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The American people (let alone the rest of the world) spends literally BILLIONS of dollars on food, supplements, gym memberships and surgeries to accomplish the goal of losing weight. While the problem of obesity is a serious one, there are, as of right now, no easy ways to lose weight. Only by eating a reduced calorie diet and exercising regularly can you effectively lose weight unless you have some underlying glandular disorder (which is relatively rare).

One of the latest lures for those dollars come in the form of so-called fat burner supplements. These products supposedly help your body target fat and burn it by increasing your metabolism.

The truth of the matter is, these products may be very harmful to your health and because they are marketed as supplements, they are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Most of them contain herbs which are relatively harmless unless you’re allergic to the plants they are derived from. Some, however, contain substances that elevate your heart rate and can be dangerous to use for an extended period.

If you elect to take any of these supplements, be sure to read all the literature that accompanies them and if you have any questions about the ingredients ask your pharmacist or physician. If you experience any physical reaction to the products, discontinue taking them immediately.

Another thing to be concerned about is that these websites that sell these products get you to sign up for “memberships” where they send you refills of the product every so many days. This is cited as a convenience to the user, but can end up costing you hundreds of dollars as your credit card is charged every so  many days for these refills and getting that stopped can be expensive, stressful and time consuming.

As hard as it is to lose weight, staying healthy while you do it should be a concern for you. We are so hooked on instant gratification it’s really hard to take the long, slow road to optimum weight and good health, but you truly do your body good by following a controlled weight loss plan that includes drinking plenty of water, reducing your caloric intake while increasing your exercise level.

Many people take weight off fast using various methods only to put it all back on again. This yo-yo-ing weight loss and gain is very stressful for your body. By taking weight off gradually, you learn better eating habits which help ensure that you keep the weight off.

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I can’t say that I wasn’t warned.

I went ahead and sent it anyway.

I just truly had no idea how badly the odds were stacked against me.

My previous experiences just left me totally in the dark as to how desperate times are for some people. That’s my defense. I just had no way of knowing. No preparation for having something so simple going so wrong.

And I’m sorry.

Sorry that some people are disappointed. Sorry that someone won’t get what was intended to be a keepsake memory. Sorry that the depravity of others is so exposed.

When my friend in South Africa announced the impending birth of her daughter, I wanted so badly to send something to the newborn.

After all, it’s a custom here in America to gift the new baby with things she might need during her first few months of life when life for the parents can be overwhelmed by new routines, the new baby and all the trappings of family that must still be attended to.

But I don’t know how life is in South Africa.

I don’t deal with the corruption of government on a personal level and day-to-day. I’m removed from those things, living as I do in my cotton wrapped world of peace and prosperity.

So, I persevered in my desire to send the baby something to celebrate her entrance into this world.In retrospect, that was probably rather selfish of me as my friend has worried about the package getting there and has tried to keep track of it — something she didn’t need to waste her time on.

What I ended up sending although practical in nature, was personal more than anything. I kept the baby’s sweet face in my mind as I created the crib quilt with the animals embroidered on it and her name and date of birth in the center panel. I didn’t spend a lot on materials — it was made of simple cotton gingham with some eyelet lace for trimming.

She’ll probably grow up to be a tomboy and eschew such feminine trappings, but I still wanted her to have something that celebrated her birth, her sex and her innocence.

However, as I was warned, the possibility of it reaching the baby was very slim due to the corruption of the hands that the package must pass through on it’s way there.

And as prophesied, it has not arrived.

Some African thief is sorely disappointed in this coup I feel certain. It surely cannot bring anything in the way of money for the sale of it as personalized as it is. And there’s not enough lace to make it worthwhile to remove that and resell it. Certainly there isn’t enough fabric overall to make clothing for anything but perhaps a child. I hate to think of it torn to pieces in rage at it’s lack of worth, but that’s certainly one outcome.

Or maybe, just maybe I can retain some small hope that the quilt is being used to wrap some small bundle of joy somewhere.

Yes, I guess I am a Pollyana.

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As my husband sits watching Darlington on his Rackmount monitor, he’s missing one of his favorite drivers.
That’s right, Jeremy Mayfield was suspended indefinitely today for failing a random drug test and becoming the first NASCAR driver to do so.

“In my case, I believe that the combination of a prescribed medicine and an over the counter medicine reacted together and resulted in a positive drug test,” Mayfield said in a statement. “My doctor and I are working with both Dr. (David) Black and NASCAR to resolve this matter.”

Additionally, Tony Martin, a crew member for the car John Andretti drove last weekend at Richmond, and Ben Williams, a crew member for the Nationwide Series car Matt Kenseth drove last weekend, were both suspended indefinitely also for failing drug tests.

This is a huge blow to us as NASCAR has always seemed to be one of the cleaner sports with regards to drugs. Yeah the guys may duke it out from time to time when someone cuts another guy off or causes a wreck, or they may play some bump-and-run, but those are normal boyish games.

When drugs and cars get together, there is bound to be unhappy results.

Is no sport safe from participants who think they can win by taking drugs?

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Electronic or E-Cigarettes are battery operated devices that heat up a mix of proylene glycol (a commonly found substance in many foods and cosmetics) and water and passes the resultant vapor through a cartridge that can contain nicotine delivering the nicotine to the user in the vapor. It is made to look like a cigarette, but is a bit larger and heavier.

Unlike a cigarette, there is almost no odor and thousands fewer chemicals entering the “smokers’” body. There is no second hand “smoke” to be inhaled by anyone in the vicinity of the “smoker”.

So, it sounds like the perfect solution for smokers who just can’t give up ncotine or the routine of smoking, yet the FDA is moving to ban it.

Now mind you, none of it’s components are indivually banned by the FDA, so why does this government agency perceive the E-Cigarette to be dangerous to human health?

“We’re concerned about the potential for addiction to and abuse of these products,” says FDA spokeswoman Rita Chappelle. “Some people may mistakenly perceive these products to be safer alternatives to conventional tobacco use.”

My question to the FDA is if you’re concerned about addiction to nicotine, then why aren’t cigarettes and cigars banned?

“Like a traditional cigarette, this product is not intended to produce a therapeutic effect,” says Walt Linscott, legal counsel for Smoking Everywhere Inc. “It is not a drug, if you will. This is an adult smoking experience, and it should be thought of and regulated in that similar construct.”

“I think there’s a lot of possibilities; it’s intriguing,” says Thomas Glynn with the American Cancer Society. “But it needs to go through some rigorous testing before the public health community would feel comfortable with it.”

The FDA’s investigation is ongoing and they are under pressure from New Jersey Democrat Senator Frank Lautenburg to ban the devices until they are proven to be safe.

Ok — I’m good with testing. I know that when my 77 year old boss walked in the office the other day puffing on one of these things, I was a bit horrified at the thought of him breathing in pure nicotine. Some warning bell went off in my head asking if it was safe.

So chime in here guys and gals. I know some of you are quitting smoking – did you check into this before you chose the method you’re currently using? Debbie, Chilly?

Is the E-Cigarette a suitable and safe alternative to smoking for those who cannot give up the habit?

Should the FDA have jurisdiction over whether or not it’s allowed in the US?

If not the FDA, then what agency should if any?

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