling new members in an open enrollment period. You should review the different types of cooperatives to determine whether a particular type offers advantages for the employer. There is also a revolutionary individual health insurance plan you can offer your employees.

Health Group Cooperative - Sub (p)

SB 805, enacted by the 79th Texas Legislature (2005), created a new type of health group cooperatives with special rights and requirements.

- Any person, other than a health carrier, may form a sub (p) health group cooperative.

- Once a sub (p) health group cooperative is formed, it must have at least ten small employer members to be eligible to purchase coverage from a health carrier that is participating in the health group cooperative market.

- A sub (p) health group cooperative is not required to allow a small employer to join the cooperative if the cooperative has elected to restrict membership in the cooperative in accordance with legal requirements, and after the small employer has joined the cooperative, the total number of eligible employees employed on business days during the preceding calendar year by all small employers participating in the cooperative would exceed 50.

- A health group cooperative must make the election to restrict membership at the time the cooperative is initially formed.

- Employers that join a sub (p) health group cooperative must commit to purchasing coverage through the cooperative for two years, but may cease purchasing coverage upon demonstrating financial hardship.

- A sub (p) health group cooperative is considered to be a single small employer for the purposes of issuance of coverage and rating. Accordingly, a health group cooperative may purchase coverage from any small employer health carrier that is not already providing coverage to a health group cooperative in that county.

- Health carriers providing coverage to a sub (p) health group cooperative may offer a health benefit plan, specifically allowed by SB 10, which does not include state mandated benefits. This freedom from state mandates is specific to SB 10, but it is similar to that which authorizes consumer choice health benefit plans.

If you have a number of temporary, part-time or seasonal employees working for you, cooperatives have a number of limitations and may not be the best health insurance option for your small business. Group health insurance can be unaffordable for many small businesses, not to mention an administrative headache. Another alternative to group health insurance plans is to offer individual health insurance options to your employees. By law, an employer is not allowed to contribute to these plans, or that would be treated as group insurance under Texas state law. But you can still help your employees become insured in a good plan and improve their health and well-being and also improve employee retention in the process.

If you’re a small business owner who would like to offer affordable health insurance plans to your employees, but can’t afford group health insurance, you should consider offering your employees the revolutionary, comprehensive individual health insurance solutions created by Precedent specifically for young, healthy individuals.

Precedent offers affordable, individual health plans with catastrophic coverage, but without a high deductible, and we’ll offer these plans to your employees at a discount. For more information, visit us at our website. We offer a unique and innovative suite of individual health insurance solutions, including highly competitive HSA-qualified plans, and an unparalleled “real time” application and acceptance experience.



By: Pat Carpenter

About the Author:

Buying Florida health insurance may or may not be in your stars. But with that in mind, if you live in the state there is a chance that you will have to make a purchase sometime in the future. The majority of people who shop for Florida health insurance do so because they do not receive benefits through their employer, or they are self employed. Of course, some companies also shop for group health insurance policies.

If you need to get a Florida health insurance quote there are several ways of getting started. Most people have found that the best way of doing this is by using the internet. This allows them to avoid phone contact with agents or brokers, and also gives them the chance to work at their own speed. Obtaining Florida health insurance quotes this way is as easy as it gets.

Of course, your other option is to directly contact particular companies that offer policies that may be of interest to you. While this is fine, it is going to take you much longer and you may not get as good a price. But all in all, there is nothing wrong with shopping for Florida health insurance in this manner.

There are many companies that offer Florida health insurance, and each one has different plans and options for you to choose from. The key to getting what you want is making sure that you consider all of the plans in front of you. Even if you have found a nice looking policy, you owe it to yourself to continue shopping until you have a few comparisons set up. This will ensure you that the plan you choose is the best of the best.

Florida Health Insurance: Carefully Comparing Plans

When shopping for Florida health insurance the details presented may scare you away. But before you turn and run, you should remember that buying Florida health insurance is not as hard as it may sound. There are a lot of details to consider, but if you simply work at your own pace these details will never have a negative effect on you. The most important thing to remember is that comparing Florida health insurance plans is an absolute must.

There are a few things that you will learn when comparing Florida health insurance. First off, you will be able to see right off the bat the prices that are available to you. If cost is a major factor you will learn all that you need to know by simply checking out a few prices before you even get started.

In addition to the price, when comparing plans you will want to consider the details of each one. For instance, things such as your deductible, out of pocket limit and coinsurance are quite important. These are the details that will cover your medical costs as you incur them. So obviously, the more that you know about each policy the better off you will be.

Carefully comparing Florida health insurance plans will give you the knowledge that you need to make a financially sound decision. It is in your best interest to compare several plans, and then decide which one will best suit your lifestyle. The bottom line is that you will have the chance to compare several plans before buying. Although it may take time to compile these quotes and plan details, if you want to make the best decision it is something that you have to do.

Florida Health Insurance: Applying Online

Are you actively shopping for Florida health insurance? Are you finding this to be a difficult process? If you answered yes to both of these questions you are more than likely forgetting about how the internet can help your situation. Using the internet to apply for Florida health insurance will make everything easier on you. Not only will you have the ability to obtain information on several policies, but when you apply online you can skip over a lot of the time consuming details that go along with using the phone or snail mail.

The main reason that a lot of people do not apply for Florida health insurance online is that they are not sure how this process works. Luckily, there is nothing to this. There are actually two ways that you can apply for Florida health insurance online.

First off, you can visit each insurance company’s website and use their application to apply for the best plan for you. This is a good idea if you know what company you want to buy from, and already have information on more than one.

On the other side of things, you can apply for Florida health insurance at a “catch all” site. Generally speaking, when you use one of these services you will have the ability to receive quotes from more than one company without having to jump from site to site. A lot of people prefer a service like this because it allows them to more easily shop and apply for Florida health insurance policies.

So if you need to buy Florida health insurance you should think about what the internet has to offer. Applying for a policy online will allow you to cut the time it will take to receive an answer; which is always a good thing when it comes to getting a health insurance policy in place.

Florida Health Insurance Consultants can help you!

Florida Health Insurance Quote



By: Morgan Q. Moran

About the Author: