Are they really all that great?

They're horrible......

http://www.dairyfreestate.com/wp-con...8/chia-pod.jpg

recently the people who make Chia Pods set up a stall near my place and gave away samples.......I tried one......well I tried one spoonful.......

it was like eating slime.......

Another silly health fad like flax IMO. I used to by them for the omega 3 content, but apparently it's next to useless.

Horrible slimy things.

Flax seeds are not a silly health fad, they are a healthy addition to the diet with numerous health benefits including on diabetes http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22432725. The key is to have whole seeds then grind them rather than use the oil supplement that does not have the same benefit.

I doubt there's much real research on Chia seeds but they are likely to be healthy (given that other seeds are) even if some extreme health claims are exaggerated or unsubstantiated. Just don't eat them expecting miracles but include them as part of a healthy diet if you wish.