This is Timely

I take no satisfaction in reading this article, by which I mean, of course, that I was ecstatic on the inside but trying to show that I am not a bad person who is jealous of someone so rich, powerful and successful. Kind of like when management says that "So-and-so is our quarterback" or "so-and-so is our coach". Once you hear those words, you know you're canned. Not literally, of course. So, the point is that when you hear "I take no satisfaction" it means the exact opposite. Moving along...

I guess the acai berry thing hasn't worked out, because Oprah has just revealed (which I assume is no secret to people who actually watch her show) that her weight has climbed to 200 lbs. The reason for this is that Oprah tries to come up with gimmicky ways to lose weight and goes on diets. She needs to make a lifestyle change. That is the only way she will keep her weight at healthy levels. There is a notorious episode from 1988 when she paraded out on stage in size 10 jeans. To wit -

"When it came to slipping into those jeans, 'I had literally starved myself for four months [on a liquid-protein diet] – not a morsel of food,' Winfrey, an admitted food addict, said in 2005. 'Two hours after that show, I started eating to celebrate – of course, within two days those jeans no longer fit!'"

This is not just about looking good or fitting into a dress for Barack Obama's inauguration.

"According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Winfrey's weight and height rank her as obese, with a body mass index of 31.8 – putting her at 'at higher risk for chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol."

Alli is Your Enemy

You may have seen commercials touting the next big thing in weight-loss gimmickry: Alli (pronounced "ally"). I wonder if it will sound as sexy when I put it this way- "Half the power of Xenical with 80% of the side effects." or how about "Not quite as much gas or oily discharge as prescription Xenical"? Because Alli is a lower dosage Xenical that can be sold over-the-counter. It is being marketed along with a program of diet and exercise. Revolutionary!

This article on WebMD explains the drug and program well and contains comments by some of the physicians involved in developing Alli's accompanying program.

This is nice -

"The new drug is not an appetite suppressant. Instead, Alli works by blocking the absorption of fat in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. But the blocked fat has to go somewhere, which is why many a candid commentator has said not to take Alli on a first date or wear white pants while taking it."

NOTE: People are buying it. According to PharmaTimes, analysts project, based on sales of $155 million in the first half of 2007, that sales of Alli could be $1 billion a year.

Don't Think Fast

People have recently been talking about the lemonade diet; sometimes called the "master cleanse". Beyonce Knowles claims to have lost 20 pounds getting ready for her role in Dreamgirls with the diet, consisting largely of lemonade, maple syrup and cayenne pepper, along with fasting.

Here's an article on WebMD -

"If you weed through all the controversy, you’ll find that most medical experts agree on one thing: fasting is not a healthy weight loss tool. "

And here is a site that goes in depth about a couple of versions of the diet.