Hi, IrishBabe: They just did a big study on those Abs will you eat pizza machines. I wouldn't worry about it doing anything harmful. Or helpful, either. They're based on electronic stimulus machines that have been used therapeutically for people who've had accidents and have lost muscle tone in their arms or legs. The problem with the store bought ones (and they're selling millions of them over here,) is that they don't deliver enough of an electrical stimulus to do any good. They did a case study with two groups... one receiving the electrical shock of the commercial brands, and one receiving a shock so low as to be completely meaningless. It takes a healthy shock to cause a muscle contraction strong enough to do any good. After several weeks of testing, there was no difference between the two groups in appearance, waist size, or any other measurement they could come up with. The only inches you're likely to lose are in your wallet. Even though the shock level isn't adequate to promote beneficial results, it can be too unpleasant for some people. Your friend (I'd think about saying anything to her) isn't going to burn fat. Most likely, she got "burned." And, you can't even hang your clothes on them once you stop using them like you can a treadmill or excercise bike.

That's what I read, just a couple of days ago.

Jerry (where ARE my abs, anyway?)