Weight loss and Weight Chat Blog

Recently, I noticed a flyer in my local newspaper advertising an upcoming stroke prevention screening and since the flyer was so misleading and from a national company that screens all over the U.S., I thought I’d give you some facts to consider in case one of these screenings comes to your town and you wonder whether it’s worthwhile.
The company involved is called Life Line Screening and their flyer claims “We Can Help You Avoid a Stroke.” They offer a package of four tests for $139 in which they look at your carotid arteries and your abdominal aorta using ultrasound technology, your heart rhythm using ECG technology, and the blood flow in the arteries of your legs using blood pressure technology (but actually, only the carotid exam and the heart rhythm have anything to do with stroke prevention). The entire process only takes an hour and is perfectly safe, […]

Original post by natalieb and weightlossopinions.com

The Master Cleanse program is a liquid (lemonade) fast some of whose proponents tout its benefits as a diet while others recommend it as a detoxification regimen. In either case, its adherents are both misinformed and misguided. As with all quick-fix crash diets, Master Cleanse works initially (because of extremely reduced caloric intake and excessive bowel movements), but as soon as the fast ends, and regular eating resumes, the lost weight is quickly regained. As a detoxification regimen, Master Cleanse is both unnecessary and ineffective. Your colon is not a septic tank, building up toxic contents, that needs periodic cleaning. Rather, it is an elegantly evolved perpetually self-cleaning system that empties on a regular, or as-needed, basis.
In this regard, consider the wisdom of Dr. Douglas Pleskow, a Boston gastroenterologist, quoted in an article entitled “Time to cleanse? Think again,” in the Boston Globe, May 12, […]

Original post by natalieb and weightlossopinions.com

That’s right, even water can be a scam these days. That’s because of relentless marketing, widespread misinformation and an ingrained mythology surrounding what ought to be a pretty simple fact of modern life: If you’re thirsty, have a glass of tap water. That would stand in contradistinction to a claim such as, “You need to drink at least eight eight ounce glasses of water a day (the 8×8 rule), preferably bottled, regardless of whether you’re thirsty and regardless of whether you live in a hot climate or engage in strenuous physical activity.” In fact, the 8×8 rule is so thoroughly entrenched in our common psyche that even most healthcare practitioners and nutritionists will spout it without a moment’s hesitation.
Unfortunately, however, the 8×8 rule is a complete myth, and there never has been any scientific research done that would lead us to such a conclusion. It is […]

Original post by natalieb and weightlossopinions.com

Readers of my scambuster reports will want to listen in to our upcoming interview with Dr. Stephen Barrett, founder of the critically important Web site Quackwatch.com. On April 30, 2008, our show Health Now with Judy Foreman will be talking with this pioneering and tireless exposer of health quackery, frauds and scams. You can register for this free program at Health Now.
Health Now with Judy Foreman is our weekly live Internet webcast (formerly called HealthTalk Live) in which we explore a wide range of issues and concerns that affect anyone touched by a chronic illness. Health Now features expert guests and listener phone and e-mail questions, and the discussion is always informative and free-ranging. Listen every Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. Eastern/5:30 p.m. Pacific, and check out the program archives. Judy Foreman is an award-winning health writer and author of the syndicated column Health Sense.
Dr. Stephen Barrett […]

Original post by admin and weightlossopinions.com

Detoxykall. To some, a new chance at weight loss. To me, just another in a literally endless stream of weight-loss scams. That such a product exists at all, and that it is generating interest among thousands of people, speaks to two unfortunate truths:
• There is tremendous suffering and desperation surrounding weight, weight-loss, eating and body image issues; and
• There are legions of unscrupulous predators eager to exploit that pain for their commercial gain.
Of course, there’s nothing especially bad or unique about Detoxykall. I could have picked any of hundreds of similarly bogus weight-loss wonders, this one just happened across my desk at the right time and just happened to catch my attention because of the large amount of Internet-interest it seems to be generating.
What is Detoxykall? According to the product’s Web site:
DETOXYKALL is a liquid concentration which contains the […]

Original post by admin and weightlossopinions.com

Results of a poll released in March showed that many Americans have trouble paying for their medicines and that they sometimes don’t take them as prescribed because of their cost. The poll, conducted by USA Today newspaper, the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health, found that 50 percent of Americans take at least one prescription medication daily and that 19 percent are taking four or more prescription drugs. But four out of ten people said that it’s at least somewhat of a problem to pay for the medicines with 16 percent saying it’s a serious problem. Moreover, three in ten didn’t fill at least one prescription during the two years prior to the survey because of cost and 23 percent said that they have cut pills in half or skipped doses in order to make them last longer.
Unfortunately, there’s nothing I can do […]

Original post by admin and weightlossopinions.com

While on the talk show circuit to promote her new diamond-heist film, “Flawless,” Demi Moore has also taken to promoting her recent experience with leech therapy, which she underwent in Austria as part of a so-called “cleanse.” The 46-year-old actress told Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa on “Live With Regis & Kelly,” that with leeches, “They apply them to your body, and they suck your blood. They detoxify your blood.” But while it’s clear that the leeches do suck out some blood, it is equally clear, at least to me, that they don’t “detoxify” it. How could they? How could the removal of a small amount of blood, even if it were full of “toxins” serve to detoxify the remainder?
Ms. Moore told David Letterman on “The Late Show with David Letterman” that “…they have a little enzyme that when they’re biting down on you, gets released […]

Original post by admin and weightlossopinions.com

Just when I think I’ve seen it all, along comes the Kinoki Foot Pad, an adhesive pad that you apply to the sole of your foot while sleeping and which, according to the distributor’s website is alleged to “assist your body in the removal of heavy metals, metabolic wastes, toxins, microscopic parasites, mucous, chemicals, cellulite and much more.” This is such a blatant scam that it gives other scams a bad name! There may also be other suppliers of similar detox foot pads such as Chikusaku Bamboo Vinegar Patches, but they are all basically the same.
Under the heading of “What specific benefits can I expect?” they have the gall to list the following:
Kinoki Detox Foot Pads may help:
• Absorb toxins released by the body.
• Relieve the burden on the immune system.
• Assist in the natural cleansing of the lymphatic system.
• […]

Original post by admin and weightlossopinions.com