Humiliation to the extreme

It's been a week since the new year has started, and there are still umpteen articles about resolutions, ads about weight loss, commercials about joining gyms, etc. And then of course, it was also the season premiere of the Biggest Loser Couples show. In the early years of the show, I admit, I watched many episodes until I gave a closer inspection and really saw how unrealistic, unhealthy, and humiliating the show was. I want to focus on the latter in this post as I was horrified how they upped the ante so to speak.

In general, I watch bits and pieces of the show, usually the first and last episodes for curiosity sake, but I do not consider myself any avid type of watcher of the show like some people I know. The season opener was similar to their other shows in introducing the couples. This time we saw Bob and Jillian call the contestants, the contestants exhilarated on making it in the show, jumping up and down, screaming, etc. Then, Bob and Jillian tell them that their first weigh-in is public in front of their hometowns! Each and every contestant had a gaping horrified look on their faces, much like the one I had on mine. Despite the fact these people decide to go on national television to lose weight and announce to the world how much they weigh, how much more humiliating can you get than to be in front of friends and families?

Each contestant apparently agreed, and you saw them go in front of their hometowns (most seemed to be in a park or gym) and step on the scale. Then, they had to read aloud the number and say how and why they were going to change. Can we say AA but with triple the amount of humiliation? Was this necessary? No! My guess is this was completely a way to rev up the ratings and add to the humiliation factor, especially since this is considered the heaviest set of contestants. It was interesting to look at the audience footage as some had mouths wide open at the numbers, while others cried.

This entire concept of humiliation makes me ponder the question of why, and why do so many Americans tune in to watch? Many say they feel connected to the people--that they understand them. Others say they find inspiration.. Then, there are probably others who just tune in to watch Jillian Michaels yell at them.

Just as I'm thinking about all this, a new press release came out saying how negative experiences from a coach or instructor can turn people off of physical activity for a lifetime. The press release doesn't give many details of the study, other than it is published in the Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise. However, it does raise a good point in how our environment contributes to our attitudes on sports, exercises, etc.

One might think that many contestants would not want Jillian Michaels as their trainer as it seems like she is just constantly yelling and berating at them (I think a lot if edited to only show this side of her, because I seriously doubt she is always like this, just my feeling, could be wrong though), but in fact, when given the choice, there are a bunch of them that have in past seasons. So what is the deciding factor? I think it is they feel like she is the one that produces results.

This whole thinking reminds me of Bela Karolyi, the famous gymnastics coach. In Joan Ryan's book, Little Girls in Pretty Boxes, many of the gymnasts said he called them awful names, talked about their bodies distastefully, etc., but yet, many continued to train under him. Why? Because he produced results, he produced champions, he seemed to be the best at the time.

I think this is kind of the same mentality of the Biggest Loser contestants. They feel like this is the only thing that is going to help them, that this show is what they need to lose the weight for good, that humiliation will produce results. I don't know, maybe it does for some, but I think there are other, better, more productive, healthier ways.

The other deciding factor for them in losing weight is simply the grand prize of money. Last year, I posted here about a study from the Journal of American Medical Association displayed similar results. Therefore, in this case, for most, when money is on the line, people go to extremes to lose weight. Somehow, going through pain and humiliation seem worth it to them, and I think there is a feeling that that's what they deserve too for letting themselves go, for not being able to "diet" right, for losing willpower, etc.

I wish the public could see how this type of show is not fueling much health but just humiliation. Unfortunately, I seem to be in the minority in thinking this way as the show is one of the most popular ratings wise and is doubtful to come off the air anytime soon. As I always tell my dog clients when they are watching dog behavior shows, "you can't believe everything you see on tv."

Note--*A friend of mine on facebook posted that she was watching the show and that Jillian kicks her butt on ifit, and how she loved that she screamed at them. However, if Jillian was ever her trainer, she would cry. (This is very true) I replied to her that I was surprised since she had a severe eating disorder in the past. She replied back saying she thought it was a great show and helped people get their lives back on track. Everyone is of course entitled to their own opinion, I was just very surprised, that's all.

A dieting example

Most of us know the mentality of dieting either through personal experience or observation of others. Many people turn into black and white thinkers if they aren't ones already. Foods become "good" and "bad." It becomes about deprivation of not only the food but also the soul. Of course, this does not happen with everyone, but the majority do fall into this category which is why dieting has such a huge fallout rate.

This was one reason I was pleasantly surprised at hearing my physical therapy assistant say that although she was trying to lose weight, she is not depriving herself. She said she is beginning to ask herself whether she is truly hungry and if she really wanted that piece of cake. If she does, she would take a small slice. I don't think she knows it, but she is beginning some intuitive eating.

The other thing that she said which is not something you'd hear from most people is "I'm going slow, I'm not in any real hurry." Though I am never into using the word "dieting," I do think she is taking an even keel approach at this, and I commend her for her work.

Something else she said stuck out to me. She said that when she got divorced and was raising her two daughters, she could not afford the healthy food most experts say we should all be eating.. She said "unfortunately, my kids paid the price." Many studies have shown that there is a link between socioeconomic status and quality of food. Even back in 2004, researchers were saying there was a relationship between obesity, "cheap" food, and socioeconomic level. (here)

Though this news is not new to me, the fact that someone said it so blatantly was really surprising to me. I guess the saying "when you know better, you do better" applies here. Or rather, when you make more money, you have the ability to eat better.

Anyway, overall, this brief ten or so minutes of my physical therapy assistant recounting her dieting habits was a bit refreshing to hear. Here was someone who truly was losing weight for health in a healthy, moderate, slow way. This may not seem like much, but I think she is a rarity in these times. Kudos to her! Even though I am against "dieting," I do think changing a lifestyle in a positive, healthy way like this person is doing can be beneficial .I just wish more people did dieting this way.

Observation: scales in non-traditional locations

Lately, it seems I have been seeing scales in many non-traditional places. Last week, it was in a corporate office restroom. Several weeks before that, it was in another office restroom. I even saw one in a gas station! It wasn't exactly a real scale, but one of those ones where you put a quarter in, and it gives you your weight.

Every time I see one, I am somehow shocked. I really shouldn't be since we live in such a thin-obsessed society. I have to admit it seems terribly odd to me to have these metal devices in public restrooms. I mean, isn't a scale an intimate object (too intimate for many of us)? I know even if I was on some Biggest Loser, Jenny Craig, or Weight Watchers diet, I can never imagine weighing myself on a scale in full view. Granted of course, if there is only one stall, then there would hopefully be no occurrence of this but you never know really.

My fear is that scales will begin to pop up everywhere--schools, restaurants, oh who knows, the laundromat or some other bizarre location. This is especially evident as many people are participating in workplace weight loss challenges. I think it is a horrible sign overall, and I really wish these scales would all disappear.

Have any of you observed scales in non-traditional places lately?

Quick update on family member

First off, thanks to the comments I received in my last post about a family member's lap band surgery. The surgery was complicated-free. M. called me yesterday in the afternoon and said he was okay. One thing he had to do was a lot of walking right afterwards due to the excessive amount of air they pumped into him.

He went home this afternoon and apparently had a tough day. The next few weeks are going to be difficult, so I hope the best for him. One good piece of information I learned was that his treatment team expected him to be able to walk two miles in two months time. I was glad they were not neglecting this aspect of after-care.

Now, only time will tell.

Again, thanks for the feedback everyone.

Dealing with a family member's weight situation

Tomorrow, my mother's husband, M. is having lap band surgery. I've known about it since June, but I was not sure whether he was 100% positive. It turns out he is, because he thinks this is the only way he can lose the weight.

The story of M. is not much different from others who have tried to lose weight. M. has been on several diets. The last one was Atkins a number of years ago. Though he did lose a substantial amount of weight, he was unable to sustain its difficult regimen and deprivation. Like most dieters, when he went off Atkins, his weight returned. That was the last major diet that I can remember him trying. Since then, he hasn't been on any diet to my knowledge. His doctors and family are now concerned since he has developed diabetes, has high blood pressure, and has had a mini stroke.

I tend to sit on the fence with this. Part of me knows from literature research how there is a lack of pre-screen mental evaluation, especially among those with gastric bypass surgery. It's also been suggested how crucial follow-up care is (and not enough get) I also know of several people who have had this same procedure done. They have rapidly lost the weight but eventually regained it later in life.

I know M. is well aware of the side effects, how his eating habits will change, etc., but as my mom says, "he is ready for this." I know his decision is already made, but I can at least voice my concerns here. I worry about whether it will really change his mindset/lifestyle or whether it is only a temporary solution to the problem. I fear this will only cause an elimination of foods rather than learning to take a moderated approach. Like many people, he's always looked at his failures as a lack of willpower, thus, feeling like if he just wasn't tempted, it would all be better. Therefore, if you take away the ability to eat, he will be thin, happy, and all will be well.

I also fear how this will affect my mother and her eating habits. My mother is not a cook, and I can seriously imagine her just eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for dinner or just sleeping through dinner (she is the type who could fall asleep right after work).

The other fear I have was from a poster I read on a board discussing whether the side effects were worth it. The poster said, "I can't eat and enjoy foods like I did preband. That is the only side effect I have . Since that was the whole point of having surgery, I can't complain about it, even though a pain free hamburger sounds good every now and then."

M. has always been a person who has seriously enjoyed food. In all honesty, that's always been one thing I admired about him--that he could enjoy food with all its taste and scrumptiousness. Just like as in anorexia and starvation, I worry that that will be gone for the sake of becoming thin.

At this point, I know I don't have much say, but can only hope for the best. I hope he receives adequate follow-up care and can join a support group. In some ways, I'm not sure M. knows what he is in store for despite saying he does. I hope this won't be about restriction but instead incorporating a more healthy lifestyle, e.g. adding in some moderate exercise. Though I sit on the fence with this approach, I hope it works for him, especially from a medical standpoint. Because in reality, I can only imagine what he might feel for himself if it doesn't. A FAIL. And that just continues the cycle all over.

Note--*I hope I do not offend anyone reading this post who may have had lap band or gastric bypass surgery. I know everyone must make their own decision which they feel is best for themselves. I also realize that my perception may be clouded by years of eating disorder abuse. I'm also hoping that I do not come off as judgmental, because I'm truly not trying to be.

Smorgasborg of weight in television

Sometimes, I get so tired of all the weight loss shows on television. Though the shows all claim that it is about health, there is always a focus on numbers.

We'd all agree that the The Biggest Loser finale certainly focused on numbers. Many bloggers, including myself, have talked about this show and the misappropriate message it is sending to the public. Last night was the season 7 finale. Helen Phillips, a 48-year old woman from Michigan, took the prize of $250,000 after losing a percentage of more than half her body weight. Looking at those finale photos, my eyebrows raise, reminding me just how much someone will do for a cash incentive. Of course, I cannot say this was her sole motivation, but clearly, there wasn't much of an appearance of "health." This also included the at-home winner, Jerry, the oldest contestant, who looked like he had aged 20 years.

So this begs the question, does the Biggest Loser finale cause eating disorders as the tvsquad suggests.

The sad thing about all this is 1) I couldn't believe I kept thinking, "well, crap, she weighs less than me" and 2) The Biggest Loser is slated for another season next year.

Since the Biggest Loser has become popular, another new show coming to the Oxygen network is hoping to prove to be just as successful. Dance your ass off combines both the aspects of the Biggest Loser and Dancing with the Stars. In this show, contestants are paired with a professional dancer and nutritionist. Each week, they perform a dance and receive scores from judges. Combing the judges' scores with how much weight loss they had during that week, determines elimination. Hmm, I just don't think this is sending the greatest message either to a general audience who craves weight loss.

On a positive note here, I caught a few episodes of the Wetv show, I want to save your life with Charles Stuart Platkin, aka the "Diet Detective." Platkin, a nutrition and public health advocate, performs health interventions on various individuals/couples each week. Platkin spends a week with the individuals, educating them on nutrition, exercise, and general well being. He leaves it up to them, and then returns 3-4 months later to see how they have progressed.

What I liked about this show was that there was a general less overall emphasis on weight. It did seem to be more geared towards a healthy lifestyle. In the show, he did not advocate for 6-8 hours of exercise a day but a much more reasonable amount for weight loss. There was more a realistic approach to getting exercise any way you could then simply hours in the gym. With eating, there wasn't an extremist ideology, but instead making health conscious choices. I wish more people watched this show, as there was much more of a realistic approach to weight loss.

Lastly, today's Dr,. Phil had an episode on eating disorders. I didn't see the entire episode, but did read through the show. In general, Dr. Phil did seem to have a little of an understanding on the plight of eating disorders. This specific show focused on a set of twins, one of whom had an eating disorder. Cynthia Bulik, researcher and author of Crave, was also in the audience to help both the eating disorder individual and the family with informative, helpful insights.

Thoughts on any of these shows?

How much role does cash play in weight loss?

Tonight is the finale of the popular television show, The Biggest Loser. If you're not familiar with the show, basically, it's where obese individuals lose extreme amounts of weight in a short period of time through excessive hours of exercise and supposedly proper nutrition. I believe the show starts out with 14 or 15 contestants and one gets voted off per week depending on how much weight they have lost. The person who has lost the most amount of weight, aka "The Biggest Loser" receives a cash prize of $250,000.

I find this all so fitting, especially with a recent article that came out last week in the Journal of American Medical Association about the financial incentive for weight loss. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania studied 57 obese, but otherwise healthy individuals and randomly assigned them to three weight loss plans: a lottery incentive program, a deposit contract program, or monthly weigh-ins (control group).

In the lottery incentive program, individuals received money if they reached their weight loss target. The deposit contract group consisted of participants investing a small amount of their own money per day. If they reached their weight loss target, they would also receive a bonus, otherwise, they lost their money at the end of the month.

At the end of four months, the incentive groups lost more weight compared to the control group with about half reaching their target weight loss. However, seven months later, when there were no longer financial incentives, weight loss was not sustained among the incentive groups.

The idea behind the research was based on the loss aversion theory. Researchers say they wanted "to create a mechanism where loss aversion would help drive people's motivation...we wanted to create a reward system which gave them rewards in the present."

I'm not sure how to feel about the financial incentives for weight loss (for those who may need to clinically speaking). It adds such another factor into the mix of real motivations for weight loss or anything for for that matter. Rachel at The F-Word wrote a post awhile back titled The Biggest Loser or the Cash Cow? which made you think twice about the show.

What I find even more interesting is turning the tables--instead of weight loss, weight gain. How come we don't give cash incentives for that? Even so, it wouldn't matter, because weight gain is looked down upon in society, except for those with eating disorders or other medical illnesses where weight restoration is important. Even if those with EDs were given a cash incentive to gain weight, it is highly doubtful that they would embark on it. The motivations are different and money, objects, etc. aren't powerful enough.

In the end, however, for most with eating disorders, their motivations to gain weight (and I say this lightly as weight gain is difficult) and hopefully recover actually turn into more intrinsic values. The value of health and vitality, the motivation to (excerpt activity here), the ability to self nurture, and the list goes on and on all become more important than living a life with an eating disorder.

"New eating disorder?"

Irene Rubaum-Keller, a blogger at the Huffington Post recently posted about a "new eating disorder," she has been seeing in her practice. In her post, she talks about women in their 30s and 40s who come to her not knowing how to maintain a healthy weight. These are women who I'm presuming (at least she does not say this in the post) do not necessarily fit a clinical eating disorder diagnosis but would still take drastic measures in their eating and exercise regimens to lose weight. Once they reached the desired weight, they went back to how they ate/exercised before and regained the weight.

Now older, they realize they can no longer take the drastic measures they did previously and feel at a loss of what to do. Rubaum-Keller feels that these individuals have learned how to lose weight temporarily and gain weight but not maintain a healthy weight.

I'm not sure I'd classify this as a new eating disorder. To me, it seems like the profile of the yo-yo dieter. I guess I get where she is going with the idea, but to call it a new eating disorder seems a bit of a stretch. That seems to be happening a lot however. At least she didn't give it an "-rexia" name.

What do you think? Is this a new, different eating disorder? If so, what's the criteria exactly?

Tesofensine

Tesofensine is the latest new obesity pill in the works. Currently, it's finishing up phase II trials and will be moving onto phase III studies. Whenever I hear about new diet pills coming out, it reminds me just how lucrative the weight loss business is and how society is so fixated on remedying all our woes in a pill. Remember, exercise in a pill, anyone? This all makes me cringe, especially the hope and goal for these pills.

"The next step are Phase III trials in which doctors will also try to regulate diet, something that Astrup said could lead to the kind of weight loss associated with gastric-bypass surgery"

To me, this seems like a scary endeavor. I find it interesting how these doctors say how this new pill has not shown the psychiatric suicidal ideations as the other diet pills have. However, they completely fail to address both the physical and mental consequences of gastric by-pass surgery. But isn't that their goal? To have comparable rates of weight loss? It just seems like more forethought should be given here. I wonder how this pill will compare to the experimental "no surgery required weight loss" technique in which a stomach is stapled via the esophagus.

Just what we need--another new diet book

A new book is out called The Pen and Paper Diet The website touts that this diet plan will allow adults to maintain their desired weight for the rest of their life, using scientific principles and common sense. Apparently, this diet plan accounts for height, age, weight, activity level, and gender and can be applied to ages 19-84 years old. The catch is that you have to continuously count calories throughout the day. Hmmm, is that really healthy?

The line that really sticks out for me the most seen in this press release is:

"This diet will be ideal for those that struggle with anorexia and bulimia because it can enable these individuals to maintain their weight at the low end of BMI like they would prefer while digesting their food," Dow says.

I should note that Dow and his wife are not medical experts but two people who wanted to lose weight. I think I'm astonished that someone would even say this. Sure, many with anorexia and bulimia don't want to gain weight. Even when weight is gained, many want to hover at the minimal range of ideal which just puts that person at risk to fall back into old patterns. This can also lead to living like a "functional" eating disorder individual, making that seem okay. But really, it is not okay. It's not okay to be married to your calorie counter or your scale. :sigh:

**********

Besides this new book coming out, I've also been seeing the trend in weight loss by a few of my clients. One is a woman who recently got back from Hawaii. She and her husband have a condo there and go every year for several weeks. I knew she had been on Weight Watchers and was attending meetings and such, but I was surprised at her weight loss. She said she thinks that most people had only seen her when she had gained weight and not the weight she was most of her adult life. I don't know whether things could get out of control or not, but it is a little worrisome.

Then I saw my good friend last week out of the blue. I had left a number of messages for her but didn't hear back. When I saw her, I could tell she had lost weight. She said she was on the "CNS diet, ie "caffeine, nicotine, and stress" diet. Most of her life, she has been big and losing weight was always a tough battle for her. However, I do not think this is the way to go. She said it's mostly stemming from personal problems. I do worry since she is a good friend.

The last client is a married couple. When I last saw them, it was noticeable that they too had lost weight. Neither were what I'd call overweight, just more on the average. They talked about their weight loss saying it was mostly due to drinking more water, some exercising, and eating healthier. I do know the woman has been doing more exercise since her job position changed. I guess I hope that it was a healthy approach for them.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm more sensitive to people losing weight. I can understand losing some weight for health, but I always have this fear it will go overboard for them. Maybe I'm just too clouded by my own experiences. I keep wondering if these people are married to their calorie counting books or their points systems or whether they have just embraced healthy living. The latter is my hope.

Can Aol get even stupider?

First off, no offense to anyone who has aol. I used to have it when I first began using the computer, more than ten years ago. I even ventured in the ED chat for a long time and got to know people there In fact, some I still keep in touch with to this day.

Anyway, someone from one of the running forums I visit recently talked the ridiculous weight loss tricks that popped up on her aol news. Many of them are more or less consistent with what professionals have said for those who do need to lose weight for health purposes. However, a few of them could easily be seen on a "pro-ana" site. It's really scary to think these would even be considered and how there will be people who do these anyway. :sigh:

"I can make you thin."

I happened to catch part of this show last night while channel surfing. I think the title is kind of appalling. I mean "I can make you thin." It sounds like a gimmick, honestly, one that many people could obviosuly be enticed into watching. After all, we are a nation of wanting to get results quickly. I think the worst thing is that this show is on TLC, "The Learning Channel," part of the discovery channel network. TLC used to have some really interesting stuff. They still do have some interesting shows, it just seems to have veered off a bit from what I remember as a child.

Anyway, this show is hosted by Paul McKenna. He is a hypnotist out of the UK and has written several best selling self-help books which have apparently sold in millions in the UK. The premise behind the show is supposedly lose weight through the television. By that I mean, he shows the audience and people he works with how to stop emotional overeating, curb cravings, increase metabolism, etc. through the use of a "tapping technique" which looks essentially like "EFT," or "emotional freedom technique." The idea behind EFT is to tap into various accupuncture meridian points. The proponents of this method say it works for pain disorders, allergies, ocd, eating disorders, phobias, and a number of other issues. The tapping technique for this weight loss is supposedly going to change your brain patterns and how you think. Personally, I sit on the fence with this. I think the power of suggestion can do a lot more than people realize.

I think the other thing about this show or anything similar (National Geographic's "The Dog Whisperer" comes to mind) is that it just makes people buy into something without expertise. Even with this show, the host says how people need to eat "consciously," eat when they're hungry, stop when they're full, etc. How is that any different from what we have all heard about weight, hunger, and eating? Isn't it just common sense masked by the addition of this new, miraculous tapping technique?

Maybe I'm a bit too skeptical or research oriented or want to make sure I know my facts before jumping into anything, but this worries me in general. I guess it'll be interesting to see where the show goes.

Sugar-free gums and weight loss

This article warning about sugar-free gums and weight loss recently was reported on BBC.

The ingredient is sorbitol which is used in many sugar-free and cosmetic products. It's also found in some natural fruits, like pears, apricots, nectarines, and some berries. Excessive use can lead to laxative effects like diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems. In the two cases that are cited here from the British Medical Journal, the patients were consuming a lot of sorbitol (20g-30g) per day and had lost a significant amount of weight.

This news is really not new. The article just wanted to heed warning to consumers. Unless, you're consuming a large amount like this, there isn't much worry, in my opinion. However, some with eating disorders do become gum addicts and often replace gum for food. Sometimes I wonder if that is one of the reasons why the gum label actually says, "this is not a low calorie food."

With that being said, I admit, I do chew sugar-free gum. It's not excessive, nor do I replace gum for foods, but I maybe chew more than I should. For me, I've chewed gum forever. Heck, I even came to America with a big wad of gum in my mouth. My steadfast theory has been that I have a fear of smelly breath or halitosis.

All throughout school, I have chewed gum. Unfortunately, I got in trouble for it too and had to write out stupid sentences about not chewing gum. I never really got this reason, especially since I always disposed of it properly, i.e. not underneath a desk or some other school item, and I was not harming anyone nor disrupting education. So what did I do? I just got more discrete at hiding it. People in high school used to ask me for gum all the time, because they knew I always had it. Throughout the years, I've gotten very picky about gum, and only chew one type for its lasting flavor. I even got really upset when I could not find it around here and had my mom send me some where she found it. She told me the cashiers thought she was trying to kick the habit.

Besides the sorbitol in gum, my main concern is that it has BHT in it which has shown carcinogenic properties. I'm sure in high dosages as well, but it is used in a lot of products to preserve freshness even though it has been banned in some countries. It's interesting, because I never ever give my pets anything with additives in it, yet, I still consume some products with additives, mainly in the form of sweeteners. I'm working on it and have had some success with eliminating all diet sodas, though I never consumed them excessively. Mostly, I just use sweeteners in coffee and tea and one other soy milk product. The rest of everything else I eat is natural or organic. It's a slow process but hopefully one day I can be completely additive-free.

Healthy eating and dieting

This short article came out talking about how Americans opt for healthy eating, not dieting.

The research group's vice president who tracked what Americans consume says, "We've become more accepting of our weight and the most important thing is, are you healthy?" Balzer said.
Hmm, are we sure about that? I think there may be a general consensus about being healthier, but not less dieting from people. Think about every ad, every new product, pill, etc. that has come out within the last few years.

Just the other day, I saw this ad in a magazine for Weight Watchers. You can't read the small print underneath, but it says, "Seems like a pretty easy choice. Weight watchers actually works with your life instead of against it. Because it's not a diet. It's a smarter way to eat and live. You'll learn how to have a healthy relationship with food so you can finally lose the weight without losing your life."

Isn't Weight Watchers just another promotional weight loss company? Their values may be a little different, but it still is about weight loss.

The fact is that we as a society are still a long way from accepting weight and size. It may slowly, at a snail's pace, be changing, but the issues are still prevalent. Americans are still dieting.

Another diet scam uncovered

I read this article today and was aghast. Granted, we've all heard about the latest diet before, but I was unaware of this one called the "Kimkins Diet," essentially a take off of an old version of Atkins but to an extreme. It was apparently on the cover of Woman's World with the headline "Better than Gastric Bypass" showing a woman who had lost 100 pounds from the diet alone. That woman has now left the Kimkins company and started her own blog here. As a former PR person for this website and the Kimkins Diet, she explains what led to her leaving.

So just what is exactly is the Kimkins Diet? It's an extreme version of low cal, low carb, low fiber diet and not medically or nutritionally proven whatsoever. The fact that laxatives were promoted is a huge red flag! The "founder" who left herself in disguise for a long time has finally revealed herself as Heidi Kimberley Diaz. She developed a website promoting this diet claiming she has lost 198 pounds in 11 months and kept it off. This was the first fraudulent claim in a series of many. There were also falsified pictures of testimonials of people who'd lost weight from this diet. They turned out to be Russian mail-order bride photos taken from another site. This woman had people pay her in membership fee to join. And there are just a slew of other fraudulent claims and wrongdoings.

It really makes you realize how far people go to lose weight, and I don't just mean those who develop eating disorders, although with this diet, some of these followers were on the verge of it, starving, and malnourished with physical side effects of lethargy, hair loss, dizziness, nausea, etc. We are such a society on "lookism" and wanting that magic pill or that magic diet to provide that. It's just so scary to think how far someone will go. It seems beyond reason just like someone with an eating disorder. Logic goes out the window along with your intuitiveness. You keep reminding yourself of the reward at the end--that the self deprivation will all be worth it in the end. Is it really? I'm sure there are some who followed this diet and feel that way (the website gives a "pro-ana" type feel) but I think there are many who did not and were playing with fire in terms of their health decline.

Back in June, the FDA issued a regulation on dietary supplements to require current good manufacturing practices. This goes along the lines of making sure that what is in the supplement is accurately labeled as such and that it is produced in a quality manner. I wish the same could be said for these type of internet weight loss scams. I'm sure this Kimkin diet will undoubtedly be the last of this type to come about again. Hopefully, this is will be a wake up call to people.

For more information on this diet and its controversy, go to here and here This site has also gotten down to the controversy as well.