Consumer Watch: Advertising board takes issue with Weighted Blanket claims

Johannesburg – Stress and anxiety wearing you down? Then a weighted or gravity blanket is all you need to count sheep in no time. Because let’s be honest: Who sleeps well during a pandemic?

If you believe the marketing hype around them, weighted blankets are the newest, bestest thing in home treatments for anxiety, PTSD, colic, and even autism. Said to improve the mood as well as calm a restless body and mind, the blankets – weighted with a filling of micro beads – have been selling like hotcakes for years, at a starting price of around R799 each.

Punted as being medically approved, the health care claims suggest deep pressure stimulation helps relax and soothe the body. But the jury’s still out on their efficacy.

Nothing though escapes the sharp eye of consumer activist, Dr Harris Steinman. He