Please be aware of risks, scams and dangerous profiteering liars.
I just learned, in the Minot Daily News, about the existence of the Healthy Weight Network's Slim Chance Awards for 2009. It's not so great to win this award, but it's a real eye opener and maybe a life saver for people who have been using diet programs and drugs that don't work or could be harmful.
Excerpt from article:
The Most Outrageous award went to a number of weight loss pills spiked with powerful undisclosed drugs. The Healthy Weight Network reported that in 2009, the Food and Drug Administration cited 69 weight loss supplements containing hidden, potentially harmful drugs or toxic substances.
"This is absolutely the worst year. It's the largest number of weight loss products the FDA has ever targeted that I'm aware of, and I've been doing this for 21 years," Berg said.
Francie Berg, a licensed nutritionist and adjunct professor at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine, created the award.
Thank you, Francie. Eating disorders destroy people's lives. Eating disorders are illnesses and create a mindset that makes losing weight and obtaining the perfect body an obsessive goal. Regardless of whether a person binge eats, binges and purges, starves or over exercises to get rid of calories, her mind is dominated by the desire to lose weight.
To capitalize on this illness by selling useless or harmful products and services is the height of villainy.
I suppose villains will always be among us, and we will always need law enforcement, the FDA and awards like Berg's Slim Chance to call attention to exploitation. The real protection from these sharks is to make yourself impervious to attack. Effective protection is health, being well, not having an eating disorder, being in recovery. They key is being aware. Then you are kind, compassionate and realistic in your treatment of yourself. When you are both healthy and honor your genuine needs you are strong. The exploiters can't undermine you. You smile or shake your head at false or dangerous promies and continue on with your good life.
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