Do methods slimming salons use work? How about the fat loss pills that 'burn up to 2000 kilocalories per day'? Well, in most cases, people don't even eat up to 2000 kilocalories when they're trying to lose fat.
Quote from Singapore Health Promotion Board's Nutrition FAQ:
The use of slimming products may lead to relatively fast weight loss initially. Many slimming products contain bioactive substances that suppress appetite, stimulate metabolism or induce water loss from the body. It is not safe to use these products without medical supervision. Moreover, slimming products are usually expensive and do not help change the overweight individual's eating and exercise behaviors that are the root causes of weight gain. This makes maintenance of weight loss difficult.
Enough said.
With regards to numerous slimming salons using body wraps, infrared or electro stimulation devices etc - must you really be educated to realise that all these don't work? Please don't fall victim to their intensive marketing tactics. If they really work, why do they spend so much money on advertisements mostly showing astonishing 'before' and 'after' pictures and slim figures of celebrities but little or no scientific information about their fat loss devices?
Wait. Didn’t recent TV programs show normal Singaporeans losing weight after visiting beauty salons? How do you explain that? Well, these slimming salons know their stuffs don’t work, so now they’re getting smart enough to recruit some personal trainers and nutritionists to ‘preach’ healthy living. So on top of their dubious fat loss gimmicks (where the real bucks are rolling in), they have their clients exercise and diet. Without a doubt, exercise and diet worked, and weight loss resulted. At www.PT.com.sg we offer the same services (without the body wrap nonsense of course!) at a fraction of the cost.
Seriously, only lazy people wanting a quick fix would visit these salons. But the thing is that they don't even provide a quick fix! You'll only get ripped of.
Here's a very informative report compiled by the Federal Trade Commission of the United States Of America - Deception In Weight-Loss Advertising Workshop:
Seizing Opportunities and Building Partnerships to Stop Weight-Loss Fraud. A panel of experts discusses and analyses claims made by manufacturers, citing scientific references to show how these claims are false and misleading the public. The claims include:1. Consumers who use the advertised product can lose substantial weight without reducing caloric intake and/or increasing their physical activity2. Consumers who use the advertised product can lose substantial weight while still enjoying unlimited amounts of high calorie foods3. The advertised product will cause permanent weight loss4. The advertised product will cause substantial weight loss through the blockage of absorption of fat or calories5. Consumers who use the advertised product can safely lose more than three pounds per week for a period of more than four weeks6. Users can lose substantial weight though the use of the advertised product that is worn on the body or rubbed into the skin7. The advertised product will cause substantial weight loss for all users
8. Consumers who use the advertised product can lose weight only from those parts of the body where they wish to lose weight
Find them familiar? Read them in ads on the papers or on television lately?Please do take time to read the full report:
Losing fat ain't easy. Nobody said it is. Only hard work and smart dieting will help you achieve your goals. Another important key is to change your eating behaviors and adapt to healthy eating so that the weight will be put off for good. Please do show your friends and family the reports and help to prevent any more fellow Singaporeans from falling into the traps of these useless companies!
References
Muris, T. J., Thompson, M. W., Swindle, O, Leary, T. B., and Harbour, P. J. (2003). DECEPTION
IN WEIGHT-LOSS ADVERTISING WORKSHOP: Seizing Opportunities and Building Partnerships to Stop Weight-Loss Fraud. Rockville MD: Bureau of Consumer Protection of the Federal Trade Commission..Available from World Wide Web:
http://www.ftc.gov/os/2003/12/031209weightlossrpt.pdf - Page 59-73 Health Promotion Board. (n.d). Nutrition FAQ. Singapore: HPB Online. Available from World Wide Web:
Singapore Health Promotion Board's Nutrition FAQ - Q.12
*The statements in the above article are mere opinions of its author and are by no means directed to any beauty salons, slimming salons or whatsoever, in Singapore.
Surgery To Get Rid of Man Boobs Hurts!
Getting rid of man boobs by surgery should only be considered as a last resort after all other alternatives are explored and tried. This article will share with you the risks involved in a gynecomastia surgery and finally give a hint to where you can find a natural and safe solution to get rid of man boobs without going through an expensive and painful surgery.
Occurrences of gynecomastia are traced back to root causes such as congenital disorders or disorders developed after birth, and illnesses such as kidney and liver disease. Breast enlargement could also be due to abuse of drugs and usage of prescribed medicine. Treatment to resolve these root causes could indirectly resolve the man boobs condition as gynecomastia development is often a side-effect. Before you consider a surgery to get rid of man boobs, consult your doctor first to diagnose the cause of your gynecomastia condition.
Presuming you have exhausted all options and going under the gamma knife seems like the only alternative, there are still some conditions you need to pre-qualify before you can go for the operation to get rid of man boobs. Firstly, you have to be healthy, emotionally stable and have no prior history of medical problems such as heart disease, smoking, diabetes, etc. Though there is no stringent requirement that bars you from going for the operation, there are inherently higher risks if you fall into this category. In any case, talk to your surgeon. He/she should be able to assess if your health status permits you to go through the surgery.
The surgery carries some risks in itself. Complications may arise such as skin discoloration, excessive bleeding, excessive fluid loss, infection and permanent scarring. If the surgeon realizes that the breast contouring is not symmetrical, meaning your breasts are not identically contoured resulting in irregular shapes, you have to go through a second procedure. The process of recovery is a slow one and it can take up to a year before you will see the complete results of your surgery. In the course of your recovery, some inconvenience would be expected and you have to avoid strenuous or rigorous physical activities. If you are a sporty guy, this is a setback which you can find difficult to deal with.
The surgery to get rid of man boobs is not a cheap treatment. Other than the operation costs, there are other miscellaneous expenses which include the after-surgery medications and consultations, elastic vest, etc. This would potentially set you back by several thousand dollars. What makes it worse is the bills are unlikely claimable under your insurance policy’s terms and conditions. This is because the gynecomastia condition is benign, not life-threatening and not a necessity. People often go through this to enhance their physical appearance.
As you can see, most men would love to avoid the surgery to get rid of man boobs if they can. However, a lot of men are unable to continue living in shame and embarrassment because of their condition. In a bid to recover their self-esteem, they are left without much choice but to empty their bank accounts to go for the operation. Without the support of their family members and friends, even the aftermath of the surgery can be unbearable for the patient without understanding from people around them due to the temporary physical constraints they are subjected to, ie cannot participate in a game of sport, etc. Surgery was the only choice then, until a man who suffered from gynecomastia figured out a safe and relatively painless method to get rid of man boobs without undergoing an expensive and painful surgery. Find out more about this unique story from my blog.
This article may be freely reprinted or distributed in its entirety in any ezine, newsletter, blog or website. The author's name, bio and website links must remain intact and be included with every reproduction.
Davion is a successful webmaster and author. Discover how to get rid of man boobs using effective and natural methods and avoid expensive and painful gynecomastia surgery at his blog Get-Rid-of-ManBoobs.blogspot.com.
The Many Health Benefits of Garlic
Garlic has been used medicinally for thousands of years. Sanskrit records show it's use about 5000 years ago and it has been used in Chinese medicine for at least the last 3000 years. Over these years it has been considered an herbal "wonder drug" with a reputation in folklore for preventing everything from the common cold to the plague.
Modern science has found garlic to be medicinally useful in many ways to include the following:
* Increases cardiovascular health.
* Has antimicrobial properties.
* Is high in antioxidents
* Promotes lipid lowering and improves cholesterol profiles
* Promotes anti-bloodclotting activities
* Has antineoplastic properties
* Aids in weight loss
Garlic has a high amount of sulfur-containing compounds. One in particular, allicin, is responsible for many of the health benefits of garlic. You can increase the amount of allicin by crushing or chopping your garlic raw. Dried garlic preparations must be enteric coated because stomach acid breaks down the allicin. Finally, because allicin is indirectly deactivated by heat, cooked garlic will be less powerful medicinally.
Garlic taken in normal amounts rarely causes side effects. There are a few people who are allergic to garlic. Symptoms include skin rash, high temperature and headaches.
With all the health benefits, garlic is the perfect compliment or addition to any nutritional plan. So add a dash of garlic to your palate. It not only adds distinct taste but a spice of health to your life too.
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Dr. Lanny Schaffer is an Exercise Physiologist and the President of The International Fitness Academy. For more cutting edge nutrition and fitness ideas go to http://www.aerobic-exercise-coach.com