Encountering a woman at the National Burn Institute for treatment, we found her burn area to be a wide strip nearly 10 cm on her abdomen and sides. The burn, caused by prolonged exposure to heat, was red and purple in color, with some areas scraped and blistered, leaking fluid, while other patches had hardened like scar tissue…
This is one of the “complications” arising from the use of “weight loss belts,” a device widely sold on the market, which is currently being “disguised” in advertisements on a local television station.
The woman with the burns is named L. V., an office worker residing at Alley 521 Trương Định, Hanoi. She shared that she had been using the weight loss belt for about 20 days. Initially, she only dared to set the temperature to 30-40 degrees Celsius, but seeing no results, she raised it to the maximum. After wrapping the belt around her waist for about 20 minutes at 60 degrees Celsius, her skin was burnt and purple. After removing the belt for a while, her skin nearly returned to normal. Thinking “nothing was wrong,” she continued using the weight loss belt at 60 degrees for another five times, resulting in severe burns.
L.V.’s story prompted us to investigate the weight loss devices that are still being sold like hotcakes on the market. At the time of writing this article, a man residing on Lý Nam Đế Street also called to report: “My wife almost died from electric shock.” His family had purchased the weight loss belt for 350,000 VND. Due to accidentally letting cooking oil spill onto the belt right after buying it, his wife had used a wet cloth to wipe the plastic fabric and was electrocuted. Upon inspection, he found that the stitching had come undone, exposing the electrical wires. It was terrifying to think what would have happened if the belt had been wrapped around someone and plugged in.
From Television to the Market
Hà Tây Television is the station that broadcasts weight loss belt advertisements most frequently. Several stores selling weight loss belts on Nguyễn Thái Học, Trịnh Hoài Đức, and Trần Phú streets in Hanoi reported that after the weight loss belt advertisement aired, the number of inquiries about purchasing the belts surged.
A shop owner on Nguyễn Thái Học mentioned that there were days when nearly 50 weight loss belts were sold, unable to keep up with the demand.
The weight loss belts, as advertised on television, come in two types: one priced at 350,000 VND each and another at 850,000 VND each. The belts work by directly plugging in and users wrap them around the areas of their body where they want to lose fat. The heat from the belt is supposed to soften the fat in the areas wrapped… Some women who have purchased the weight loss belts are now “marketing” them to their acquaintances, stating that all you need to do is wrap and plug it in; if there’s a portable outlet, you can wrap the belt and still move around, doing household chores.
Seeing us, individuals at risk of obesity inquired about the weight loss belts, and the shopkeeper at Trịnh Hoài Đức eagerly took our bikes up to the sidewalk and… invited us to try the weight loss belt. A salesgirl introduced: The belt’s temperature can be adjusted from 34 to 62 degrees Celsius, with each session lasting about 50 minutes. If set to maximum temperature for 50 minutes, it is claimed that each session can reduce waist size by 2 cm. Doing the math: five sessions could achieve the ideal waistline of a beauty queen!
Uncertain Product Origin
No matter how strong the desire to lose weight, those with a clear mind can notice the abnormalities surrounding these weight loss products.
Both types of belts do not indicate the name of the manufacturer, the authorized importer and distributor in Vietnam, or a specific address for product warranty. In the user manual, which also serves as a… warranty card (!), it vaguely states: Warranty in Hanoi, contact via mail…, in Ho Chi Minh City, contact via mail… The cheaper model only has instructions in Chinese. When inquiring with the salesperson, the only response was: “Company P.T imports and delivers products to us.” However, where P.T is located, the salesperson was not very clear. And there is no mention of the company name P.T on the product at all.
Are the Risks of “Accidents” Real?
We brought our concerns to Mr. Lê Quý Phượng, Deputy Director of the Institute of Sports Science and Director of the Sports Medicine Center under the Sports and Physical Training Committee. According to Mr. Phượng, the mechanism of using heat to reduce fat by increasing sweating is the most common method. This can be compared to fat reduction through sauna usage. Wrapping with a weight loss belt follows the same mechanism.
After reviewing the user manual and the weight loss belt we brought, Mr. Phượng commented: This belt uses a power source of 220-230 V/50-60 Hz, which can easily cause electric shock since the belt is directly wrapped around the body while the insulation is not sufficiently safe. When the temperature rises, the body sweats; if the wires are exposed and this product does not include a voltage reduction device, users may experience electric shocks. Sweat contains conductive substances like salt, which increases the risk of electric shock.
According to safety recommendations, a temperature of 50°C can cause burns, and 60°C can result in severe burns. However, the weight loss belt allows users to operate it at temperatures between 50-60°C, making it very dangerous. Another issue not addressed in the user manual (in Vietnamese) is that the heating device is contraindicated for individuals with high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, heart attacks, respiratory illnesses, acute diseases, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and those with malignant diseases… So what happens if these individuals unknowingly purchase and use it?
