Is the Body Magic illusion worth it? Distributors and readers weigh in.

When I climbed into a Body Magic reshaper last month, I stepped into an emotional magnet.

I tried Body Magic for a few days and wrote about it on Oct. 26 ("Body Magic or medieval torture?"). Following that column, numerous readers and Ardyss independent distributors weighed in about me and the product.

Body Magic is the most popular product in Ardyss International's line of reshapers, nutritional supplements and beauty products. The company trumpets that a wearer can lose two to three dress sizes in 10 minutes (the time it generally takes to put Body Magic on) and that its effectiveness is boosted in conjunction with the consumption of its le'vive antioxidant juice.

All said that I didn't look significantly better in the "after" photo. A couple of distributors, along with some readers, even said that I didn't need Body Magic in the first place. But Ardyss allows people much smaller than me to wear Body Magic. It comes in underbust measurements down to a 26.

I thought I looked a bit better in Body Magic but not enough to justify the $168 cost or the discomfort I felt while wearing it and after taking it off.

One distributor said that success with the product and the company was a matter of faith. Another likened it to a ministry. Several more said that I was maligning black people (I learned that most distributors are African American, which is irrelevant) or that I needed to point out that Ardyss is making positive changes in its clients' health and financial security.

Individuals can pay $300 for a kit and become Ardyss distributors. As such, they can earn money based on how many others they get to sign up as distributors or how many products they sell.

Others were skeptical about the degree of discomfort I described, given that many who've worn Body Magic tout its wonders. One distributor even shared his prayer for prosperity with me in a phone call.

A few distributors kindly offered to have team members meet with me to improve my experience with the company. I appreciate a team approach to customer service, but the need for a summit about foundation garments creeps me out. Sorry.

Valuable information

The most valued call came from Lisa Harris, an Ardyss manager based in the Atlanta area who has teams in Hampton Roads. She brings to the table a background in fashion design and image consulting. She joined Ardyss in April and began wearing Body Magic in July.

She addressed my observation that information about Body Magic often differs from distributor to distributor.

"It's suggested that a person wear Body Magic no more than eight hours," especially for the first few days, Harris said. Four to six hours in the beginning is ideal, she said.

Hmmm. That was news to me. I'd worn mine up to 10 hours on some days.

Some distributors and clients have reported staying in theirs all day - some folks even reportedly sleep in theirs - with no problems.

But, Harris said, customers shouldn't make that decision without being given the proper information by those who sell the product.

"When I recruit, I make sure I properly train," she said.

I asked why some people don't get the instant result of losing two to three sizes.

"Every woman is not a Body Magic girl," Harris said.

Much of the impact depends on whether a person's fat is soft, which better lends itself to molding, she said. And Body Magic should not be considered a cure-all, she said.

"Ardyss emphasizes utilizing it with the nutritional products to achieve overall health and the before-before look," Harris said, referring to the look we had before putting on those pounds that come with life.

A lesson learned

Two calls from women who haven't tried Body Magic stood out.

Sandy Craig, 69, of Virginia Beach called to share her unpleasant experiences in wearing a corset, which was part of her job for 15 years with Historic Houses of Virginia Beach and as an independent interpreter, she said.

One event required Craig to wear her stay, a type of corset, all afternoon. It was the longest she'd been it.

"It doesn't allow your body to move," she said.

When she crossed her legs, the pain echoed through her body.

Craig said corset fashion is a big step backward.

"If ladies are going to go back to wearing those kinds of undergarments, they're going to have to find a comfortable posture sitting and standing and stick with it," Craig said.

And an 80-year-old woman called to ask whether I would recommend Body Magic for her. Stunned, I simply told her to consult her doctor.

But frankly, ma'am, if you've lived to be 80, you've earned the right to be free of the pressures of societal vanity. Why spend your golden years in the grip of a girdle?

Loosen up and live, everybody.

Jamesetta M. Walker, (757) 446-2211, jamesetta.walker@pilotonline.com