Shonky Award for Power Balance

Consumer advocacy magazine Choice are running their fifth annual, 2010 Shonky Awards.  It’s a kind of name and shame exercise.  It’s with great pleasure I announce that one of the Australian Skeptics’ and Victorian Skeptics’ favorite products has gained a Shonky – the Power Balance band.

Congratulations to Power Balance on wining this prestigious award (with tongue firmly in cheek).

As any Skeptic will tell you, the $2 Placebo Band works just as well as the $60 Power Balance band.  They look very similar and are made from identical materials.

The Australian Skeptics and Placebo Band got a nice mention at the award ceremony, many thanks to Choice for their efforts.

Previous Vic Skeptics posts about magical rubber bands:

Power Balance … or Placebo?

Video fest: the Power Balance wrist band and the arm press

Mal

Power Balance … or Placebo?

Ah, the Power Balance band.

You’ve probably heard of it. It was ubiquitous in this year’s AFL season and made headlines around the world when the likes of Shaquille O’Neal started wearing them.

So what does it do? Interestingly, its makers are careful to avoid claiming that it does anything at all.

The “What Is Power Balance?” section of their website still says “Coming Soon”. And has done so for months.

But never mind that. Elsewhere the site is positively jam-packed with testimonials about the band’s ability to improve your balance, increase your flexibility, enhance your endurance levels and, of course, help you win basketball games. Thanks Shaq.

Now, the skeptical among us suspect there’s nothing more to it than a simple placebo effect.

After all, there’s a complete lack of scientific evidence supporting the band’s effects, not to mention the implausible idea that having a hologram strapped to your arm makes you run faster.