Update 8/9/20. “Have you tried that crazy wrap thing?” is the slogan I kept seeing online when I started looking into the company called “It Works!” This is because It Works! started out as a company that sold toning wraps that were said to make people skinnier. Since then, the company has branched out and now sells all kinds of different supplements. In this review, I want to look at the It Works Advanced Formula Fat Fighter (with “carb inhibitors”) and see if it really burns fat or not. I also want to take a look at It Works! the company too, in case you were as curious as I was. Hopefully, by the end of this review, you will have more information to help you do your own research, and have a better idea if the It Works Fat Fighter is right for you.
Who Makes It Works!
The website, MyItWorks.com was first registered in 2002 by a company called It Works Marketing. Over the years the address for the company has changed. This may reflect the company moving to larger headquarters.
Previous addresses for It Works Marketing (better known as It Works Global) include:
-
- 2006 44th Street, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49508
- 5325 E State Road 64, Bradenton, FL 34208-5534
The company is currently located at 908 Riverside Dr Palmetto, FL 34221-5035. Performing a google search for this address reveals a company, which is a very impressive 50,000 square foot building bearing the It Works name and logo.
Contact It Works!
The contact page of the MyItWorks website lists the following “loyal customer” contact numbers for those in the US: 1-800-537-2395 and 952-540-5699. The Better Business Bureau lists an additional contact number of (941) 348-6650. International toll-free customer support is also available in these countries as well:
- Australia: 1-(800) 750-398
- Canada: 1-(855) 560-1020
- United Kingdom: 0-(800) 098-8925
- Sweden: +46-770791808
- Netherlands:+31-858880101
- Belgium: +32-78480292
It Works Better Business Bureau Rating
The BBB rating for It Works is “C+.” When I checked the BBB file, they had a consumer alert for It Works Marketing which stated that:
- “BBB has received a pattern of complaints from consumers alleging that after trying to cancel with the business, they continue to receive additional products.
- Consumers also state that they have found additional charges being taken that the business has not informed them would be occurring.
- Complaints also allege that the business continues to bill after cancellation, and consumers are not informed that there is a $50.00 cancellation fee.”
In response to the BBB, It Works Global stated:
- “The underlying cause of the majority of our complaints is the improper enrollment of Loyal Customers by Independent Distributors.
- The business indicated that the majority of complaints are received from Loyal Customers directly enrolled by a Distributor who did not adequately disclose or explain the auto shipment commitment or Membership Fee associated with becoming an It Works! Loyal Customer.
- With regard to billing issues, the business indicated that refunds processed on the same day as an original charge are considered voided transactions, and the pending charge drops off the customer's credit card statement.”
These are just highlights. See the BBB file” for updates and more information
In an article in Forbes Magazine it appears It Works Global started out as a company marketing toning body wraps. The It Works wraps might still be the company’s biggest seller, because when I searched for their website —MyItWorks.com—the tagline for the site was “Have You Tried That Crazy Wrap Thing?”
Dr. Bill Sukala's website has a review of It Works Wraps
It Works Fat Fighter Research
When I searched the National Library of Medicine (which lists millions of studies from around the globe) for “It Works Fat Fighter,” no studies showed up. Likewise, doing a Google search for the product turned up no studies. In addition, MyItWorks.com website shows no research.
Therefore, I'm forced to concluded at this time that the product lacks clinical evidence that it works as claimed. If the Fat Fighter works, it’s because of the research on some of its ingredients. Let’s take a look at the research on those ingredients now and see what we can discover.
Fat Fighter Ingredients
According to the product label, a bottle contains 60 tablets. Two tablets contain the following ingredients:
| % DV | |
| Chromium dinicotinate glycinate 150 mcg | 130% |
| NeOpuntia (cactus leaf) 500 mg | N/A |
| Proprietary blend of the following 510 mg | N/A |
| 1. Garcinia cambogia fruit extract | N/A |
| 2. Green tea leaf extract | N/A |
| 3. Phaseolamin | N/A |
| 4. Bitter melon fruit | N/A |
| 5. Banaba leaf extract | N/A |
| 6. Gymnema Sylvestre leaf extract | N/A |
| 7. Wheat amalyase inhibitor | N/A |
| 8. Vanadium | N/A |
N/A = there is no daily value
Now that we know the ingredients, let's see if we can find any research on the ingredients to see if it really does fight fat.
It Works Fat Fighter Ingredients
Chromium
Chromium has been popular in weight loss supplements for decades which is ironic given that the majority of human studies I've seen show this is not the case. Here is my review of chromium. Notice how many studies show it doesn't help weight loss.
One thing chromium might do is reduce blood sugar levels. Keep this in mind as you review the ingredients below.
NeOpuntia
The name NeOpuntia (neo-pUnch-a) is a trademarked name for the prickly pear cactus called Opuntia ficus-indica. The cactus is said to bind fat, preventing it from being absorbed.
As we absorb less fat, we absorb fewer calories. Theoretically, this might lead to weight loss. This is why some websites call NeOpuntia a “fat-fighting cactus.” NeOpuntia is a product of the French company, Bio Serae Labs SAS.
Two tablets of the It Works Fat Fighter contain 500 mg of NeOpuntia.
In one company-sponsored study 68 women (20–55 years of age) with metabolic syndrome (basically “pre-diabetes”) were given either a placebo or 4.8 grams NeOpuntia 3 times a day with meals. People ate a “well-balanced diet” with “controlled lipid input” (in other words, they ate a low-fat diet). Forty-nine women completed the study.
Results: The women taking NeOpuntia showed significant improvements in pre-diabetes symptoms, such that 39% of the women were no longer diagnosed with metabolic syndrome. These are very impressive results – but there are two things you need to know:
1. This study makes no mention of weight loss.
2. The people in this study used 4.8 grams of NeOpuntia per day. This is FAR MORE than the 500 mg (1/2 gram) that 2 tablets of It Works Fat Fighter provides. Even taking 6 tables per meal, only provides 3000 mg (3 grams). Each person in the study used 1.6 grams of NeOpuntia with each meal, for a total of 4.8 grams per day.
Opuntia ficus-indica is the main ingredient in the popular health drink called TriVita Nopalea Juice, which you may have seen advertised on TV. See that review for additional information.
See my review of Calorase/FBCX, for more information.
Garcinia Cambogia
There are several weight loss studies involving Garcinia cambogia. Its active ingredient is said to be hydroxycitric acid (HCA). The way Garcinia cambogia is said to work is by preventing carbohydrates from being turned into fat.
In my review of Garcinia cambogia, I noted the research showing it worked (helped weight loss) used at least 1,667 mg per day (or 1,000 mg of HCA per day). This is important because the entire proprietary blend in It Works Fat Fighter (2 tablets) only contains a total of 510 mg.
Garcinia cambogia is the first ingredient listed, so it likely comprises most of this blend. But, I see no evidence this amount works. If you read my Garcinia cambogia review, you’ll see studies showing that 500 mg did not work. Based on what I’ve found, I don’t think the Fat Fighter has enough.
Garcinia is controversial. Over the years several reports link it to liver problems.
See the garcinia Cambogia review
Green Tea Leaf Extract
While they don't tell us what extract they are using, the label says that this extract has 20% caffeine. To me that says caffeine might be the active ingredient in this extract—but how much caffeine does the product contain? They don’t tell us.
Caffeine is one of the most most popular ingredients in weight loss supplements. It’s an ingredient in these supplements which you may have heard of before:
Caffeine is so popular that I even once reviewed a caffeine shampoo! That said, I’m not convinced that caffeine―by itself―helps people lose weight. That's because the best weight loss research usually combines caffeine with ephedra, another stimulant. Ephedra is banned from supplements in the US because it was linked to several deaths.
Phaseolamin
As the label indicates, this refers to an extract from white kidney beans. Another name for this ingredient is Phaseolus vulgaris. On some websites, this stuff is also called Bean Pod extract. Another name is Fabenol—as it was called in the supplement Lean and Fab.
Phaseolamin is said to inhibit a carbohydrate-digesting enzyme called alpha-amylase. If you block this enzyme, in theory, carbs would not be digested as well. If we can’t digest carbs, we can’t absorb their calories. In this way, phaseolamin is supposed to promote weight loss.
This is why phaseolamin is called a “carb blocker.” There is some weight loss research on phaseolamin. Let's take a look at some of that research.
Study 1
In one study researchers gave 50 people either a 1,500 mg placebo or a phaseolamin supplement called “Phase 2” twice daily with meals (3,000 mg total) for 8 weeks.
Those receiving the Phase 2 supplement lost an average of 3.7 lbs compared to the placebo group which lost an average of 1.65 pounds. One problem -and it's a big one – was only 27 people completed this study. That’s almost a 50% drop out rate. Why did so many people not complete the study?
Additionally, researchers gave people 3,000 mg of the Phase 2 supplement. We are not told how much is in the Fat Fighter – just that the entire proprietary blend equals 510 mg per 2 tablets. if using 6 tables per day it would be around 6 X510 = about 1530 mg.
Phase 2 is a proprietary phaseolamin supplement that is in many products.
Study 2
In this study, 12 people who ate a normal meal were randomly given either a placebo or Phaseolus vulgaris extract. Those taking the Phaseolus vulgaris extract had
- reduced appetite
- lower ghrelin levels (a hunger hormone)
- reduced insulin levels
- lower blood sugar
This was a very small study and only lasted 3 hours, but it’s interesting and worthy of a follow-up study.
Study 3
In this investigation 60 slightly overweight men and women were randomly given either a placebo or 445 mg of a Phaseolus vulgaris extract for 30 days before their main carbohydrate-containing meal of the day.
Those who received the Phaseolus vulgaris extract showed a significantly greater reduction in body weight, fat mass, BMI, and other parameters, compared to placebo. The product used in this study was also called Phase 2.
There are also many mouse studies on this ingredient. Since we are not mice, I won't discuss them.
Bitter Melon Fruit
It’s called bitter melon because it has a bitter taste when eaten. Other names include Momordica charantia bitter gourd and salsamino
There are over 200 different compounds in this plant.
The majority of that research appears to be limited to rats and mice. Much of the research is deals with how bitter melon might help diabetes and blood sugar issues by way of its ability to increase insulin levels.
In one study, researchers treated human fat cells with bitter melon juice. They noted that the juice enhanced fat burning in those fat cells. While intriguing, this was still just a test tube study. The real test would be to give it to people.
See the review of Apple Cider Vinegar. You may be surprised by that research.
Gymnema Sylvestre
The leaves of the Gymnema plant appear to have a blood-sugar-lowering effect, and it might also reduce carb absorption. The majority of the weight loss research, however, involved mice and rats. One human study might provide some insights on why some of the ingredients in the Fat Fighter were chosen.
In this 8 week study, 60 overweight people were randomly given either:
- Placebo
- Garcinia cambogia (4667 mg)
- Garcinia cambogia (4994 mg) + niacin-bounded chromium (4mg) + Gymnema sylvestre (400 mg)
Those getting the combination of all 3 ingredients showed more weight loss than those taking the placebo. But, the amounts of the ingredients used in this study are far MORE than are contained in It Works Fat Fighter.
For more insights see these other reviews:
- Healthe Trim (for weight loss)
- Glucotor V2 (for diabetes)
Wheat Amylase Inhibitor
Amylase is an enzyme that helps us absorb carbs. So if you inhibit this enzyme, it might reduce our ability to absorb carbs. This ingredient just sounds to me like a carb/starch blocker derived from wheat. But, just calling it “wheat amylase inhibitor” is vague, because without knowing the exact name of the inhibitor compound, I can’t say much about it, other than it probably works similarly to phaseolamin, discussed above.
Vanadium
Another name for this compound is vanadyl sulfate. Vanadium appears to have an insulin-like effect and might reduce blood sugar.
Vanadium does seem to lower blood sugar in people with type II diabetes. Vanadium is listed last in the ingredients of the proprietary blend. This means it is likely to present in the least amount. This is good because vanadium might become toxic at high levels. The amount, beyond which side effects might be noticed, is currently thought to be 1.8 mg per day for adults.
For more on vanadium see these reviews:
Blood-Sugar Lowering Ingredients
Here are the ingredients in It Works Fat Fighter that might reduce blood sugar levels:
- Chromium
- Gymnema Sylvestre
- Vanadium
Ingredients That Block Carbs
Here are the ingredients in It Works Fat Fighter that are thought to be carb blockers:
- Garcinia cambogia
- Phaseolamin
- Gymnema Sylvestre (maybe)
- Wheat amylase inhibitor
Note. While I call them carb blockers, the It Works company calls them “carb inhibitors.” these phrases mean the same thing.
Ingredients That Block Fat
Here are the ingredients in It Works Fat Fighter that might block fat:
- NeOpuntia
So, there are more carb blockers in Fat Fighter than fat blockers. Based on this, a better name might be “It Works Carb Fighter.”
Ingredients with the Most Evidence
Based on the studies I could locate, here are the ingredients in It Works Fat Fighter that I feel have the most evidence and are likely the main active ingredients in this product:
I highlight this ingredient because:
1. There are more weight loss studies on this ingredient than any of the others in the product.
2. There aren't as many negative side effects for this as say garcinia Cambogia
It Works Fat Fighter Side Effects
Here are a few things to think about when taking It Works Fat Fighters. This list is not complete:
- Start with less than suggested for the first week to see how you respond
- Stop all supplements at least 2 weeks before surgery
- Pregnant and breastfeeding moms should speak to their doctor first
- If you take any medications, speak to your doctor and pharmacist
- Bitter melon might reduce blood sugar, which may be an issue for some people who take diabetes medications.
- Gymnema Sylvestre might lower blood sugar levels.
- Vanadium might lower blood sugar. At high doses, vanadium might also cause a color change on the tongue (a green color). The amount which might cause side effects is controversial, due to the lack of good research on vanadium.
In the comments below, some have said they developed headaches, fainting and one person mentioned seizures.
If you had any side effects—positive or negative—leave a comment below so others (including me) can benefit from your experiences.
Does The Fat Fighter Work?
It's hard to say at this time if the product helps people lose weight or blocks fat. No clinical studies on the supplement could be located. I admit I could be wrong and the supplement might do exactly what its name says it will do. But, for me, I'd like to see a few studies first to see if it really works.
Joe,
I have a couple of comments on your article. First, you go through the ingredient list and go ‘this is not close to what the studies have used’ for quite a few of the ingredients. Did it not occur to you that while each individual ingredient isn’t what was used in the studies, that the cumulative effect of all of them, not to mention the synergistic effect, would be greater than each of their individual doses?
I mean if each was a pill on its own, then you could have a point, but together if they were all at the full strength of their studies you would probably have overkill.
Second, your blind allegiance to science precludes you actually benefiting from anything. What if you are wrong? The problem is, I would bet the majority of studies aren’t worth the paper they are printed on.
Bias from whoever funds the studies is rampant, and well known. Human greed will always trump ideals and integrity. We are on our own here, to try things and see if they work for US.
To depend on studies from greedy corporate interests, I will do the try for myself thing every time. Even if they did get scientific studies for this, I don’t know that I would trust them. But I do trust my own ability to figure these things out for myself, and you should too.
Just a different perspective.
Dan
Dan, sometimes its supplement companies who fund studies rather than “greedy corporations” so should we toss them out too?
I’m not sure how to take “blind allegiance to science” because science is how we understand the universe. Regardless, I appreciate your different perspective and hope that the product is working for you.
Joe, supplement companies have a vested interest in selling their product, and a good study vs a bad one can mean quite a difference in sales. Only truly independent studies if they exist at all are worth anything. And you are right, science is how we understand the universe. But true science vs human biased science are two different things, and you cannot reach accurate conclusions when your science is being manipulated for profit.
I may sound paranoid but I think it is more you being maybe a bit naive about man’s potential to twist things for their own gain. For many years now integrity and honor have taken a back seat to ‘do whatever it takes to win’. You just have to go back to cigarette companies studies on the safety of their product, and go from there. Only when people were dying was there an attempt to correct them. Supplements won’t kill anyone so the field is wide open for widespread abuse of studies, for which no one ever seems accountable.
I have my first bottle of fat fighter but I have an advantage, being diabetic. I can measure my blood sugar and at least determine whether it is snake oil or it is actually doing something, and so far I have needed less insulin when I take them. So I would have to assume that they are doing something, and so far their claims seem plausible. I will continue testing them with my present eating habits and see if I lose weight in the coming weeks as well.
My own study by me for me, if you will. No greed involved, no tainting of the study. Just curiosity.
Dan
Dan, I’m happy for your improvement. It sounds like you are type II diabetic and if that’s the case, I can commend you for trying to improve the condition.
Joe, I like you. I wish more people valued research and understood the significance of “peer reviewed”
As a psychology major, what I see is more of a placebo effect, and people simply being attentive to what they consume in response to using this supplement. I personally couldn’t imagine drinking 100 ounces of water daily… especially if I wanted any room left for food.
To each their own, I suppose
thank you for putting the time into researching and making findings/conclusions available
Cody, thanks I appreciate that! Much success in your major! I have a minor in psych.
Just want to add that I do not sell It Works but I do take fat fighter. After taking it for a while (not sure how long) I had my blood work done and my bad cholesterol had lowered. I wasn’t doing anything else differently. I have been happy with it.
Wow Joe, I just want to say that you have the patience of a god. All these people saying things like “I don’t care how it works” and “85% of women who make over $100,000 gain their income from MLM’s” and you are still able to put up a valid argument. I bet you sat there a couple times just shaking your head.
I love what you do here and you should certainly put a paypal donation link up somewhere for me to use. I know you have that amazon link to use but I rarely order from there.
Here is a quote from a friend who is a distributor for them. Here she is explaining exactly what a toxin is.
______________________________________________
Depends on personal body chemistry and how they process them. HFCS and MSG for example are in our foods. Some people process these fine. For others they build up in their system and cause bloat. That type of bloat is one the wraps combat. There are plenty of free radicals that run those lines in our foods alone. A lot of what we eat is too unstable to be properly digested. This then leads to levels of fermentation in our digestive tract. Enter more bloating and potentially re-absorbable by-products. I can list some of those by-products if you wish but given Google seems to be your friend I’m sure you can save me the time. Personally, taking our greens supplement every day has worked wonders in that respect for me so I don’t have to wrap. The wraps achieve the same thing faster and target troublesome areas. Because some people need a specific kick as compared to an overall degree of balancing.
That is just one flavor of toxins caused specifically by ingested free radicals that are shaken loose by the wraps.
__________________________________________________
Have you ever head of MSG or HFCS being removed as a toxin?
Also you asked for the ingredients to the wrap and she sent me a list of them.
Cream Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Glucose, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Stearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth 12, Aesculus hippocastanum (Horse Chestnut)
Seed Extract, Urea, Centella asiatica (Hydrocotyl) Leaf Extract, Camellia sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Fucus vesiculosus (Bladderwrack) Thalle Extract, Hedera helix (Ivy) Leaf Extract, Equisetum arvense (Horsetail) Leaf/Stem Extract, Ruscus aculeatus (Butchers Broom) Root Extract, Paullinia cupana (Guarana) Seed Extract, Simmondsia chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Decyl Oleate, Glyceryl Stearate, Tocopheryl Acetate, TEA-Hydroiodide, Methylsilanol Mannuronate, Menthol, Camphor, Panthenol, Phenoxyethanol, Retinyl Palmitate, Triethanolamine, Carbomer, Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil, Eucalyptus globulus (Eucalyptus) Leaf Oil, BHT, Limonene, Linalool.
Cloth: Polypropylene / Polyethylene
Not sure if you still needed them but there they are. What do you propose the large amount of urea is for?
Nick, thanks for sharing all of that! I’d ask the distributor for evidence that MSG and/or HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) are reduced in the human body after using IT Works Wraps (or the greens supplement). Since she identified those too as toxins, we should be able to see for ourselves -through a clinical study -if they are in fact removed from the body. Let me know if she can produce evidence like this.
Thanks for the ingredients in the It Works wraps also. As for urea, my guess is that it may have something to do with hydrating the skin but beyond that I’m not sure.
Thank you for this article! I myself have been pressured into trying It Works products from distributor friends. First I will say I drink more than half my body weight in water daily so that can’t be to blame for lack of positive effect these products had on me. The fat fighters made me feel bloated, constipated, and gave me abdominal pain.
As far as the wraps I have tried 3 boxes with results only lasting 72 hours max after each use. The themofit made me feel nauseous, heart burn, and a burning feeling of my stomach intestines. I had no weight loss during the 8 months I tried these products.
I will also add that out of all the distributors I know (more than 20) I have not seen a single one of them loose more than 20 pounds nor to keep the weight gone, yet they too are quick to defend the products because of the money they make off them.
If these products are said to be safe and “work” why can no one within the company give a break down of why the products do not work ?
I find it discomforting the company allows any person to sell these products and does not educate the distributors on the ingredients, side effects, etc.
jenn, you are very welcome. I’m happy you found my review helpful.
Hey there! It seems I’m really late to the party. My boss has been pimping out these products where I work for three years. It is wonderful research you’ve done here. Very helpful to me personally.
I’m sorry you’ve got a clan of butthurt distributors all over your blog, and the comments from some of them are just shameful. “I don’t care how it works, I just know it does!” Oh my word, ladies, you don’t realize how much worse you’ve made yourselves out to be!!!
This is a wonderful and very thorough article. I appreciate the links to similar products with proven studies!
Hi Laura, Im happy my review was able to help you! No worries about the comments of some of the distributors. I can take it 🙂
I took these & they did exactly what they are meant to do, but had too serious of an effect on me. They caused severe abdominal cramping, diahhrea, hypoglycemia, shivered w/ cold sweats.. Had to get some candy & water and took a warm shower.
Took about a hour to get to where I wasn’t shivering but had night sweats and cold sweats for about 48 hours. They did what they were supposed to do and blocked ALL fat absorption. These pills aren’t made for everyone, but for those that they do work on great for them!
I am dying at these comments! These distributors are rushing to defend their evidence-less product and contradicting themselves in the process.
Just have a couple points to make:
1). Pyramid scheme! And I can’t stand when they say, “Go to work for someone who makes more than you and that person works for someone richer and so on? Sounds like a pyramid scheme.” No, being charged $50 to quit a job sounds like a pyramid scheme.
2). That one distributor who was going on and on about corporate never saying it was a weight loss product, despite the fact that EVERY distributor I’ve ever seen selling these tout the weight loss or inch loss benefits. Maybe corporate needs to have a talk with the individuals REPRESENTING THEIR COMPANY about what is and is not ok to claim. Oh wait, it’s a pyramid scheme. They don’t care.
Luci, I will help you understand what a pyramid scheme so you use the correct verbiage next time you are putting down the company. “A pyramid scheme is an unsustainable business model that involves promising participants payment or services, primarily for enrolling other people into the scheme, rather than supplying any real investment or sale of products or services to the public.” And here is another… “a form of investment (illegal in the US and elsewhere) in which each paying participant recruits two further participants, with returns being given to early participants using money contributed by later ones”.
1. For 15 years It Works has sold product.
2. It is not illegal to be part of It works.
3. 15 years, debt free and a billion dollar industry is pretty sustainable.
4. Amway, Avon, Mary Kay are all long time MLM companies….are they also “pyramid schemes?”
5. Products It Works distributes are all Health Canada approved
6. 85% of women who make over $100,000 gain their income from MLM’s
Please educate yourself on what a pyramid scheme is prior to making accusations and insults.
Amy, your comment helps my case so much I considered not replying, but I can’t tell if you’re being passive-aggressive/clever, or if you really do not see the fallacies in your argument. Since you misused the word verbiage, I’m going to assume it’s the latter.
Thank you for giving me the definition of pyramid scheme. I noticed you gave me the Wikipedia definition given when you Google the term. If you actually click the link, it’s funny what else comes up: “These types of schemes have existed for at least a century, some with variations to hide their true nature. Multilevel marketing plans have also been classified as pyramid schemes.”
Now for the record, when you were referring to MLMs, I had no idea what that meant, so I looked that up before I looked up for myself the definition of pyramid scheme. Hilarity ensued. From Wikipedia:
“Multi-level marketing (MLM) is a marketing strategy in which the sales force is compensated not only for sales they generate, but also for the sales of the other salespeople that they recruit. This recruited sales force is referred to as the participant’s “downline”, and can provide multiple levels of compensation.[1] Other terms used for MLM include pyramid selling,[2][3][4][5][6] network marketing,[5][7][8] and referral marketing.[9] According to the US FTC, some companies that use multi-level marketing exploit members of their networks and constitute illegal pyramid schemes.[10][11][12]
Most commonly, the salespeople are expected to sell products directly to consumers by means of relationship referrals and word of mouth marketing.[1] Some people use direct selling as a synonym for MLM, although MLM is only one type of direct selling.[1][7][13]
Companies that use MLM models for compensation have been a frequent subject of criticism and lawsuits. Criticism has focused on their similarity to illegal pyramid schemes, price fixing of products, high initial entry costs (for marketing kit and first products), emphasis on recruitment of others over actual sales, encouraging if not requiring members to purchase and use the company’s products, exploitation of personal relationships as both sales and recruiting targets, complex and exaggerated compensation schemes, the company and/or leading distributors making major money off training events and materials, and cult-like techniques which some groups use to enhance their members’ enthusiasm and devotion.”
Please educate yourself before trying to insult me. Some other holes in your argument:
If It Works is debt free and a billion dollar company, why can’t they have their products tested like Joe said? He even said grad work would be fine. And user testimonials are all well and good, but what if it’s harmful to the body? And yes, they all feel great and like they have more energy, right? So does a meth addict; it doesn’t make meth healthy. And no, I’m not saying that It Works products contain meth, I’m just pointing out that without research, you have no idea what is going on inside the body.
I do consider Scamway, Avon and Mary Kay to be pyramid schemes. You can call them MLMs all you want, but the name Multi-Level Marketing itself makes me think of something where the top is narrow and the bottom is wide…if only there was some geometric shape to liken it to…oh wait, a pyramid!
Your number 6 had me rolling! I Googled that and I think I may have figured out where you got that “statistic.” Plenty of those pyramid sellers love to spout off that statistic and I have yet to find the source. If you could please give me the website where you got that statistic and it’s not someone who works in MLM or direct sales or direct marketing or whatever else you want to call a company in which recruitment is a higher priority than sales, I’d be ever so grateful.
I doubt either one of us is going to make the other “see the light” and so it may just be best to agree to disagree.
I started selling it works products and your right recruiting is more important in order to make money. 🙁 I got screwed.
Victoria, I am so sorry to hear that.
Luci, Thank you for shutting her down. I love the sound of crickets.
Hi Luci and all- I totally agree with you. The wraps are a huge scam. I can’t speak to any of the other products but note to the wise, if you are taking “weight loss” pills, they probably have caffeine in them. My blood pressure went from normal to stage 1 and almost stage 2 when I took some “natural” pills for weight loss for only 1 month that I found at Whole Foods.
It took a whole year for my blood pressure to stabilize back to normal again. As far as the wraps go, I tried them and they did make my stomach tighter and reduced in size – for about 24-48 hours. Then, poof, back to my regular size again. And then some. I think these things had some sort of “backlash” affect on me, actually.
I have several wraps left over that I don’t want if anyone wants them! I did try to return them, but like BBB complaints, that didn’t work b/c of that whole $50 scheme.
Thank you! I think a lot of people do not realize that just because a product gives you energy does not mean it is doing you any favors long term. There are products out there with caffeine, amphetamines, DMAA, the list goes on. I’m glad you were able to get your blood pressure back under control. That would’ve been scary!
I actually took fat fighters for a month and lost 20 pounds. It completely eliminated all of my sugar cravings so I stopped binging on sugar. I stopped using them when I got horrible side effects. I was super dehydrated even when I would drink extra water and my neck would tense up so bad it would hurt.
If I would take it consecutively I would get a stomach ache, headache and feel the need to throw up. I think I was getting addicted and stopped using it. I then started getting bloody stools and am going to get checked out. Fat fighters helped me loose weight but made me feel terrible.
Brook, oh my goodness! Did you have those symptoms continuously as you took the Fat Fighter or did they show up after a month? Please go your doctor about your bloody stools. Don’t put it off.
I really love the It Works Products! Greens are my favorite, and the Fat Fighters have worked for me. However, I order them for $23 on the direct distributors website and not Amazon. Even with shipping they are about $26.
I was typing It Works Fat Fighter into Google to see what was possibly causing the horrible burning sensation when swallowing the pills and came across your review. I love it. I tried to sell it but lost more than I made. I had these pills left over and decided to try them. No weight loss…possibly because they burned going down!
I’ve also tried the wraps and whatever the lotion is that is pre-applied on the wrap made me nauseous. Something about the smell upset my stomach.
I was told to try the pills with milk to stop the burn and drink more water to help with nausea. I stopped taking the pills and stopped selling the product. Now I have several friends selling IASO Tea. Please let me know if you do a review of them
NurseMom, thanks for your feedback. So far I have not looked at IASO Tea but did take a quick look at it. Subscribe to my RSS or newsletter or keep checking back. I’ve added it to my list to look at.
Hi Joe
I came across your review and I am a consumer myself. With a horrible experience regarding the wraps . I got a horrible rash on the second wrap, but blamed it on food, shared one with a friend and she seemed fine, went to my third wrap and my tummy area was on fire.
3 days went by and still had the rash, went to my doctor asked if I had included any changes in my diet (food ) no everything was the same. Sent me home with lotion to help with my rash, moved on to 4th and final wrap and last wrap , before I gave them away.
I myself got an allergic reaction to the wraps, did not see any changes although I try my best to have a healthy life, I guess I was looking for a quick fix to a stubborn belly. I have the monthly delivery membership which I am planning to cancel, but by reading the horror cancellation stories on the BBB website , I think I will be calling the girl who sign me up to cancel for me, she made it sound so easy.
I recently received the fatfighters and came across this review, because my curiosity said try , but my previous experience and my sane thinking said don’t do it, I went searching for side affects and read this.
This is my personal review and in no way am I implying that this product does not work, however I did ask prior to trying this product, what research had been done on it and if anybody had experience any side affects I was not (none that I know of) Well I experience them myself and have photos to prove it. My rash lasted for 2.5 weeks.
I hope people who jump on the band wagon including myself, so some research before trying anything. I posted here, because most of the replies seem to be attacking Joe, and I thank him for expressing his opinion about this product.
Maybe to have a better understanding of it, he could of tried it himself. But I did and will not be trying it again.
Thank you Joe
Lizzie, oh I’m so sorry that a happed to you. I appreciate you sharing your experiences and hope your rash is better.
Joe, thank you for your review. I have several friends who are distributors, one who says she is a scientist and had researched all ingredients. She fully supports the company.
That said, I have contemplated becoming a distributor because
my girlfriends constantly remind me of how much money they are making.
Being a graduate student in Medical Physiology, I seek to understand how the product works and have had trouble finding any information. I’ve searched to website to specifically find what mechanisms are impacted by the ingredients. Again, no information. I do not understand how one can support a product without SPECIFIC information on how the product works, other than the vague information provided on the website.
I truly believe and support you when you say that in order to understand this product and its claims, there simply needs to be a valid, peer reviewed study. Again, thank you for your review!
Roxanne, I’m glad my site was able to help you. Ask your friend the scientist what evidence she found to convince her. With your background I think you are able to understand the info that convinced her. If you see anything interesting, I hope you share it here with me as I’d like to see the info too.
Good luck in grad school! I remember what that was like…
I have been a distributor of the It Works Products for almost a year. I find that the products are very hard to sell because there is NO scientific research to back anything up. There are some testimonials that claim the products do wonders… so why not publish a scientific study on all of the proprietary blends?
The main reason I continue selling is because salon and spa owners continue buying the products… it’s just hard for me to get my friends and family on board because if I am unsure about the product, why would I push them to buy it. Anyway, thanks for this in-depth review Joe.
3D, you are welcome.
Love your review on this product, my experience was BAD 🙂
Lizzie, thanks. What happened?
I’ve tried the wraps and was very disappointed. I was dieting and working out after having my son and decided to try the wraps to see if it would help tone my belly like the advertisement says. I drank the 2 million gallons of water as the package said and used the wraps with plastic wrap. The first couple wraps had zero effects. The last two maybe made a slight difference but it was gone by the third day.
I basically wore plastic wrap for 6 hours every 3 days for nothing, and they were so expensive.
Scoony, thanks for sharing. I’m sorry It Works Wraps didn’t work for you. I appreciate you taking the time to write about your experiences.
So I’ve been dying to try the wraps for about 5 years, due to pregnancy and nursing I did not try them until this past July. As I started on a previous post about Shakeology, I’m a mother of 5. My first were twins at the age of 20, my last, a 10lb girl whose belly was larger than the twins, was born in Feb 2013. Let me just say, my belly has had all the stretching and stretch marks a belly can take! While I was skeptical with the wrap thing, I had just lost all the baby weight I had gained since 2010 and the hanging skin was not going away as fast as I wanted to. So, on the eve of a cruise with my husband, I tired one…
Oh yes, that first before and after pic was good! I thought , “we’ll see how it looks after 72 hours”. After 3 months of use, no it hasn’t equaled to surgery, but the surface area of my skin had amazing results!!! It did tighten the skin, but it also smoothed out the skin in between all the stretch marks, results I had not seen in 18 years, 4 pregnancies, and 40lbs ago!! If I could post photos on here, i would because it’s something you have to see to believe! I’m not a seller, I’ve maintained the results after not wrapping in 4 months!
I haven’t tried any of their other products to comment on them but the wraps for me have been amazing!
Carmen, interesting thanks for sharing that and I’m glad it worked for you.
Yeah, i’ve gotta agree with the above commenter – i think this company getting on to your comments is actually the most entertaining thing i’ve read in a while.
Dee, Anything is possible. I do try to screen out spammers. I’m glad its an entertaining read 🙂
So happy I stumbled across this! Great entertainment! Joe, your review was done very well. Scientific evidence prevails and any intelligent person would agree. Cough up some money, It Works, prove at least one point and maybe, just maybe the naysayers will believe.
The only “advertisements” I’ve seen are those which state “double, triple, quadruple…etc…diamond status” “join our team” “make some money”, all while robbing the believer who is purchasing the products. Give me a break. Drink tons of water without the wraps, trust me, it will help any weight loss desired. Duh.
Amber, I’m so glad you were able to find me and happy I was able to help 🙂
Great review, thanks. I think I’ll stick with eating healthy, drinking plenty of water and exercising.
I have used the ItWorks wrap before but the entire time I was wearing it, I felt dizzy and nauseous. I was drinking lots of water so that wasn’t the issue.
I’m sure they work great for some people but they certainly don’t work for everyone.
Kristina, you are very welcome. I’m happy I was able to help you. Not sure what caused you to be dizzy and nauseous while using It Works wraps since you were drinking lots of water. it is possible to drink too much water (its called hyponatremia) and those are symptoms of it. You’d have to drink a lot to get this condition so I’m probably wrong. When it comes to water intake, aim for 0.67% of your body weight per day. Most people round down to 50% of body weight to make the math easier. Remember, we get fluids from sources other than water too.
Could the undisclosed carcinogens in the wraps contributed to being dizzy and nauseous?
Dawn, I honestly don’t know. I wonder if those might be symptoms of dehydration? Does anyone have evidence of undisclosed ingredients in the wraps? I’m not aware of any.
Joe,
Your site is SO entertaining. Coming on here and watching distributors, representing the products you review, try to justify the product with carbon copy statements written by the company…hilarious! Then, of course, they try to sneak in the “Have you tried that might help.” Finally disappearing after you’ve backed them up into corner with a question their “fact sheet” can’t answer.
Outstanding, brother! Keep up the good work!
Craig, thanks, thats nice of you to say! Check out my review of ASEA for more fun 🙂
Ditto! I’m in Orlando right now and seeing so many “It Works” shirts, lights, banners, etc ( guess it’s a team aka kool-aid meeting) got me wondering what this is. Watching their team scarf down pizza and ice cream at all hours of the night is great entertainment!
How are the greens made? From real vegetables ect,?
Joe,
Big thanks for your review. I’ve been taking the FF supplements for the last 2 months. (first month I wasn’t so strict, 2nd month w every meal) I have seen results. But when I purchased the product, I was overweight and looking for something to give me some sort of jump start. So far I’ve lost about 20lbs. I definitely started eating better when I started to see weight loss. I think the supplements did help, and now I’m at the point to just maintain a healthy diet and exercise wo the pills.
Thanks to ur review for breaking down each ingredient. I think the FF did exactly what I wanted which was the lil jump start I needed. But I don’t think the product is a miracle in a bottle. It does make u constipated. B4 the product I was very regular, since taking FF not so much . I only go once every couple of days. And I drink tons of water. And based on the comments by all the distributors above, I definitely don’t want to support that kind of company.
Any brand with legitimate claims that doesn’t have any clinical research would be thanking you for ur info. But it seems these “reps” have been brain washed because they don’t make any sense. It seems like they got all the info from a pamphlet or power point and “So that must make it true” they now argue with anyone who says anything different.
They should stop and ask “their company” the questions they don’t have answers to instead of the go to answers listed on their FAQ page…
Jenn, thanks for your kind words and I’m glad you are losing weight 🙂