5 ms·

Yes, exactly. Get one, or don't. But the seller shouldn't tell people that their blanket cures these disorders, unless they have some proof.

naravara 9y ago
They never said it cured it. They said it can help.
- wcummings 9y ago
  They shouldn't tell people it treats them.
- URSpider94 9y ago
  ... for which they have no evidence.
  - WillPostForFood 9y ago
    There are two studies cited in the article, they both appear very weak, but they are citing evidence.
    - obstinate 9y ago
      Normally when people talk about citing evidence, they're referring to strong evidence. Citing weak evidence can be about as bad as citing none at all, depending on how weak it is.
- rosser 9y ago
  Claiming to have a "cure" isn't the only thing that's against these rules.
- justinpombrio 9y ago
  Look, there's no need to have vague arguments about how we would describe their claims. Here is the wording they removed: "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.
  - fapjacks 9y ago
    Just to add to what you said, the reason that language is prohibited by Kickstarter is because it's prohibited by the FDA. Specifically those words.
  - naravara 9y ago
    This is a lot of sturm-und-drang over nothing. These arguments aren't "vague," the meanings of the words involved are pretty clear. People routinely offer suggestions about how to deal with emotional and physical issues based on anecdotes or claims that a few studies here and there offer evidence that maybe there is something to it. Lots of things people do to handle their issues, especially emotionally, wouldn't pass a clinical trial because those standards are extremely rigorous (and they should be) and it can be impractical or unethical to perform a sufficiently well controlled test. 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.
- lucasmullens 9y ago
  I'm not sure why this is downvoted so heavily. It's an important clarification that they didn't claim they could cure disorders, only help with them. Yes, that's also not legal, but this comment wasn't disagreeing with that. Claiming a cure would be a far bigger news story.
  - DanBC 9y ago
    It's being downvoted because it's a meaningless distinction. 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".
  - deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
- kortex 9y ago
  I, for one, am sick of the constant stream of products that "may possibly support the promotion of boosting of enhancement of the body's natural immune functioning in conjunction with diet and exercise". It's obnoxiously dilute and I think nearly everything in the supplement aisle claims to help with immune, anxiety and/or digestion in some way.
  - naravara 9y ago
    People have been eating roots and plants to help with digestion, anxiety, etc. since before the invention of writing and probably before the invention of fire. Of course there's going to be a bajillion remedies asserting something to that effect. We've been at it for a while. Products are vague about their wording because they're legally required to be.

naravara 9y ago

They never said it cured it. They said it can help.

wcummings 9y ago
They shouldn't tell people it treats them.
URSpider94 9y ago
... for which they have no evidence.
- WillPostForFood 9y ago
  There are two studies cited in the article, they both appear very weak, but they are citing evidence.
  - obstinate 9y ago
    Normally when people talk about citing evidence, they're referring to strong evidence. Citing weak evidence can be about as bad as citing none at all, depending on how weak it is.
rosser 9y ago
Claiming to have a "cure" isn't the only thing that's against these rules.
justinpombrio 9y ago
Look, there's no need to have vague arguments about how we would describe their claims. Here is the wording they removed: "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.
- fapjacks 9y ago
  Just to add to what you said, the reason that language is prohibited by Kickstarter is because it's prohibited by the FDA. Specifically those words.
- naravara 9y ago
  This is a lot of sturm-und-drang over nothing. These arguments aren't "vague," the meanings of the words involved are pretty clear. People routinely offer suggestions about how to deal with emotional and physical issues based on anecdotes or claims that a few studies here and there offer evidence that maybe there is something to it. Lots of things people do to handle their issues, especially emotionally, wouldn't pass a clinical trial because those standards are extremely rigorous (and they should be) and it can be impractical or unethical to perform a sufficiently well controlled test. 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.
lucasmullens 9y ago
I'm not sure why this is downvoted so heavily. It's an important clarification that they didn't claim they could cure disorders, only help with them. Yes, that's also not legal, but this comment wasn't disagreeing with that. Claiming a cure would be a far bigger news story.
- DanBC 9y ago
  It's being downvoted because it's a meaningless distinction. 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".
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
kortex 9y ago
I, for one, am sick of the constant stream of products that "may possibly support the promotion of boosting of enhancement of the body's natural immune functioning in conjunction with diet and exercise". It's obnoxiously dilute and I think nearly everything in the supplement aisle claims to help with immune, anxiety and/or digestion in some way.
- naravara 9y ago
  People have been eating roots and plants to help with digestion, anxiety, etc. since before the invention of writing and probably before the invention of fire. Of course there's going to be a bajillion remedies asserting something to that effect. We've been at it for a while. Products are vague about their wording because they're legally required to be.