Kimmer: Vegas. AGAIN? LOL!!

We all need a good laugh now and then. So, I'd like to thank Heidi Diaz for a good one. Seriously! Heidi "Kimmer" Diaz made me laugh out loud with a recent post at her Kimkins.con website.

What could possibly be funny about a 300 lbs. woman selling a starvation diet to thousands of desperate dieters using fake success stories? Nothing. Well, except that Kimmer is...wait for it...already talking about this summer's Kimkins gathering in Las Vegas.

Yep. Just when you thought Kimmer couldn't get any more ridiculous, she tops herself!

Take a look at this!



This is at least the third time Kimmer has talked up a meet and greet for Kimkins, only to cancel at the last minute to due "security concerns" or high gas prices.

Current Kimkins dieters: PLEASE do not book any accomodations in Vegas hoping to get to meet Heidi. It's NOT going to happen. Never, EVER gonna happen. Never.

Also, notice Kimmer's new sig line quote from Pastor Joel O'Steen. Pretty appropriate for Kimmer, wouldn't you say? Is this what you were doing, Heidi, when you claimed to have lost 198 lbs. in 11 months on your diet and maintained it for well over a year with ease? Were you just talking about "the way you want to be" when you claimed that infamous picture of the 118 lbs. Russian bride was you?

The lies you've sold at Kimkins are not funny in the least. They have hurt people, damaged their self-esteem, their trust, and made them vulnerable and in some cases, less healthy than before trying Kimkins.

But, planning another Kimkins trip to Vegas? Now that's funny!!

Happy Snarks-giving Kimmer!

Heidi Diaz of Kimkins.con is a peach. She really is. She shows SO much concern for her paying customers over there it's just amazing.

Recently, I posted an amalgamation of posts by longtime Kimkins dieter Robin. I am truly very, very concerned for Robin's health. Robin keeps complaining of dizzy spells, feeling bad, and so forth. But what does she get from Kimmer? A slap on the wrist for talking about her problems.

I'll tell you, that Kimmer is all heart. Take a look at this recent exchange between Kimmer and Robin on the Pinky Swear Challenge thread. You know the one where Heidi never posts her own stats, but demands that the rest of the members do each week? Well, take a look at this charming exchange. The full photo can be seen at: http://s249.photobucket.com/albums/gg235/Mayberryfan/?action=view¤t=Robin_Kimmer_combo.jpg

This woman paid Kimmer her hard-earned $$ for help to lose weight and this is all she gets for it. No concern for the CONTINUING problems this woman is having. Just an admonition to keep going so Robin can encourage others to starve themselves with the Kimkins diet.

Robin, many of us are worried sick about you. All attempts to reach out to you have met with stony silence. Are you so desperate to be thin that you will risk everything and follow the advice of someone who weighs 300 lbs. and cannot follow her own dangerous plan?

I hope not. I'm praying we can reach you somehow before it's too late. DON'T DO KIMKINS!

Kimkins Dieter Enters the Danger Zone

A longtime, devoted dieter over at Kimkins is talking about health worries and Heidi Diaz is telling her to keep up the great work.

This dieter has been doing Kimkins since July 2007 and has dropped close to 120 lbs. thanks to the starvation diet Heidi Diaz is selling.

But, that doesn't come close to telling the whole story. This particular dieter has been stuck for a while and is regaining and losing the same 20 lbs. over and over again.

Danger.

This dieter is complaining of frequent falls - loss of balance - which she calls Vertigo, but that doctors have not been able to find a cause.

Danger.

This dieter is also complaining of muscle weakness, apathy, depression, and an inability to adhere to the diet.

Danger.

Want to see it in her own words? Here's an amalgamation of some of her posts from the past several weeks, in chronological order and talking about separate events:

Now, I am not a doctor, nor do I pretend to be one on the internet. But, this woman is exhibiting several classic symptoms of an eating disorder and her frequent falls could easily be caused by blood sugar and electrolyte imbalance brought on by trying to live on 800 or so calories per day for over a year.

This person has been written about in other blogs before and yet she continues to stand by Heidi Diaz and Kimkins.

I believe she is in extreme danger due to extreme dieting. I pray someone can reach her before it's too late.

As long as the Kimkins diet is out there to make desperate dieters think they've found a viable solution to their weight problems, many of us will be here trying to warn people of the danger of this type of VLCD - very low calorie diet.

DON'T DO KIMKINS!!!!!!!

Actual Success Stories Do Not Tell the Whole Truth

Fraud is at the heart of the lawsuit faced by Heidi Diaz of Kimkins infamy. In a deposition before the court, she has admitted using stolen photos of beautiful, healthy, slender people from mail-order bride and groom sites to entice people into paying her for her starvation diet and advice on losing weight.

But, are ALL the Kimkins "success" stories fake? No.

Have some people actually lost weight on Kimkins and kept it off? Yes.

Does this mean it's okay to try Kimkins? NO!!!

Let's use an analogy about media bias my brother came up with to explain how some Kimkins success stories are "real", but in NO way tell the true story of Kimkins.

Let's say a sportscaster who graduated from Western BFE University wanted his team to look good at the end of the season. So, he edits together clips from W.BFE.U's games, but only shows the best plays from the entire season. He doesn't fake any of the clips, but the presentation would not show the true W.BFE.U's team - a team that didn't win a single game all season. By selecting only certain clips, W.BFE.U could LOOK like National Champions.

Btw, if you will notice, the media does this in some fashion all the time, showing only the most unflattering photos or video of the politicians they do not like, etc. Media bias is ALIVE and well. It's what they DON'T tell you that makes them biased. Technically, they don't lie so much as they only present one side of the story - lying by omission.

Same thing with Kimkins. For those who have lost weight strictly following Kimmer's diet, none that I know of have done so without experiencing some health problems. Significant hair loss and dizzy spells are the most common. That is what made me stop doing the Kimkins Diet plan. For others, irregular heart beats, amennorhea, and eating disorders are pretty common. One person who did Kimkins even lost so much muscle tissue that she had to undergo surgery to repair the damage.

Skinny, yes. Healthy, no!

Frankly, most people cannot live on the 800-1000 calories you get to eat on the Kimkins diet plan. Nor should ANYONE try to live on that small amount of food. For those who've stuck it out and lost the weight, many are paying a HEAVY price for believing in Heidi Diaz.

Bottom line: DON'T DO KIMKINS.

Heidi, how low can you go?

Other than Heidi Diaz, are their any administrators left at Kimkins? Just who is there to provide the vaunted support for dieters? Dieters who've plunked down $60-80 for said support from people who have made the plan work?

Many of the original admins, along with other members of the Kimkins diet site are now suing Kimmer - Heidi Diaz - for using fake success stories to sell her diet plan. Success stories which showed stolen pictures of trim, healthy, beautiful people.

But, what about some of Heidi longtime supporters, people who were admins giving advice to the paying customers at Kimkins - where are they now?

One of the admins to serve the longest at Kimkins - Singinglass, aka Delaney Deaver, hasn't posted in over a month. It has been two or three weeks since she's even been to the site. So what happened? Could Singinglass be experiencing some of the same health problems other Kimkins members have suffered? We know by her own admission she's lost a lot of her hair. Is there something else going on? One has to wonder.

So, you'd think after being sued and having the dangers of the Kimkins program brought to light, not to mention the fact that surveillance video shows Heidi Diaz to be 300 lbs. , not the 118 lbs. she claimed - that the advice-givers at Kimkins would have learned something.

Not so fast. Former Kimkins admin and someone who still (astonishingly) supports the diet Swalt gave this piece of advice to a new Kimkins dieter recently.

swalt (User)
I'M SOOO EXCITED!!!
Professor
Posts: 2014

Re:Daily
calories. Too little? Too much?

Ok, I may not have the best
answer but I can give you my 2 cents worth.The plan says to not go under 800
calories and 1200 seems like a good number, my calories were closer to the 800
while I was losing. I think it is more important to make sure that you
don't go ABOVE 20 carbs and don't go BELOW 800 calories. If you watch these two numbers everything should go as planned.Good luck to you. Sue

The dieter in question stated her intention to follow the caloric intake guidelines based on her BMR - basal metobolic rate. Going too far below this number can send your body into starvation mode where the body starts eating itself for nutrition. But, notice Swalt has NO trouble telling this person that - hey 1200 calories is okay, but (hint, hint, wink, wink) you could drop down to 800 with no problem.

Can this possibly be safe? Well, NO, of course not!

Using a BMR calculator, which measures the amount of calories you need just to run your body with no activity, (http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/) I plugged in some really low numbers: 4'5" tall, 85 lbs. and 45 years old. A female this size and age would still have a BMR of 1,062.35 calories for a day. Thats almost 33 % more calories than the Kimkins advisor says is okay for a large person with lots of weight to lose. This calculation is what would be needed by a TINY person just to maintain basic bodily functions.

Swalt may no longer be listed as an "admin" at Kimkins, but she is known as a former admin and she's still singing the same ultra-low calorie tune that's done a number on many people's health.

By the way, Swalt's new title (user) seems pretty appropriate if you ask me.

Like Kimmer, Swalt has no degree in nutrition and no training to be handing out advice to dieters on a paid subscription website.

Don't pay Heidi and her gang at Kimkins to tell you how to starve yourself. Find a good low carb diet and get healthy!

Oh, and the next time you're in the grocery store, check the milk cartons to see if Singinglasses' picture is there.

A Blast from Kimmer's Past, part II

Combing through some more of the "Ask Kimmer" threads at Low Carb Friends is like looking into a gaping maw of arrogance. Heidi Diaz perfected her Kimkins Diet B.S. while ruling the message boards there for a while. At least, she ruled her own little corner of that site.

In case anyone has forgotten, Heidi is the 300+lbs. woman who bragged on LCF about her ability to water-fast, singing it's praises in glowing terms. This is one of the ways she claimed to have lost a ton of weight, but developed her Kimkins diet plan for those "who didn't want it bad enough" to water-fast the weight off.

Of course, it was all a HUGE lie.

Here's a little gem or two concerning the practice of water-fasting in which Kimmer claims that it gives one a feeling of euphoria and increased mental acuity. By the way, hyperbole is just one of the tools liars use to make their stories sound so incredible, it MUST be true. After all, who would tell such a lie? Well, Heidi, for one, certainly would.

From LCF: 06-07-2006, 11:17 AM #2389

Originally Posted by XXXXXX - Wow, thats great. How did you feel after
45days of not eating or did you eat broths as I see some do? I know your not a
big water person so you fasted with mainly diet sodas? I'm just wondering how it
would feel after not eating for so long.

Kimmer - Believe it or not, after you stop eating for a
week you don't think about it much. After two weeks, it feels normal not to eat.
Why?We spent an extradinary amount of time food shopping, putting groceries
away, prepping, menu planning, cooking, cleaning the kitchen, washing dishes ...
and when you take all of those food related activities away, you're literally
forced to take a hard look at yourself. This is when most new fasters quit,
around day 4. Mentally they're freaking out. They're sure they're starving. They
miss their dear friend, "food", and food addiction is a very strong habit to
fight. OK, without food what am I? Who am I? If something bad/good happens and I
don't celebrate or commiserate with food, what else on earth can I do? You take
a whole new look at yourself. Until you go through it, you don't know what I'm
talking about. The energy high is incredible. Detox is a lulu, but you thank your body for doing what it does best, establishing priorities and taking care of business.

From LCF: 06-04-2006, 02:01 PM #2210
Originally Posted by xxxxxx
Need Advice Kimmer.I've been doing induction for almost two weeks and I'm down 14 lbs. I'm happy with my progress and I've hurdled over some tough obstacles to stay on plan b/c I know this is what I want most. My question is do I stay with what is working for me now, which is straight good old fashioned Atkins induction with the occasion processed stuff when in a pinch, or should I go for the K/E or Kimkins now. I didn't know if it would be best for me to switch things up when I start to slow down. Any advice would be great, I'm very commited to doing whatever (except I don't know about fasting just yet)

Kimmer - Oops, I did overlook it! Sorry! I read it early this morning, made some mental notes ... and didn't post. See, if I were water fasting my acute mental clarity wouldn't have allowed that to happen, LOL. If you're slowing down, my guess would be it's because you're higher calorie Atkins with occasional LC 'stuff'.If you want to maintain the most rapid weight loss, by all means fall back to Kimkins which is pretty much lean protein & a couple veggie servings. Your loss will stay kicked up for quite awhile. Don't do water fasting if you're not sure of it. Mentally, you've got to be on board and I don't recommend
it for casual weight loss in non-obese people. Why? I don't know. If you want to stay on Atkins, count the LC products at full carb count to help you understand about slowing weight loss.

These are just another couple of examples among hundreds, maybe thousands, of posts where Kimmer encourages dieters to eat less. Oh, and did you catch the little dig at the dieter seeking Kimmer's advice? "Mentally, you've got to be on board [with water fasting]." In other words, it's easy for Heidi to water fast because she's got the mental toughness to make it work.

Just know this: If you are considering joining Kimkins, this is the kind of lame, dangerous advice you'll be spending $80 to get from a woman who was caught with an open container of sugar cookies in her car during a news story last fall concerning the lawsuit she faces. That's right! Diaz faces a class-action lawsuit for using phony success stories, including her own, to sell Kimkins to an unsuspecting dieting public.

Do yourself a favor: DON'T DO KIMKINS. Don't pay Heidi Diaz $80 to tell you how to live on just a few hundred calories per day! There are many healthy, delicious low-carb plans that you can do, and you will lose. You don't have to starve!

P.S. Sorry to leave you hanging, Kat. I'm a busy gal!

A Blast From the Past, part I

Since discovering that Heidi Diaz and her Kimkins diet plan is a complete fraud, from time to time I go back and search the advice peddled by "Kimmer" at Low Carb Friends. I always find something jaw-dropping.

For years Kimmer (Heidi) masqueraded as woman who had lost around 200 lbs. using her combo Atkins-Stillman's diet dubbed Kimkins. She also claimed at LCF to be an expert on water fasting, claiming it not only helps one shed pounds quickly, but provides a state of mental clarity and a feeling of euphoria.

Pardon me, but what a load of it!

Currently, even while facing a class-action lawsuit connected to her actions at Kimkins, Kimmer is still giving out questionable and even dangerous diet advice. And, while she maintains a knowledgeable facade of dieting expertise, she is in fact a morbidly obese woman who has NEVER lost a significant amount of weight. Just consult the recent photos posted at Amyb's blog, or ask Heidi's family.

The following is an exchange from June of 2006 at LCF between an actual medical professional - which Heidi is NOT - and Heidi's online persona Kimmer. This is just one of numerous examples where Kimmer pushes the idea that eating 500 calories a day is perfectly acceptable as a safe and healthy diet.

06-03-2006, 04:54 PM
Originally Posted by XXXX Actually,
very obese people can and do die from starvation and malnutrition. I've seen it
happen countless times over the years. Especially true in the past couple years
with the increased popularity of bariatric surgery. I work in a specialty
hospital...we function as an ICU step down unit. We've had a lot of bariatric
surgeries gone wrong. People who can't eat at all for a period of time after
surgery, or can't keep any food down, get infections, massive wounds, and die
from complications because they become extremely malnourished in a very short
period of time and can't recover and heal from the infections and wounds. Some
die from the "electrolyte imbalances" as well. It's hard to imagine 300, 400,
500, etc lb. people being malnourished but it happens all the time. Once that
vicious cycle is recognized it is often too late. Many people do not
recover, even with appropriate nutritional intervention.

Kimmer responds:
I don't want to detract your experience. But if you consider that non-bariatric surgery people go on "water only" fasts for months on end without dying, my guess would be infections and massive wound could account for a degree.Let's also include the Optifast, Medifast, Slimfast and other "shake" patients who don't die. Why not? 500 calories is 500 calories, right? I don't want to comment on your hospital and its practices. I believe the death statistics for bariatic surgery is 1%. That's 1 out of every 100 weight loss surgery patients your hospital has. If more than that someone should look into it.Let's say people don't have bariatic surgery. Who's tracking the heart disease, diabetic and other morbid obesity related deaths? I would also gather that since insurance companies, experts in risk management, continue to approve and pay for bariatic surgery, either the statistics are skewed or hospitals are in collusion. Last edited by Kimmer : 06-03-2006 at 05:01 PM.

(Bolding mine for emphasis)

From what I gathered, this person was trying to lend her expertise to the questionable advice Kimmer was giving out at LCF and got shot down.

As most any former member of Kimkins knows, disagreeing with Kimmer about anything often led to a sudden banning and a loss of the "lifetime" membership so many had paid $60-$80 to get.

But, many people disagree with Heidi Diaz' advice and believe her Kimkins diet program is dangerous. And, we will keep on disagreeing until the Kimkins website is nothing more than a 404 error message. Count on it.

Self-Sabotage: Have Another Heapin' Helpin'...

Over the years Heidi Diaz ,of Kimkins infamy, has written a lot about self-sabotage when it comes to dieting.

Question is: Who's zoomin' who on this front, Heidi??

Diaz is facing a class-action lawsuit for selling starvation and calling it a diet plan. Still giving out all kinds of dangerous and misleading diet advice, she has placed yet another article on line. The article is nothing more than a viral marketing technique to sell memberships to Kimkins at close to $80 bucks a pop. By the way, Kimmer, as she is known to millions of dieters, has used other questionable techniques to sell her diet such as taking photos off of Eastern European mail-order bride sites and using them to back up fake Kimkins success stories.

So, the latest version of an article by Kimmer was posted this week on a free hosting site. In it, Heidi is singing the same old tune about sabotaging one's own diet:

How many times have we started a new diet with the very best of
intentions? We know we picked a good program, we’re excited, we’ve stocked up on
the essentials. We might even manage to do well for a few days.Then the shoe
falls. Our resolve wanders. We almost look for an excuse to cheat. You ask yourself, “Why?”You know that 14 strong days as free of temptation as possible will garner you the best chance of weight loss success....Yeah that was the promise, but it didn’t quite turn out that way. Yet again....Take comfort in knowing that your dieting sisters and brothers are joining you world over.
From: What’s Up With Diets and Self Sabotage? — by HEIDI DIAZ - posted 10-8-2008

But, wait just a low-carb minute! If Heidi knows SO much about dieting, why does she look like this still?


This picture of Heidi is about a year old, but this picture is very similar to more recent pictures of Heidi from a deposition and ones taken by fellow anti-Kimkins blogger Amyb.

It's not as if Kimmer hasn't been at this whole dieting and handing out dieting advice thing for a while now.

In fact, she was preaching this same stuff in a post from 2004 at Low Carb Friends.

Posted at Low Carb Friends by Kimmer, 10-07-2004, 11:54 PM

I wasn't tempted during my weight loss phase because I was super paranoid
about not cheating. I know from experience what gets me started with my excuses
... 'just one is OK', 'well, I already had one so I may as well eat more and
start over tomorrow', 'I've been really careful for 8 days so ...'If I were 22 I
may not know myself well enough. I might think I'm strong enough to stop before
I start. I'm 46 and beyond the stage of fooling myself. I've always stayed as
low carb as I could ... all the way to 318 lbs ... but interpretation is in the
eyes (and stomach) of the beholder. It took about 10 years to finalize the ins
& outs of my best "Kimkins" low carb [plan]

So, Heidi is still peddling the same old advice trying to sell memberships to Kimkins for $79.99.

Save your money folks. At best, the dieting advice you'll find on Kimkins won't work and at worst: IT'S DOWNRIGHT DANGEROUS. Yes, some people have lost weight on Kimkins, but most have paid for that loss by damaging their health. Kimkins is a VLCD and can make you dizzy, cause significant hairloss, and if done long enough can lead to far more severe health problems.

Just because someone has been handing out advice for a while doesn't make them an expert. Heidi Diaz at Kimkins is only an expert at one thing - taking your money.

Find yourself an effective low carb diet like Atkins or Protein Power and a free support group like Low Carb Friends.

All the best!!

And the Lies Just Keep on Comin'....

Well, by now, most of the anti-Kimkins bloggers have had their say on Heidi Diaz' ridiculous counter-suit. It's laughable on so many levels. There is plenty of evidence to show that Heidi Diaz is a liar. Her diet program "Kimkins" amounts to starvation. She's used dozens of photos stolen off mail-order bride websites to create her "success" stories, and the list goes on and on and on. Hey, Heidi...here's a little tip for you: It isn't against the law to speak the truth. You might want to give it a try sometime.

So, here I sit at my computer, and my fabulous inside Kimkins source sends me something amusing from inside the Kimpound. And, what do you know?? We've caught Heidi in yet another lie. Here's a message Heidi posted recently to a KK member who was the victim of a burglary. Notice how Heidi ALWAYS turns everything into being about her!

XXXX - Wowowow! Double hugs for you and the family!!! What a crummy thing and so violating. We had something similar a few years ago when I had a house full of foster kids. The burglars woke us up and scared the boys to death. The
robbers ran and I wasn't going to call the police until morning since they would
be long gone. But I called anyway and within 7 minutes I got a call from the
dispatcher that the K-9 police dog had the burglars pinned at the back security
gate. I was in shock they were caught so quick and that I got most of my purse
stuff back (sprinkled through the apartment complex). The DA was super nice and
kept me updated throughout the proceedings. The guys were 3rd Strike offenders
and shoplifted at our Wal Mart the week before. The worst part?
According to the DA the burglars knew they were stealing from foster kids and that we had XBox, Nintendo & games for the boys. Took all the kids'
tech stuff, but left 2 computers that were in plain view.Sorry, XXXX, my
reminiscing doesn't help you. But I know exactly how you feel this morning. Let
me know if I can help.

Ooops! According to infomation found by blogger Kimkins Dangers who talked to officials in Riverside, CA where Heidi lives, she has not been a foster parent since the year 2000. Guess what? According to the Associated Press, the Xbox was first released in 2001.

AP Online 10-17-2001 Microsoft Announces Xbox Release Date
SEATTLE (AP) -- Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox will be available in Europe March 14 and will cost about $435 at current exchange rates. The software giant, which will be making its first foray into video game hardware with the console, said Wednesday it expects to ship 1.5 million Xbox units to Europe for the release. The company previously announced it would delay its U.S. release to Nov. 15...

So, unless you've figured out that whole time-travel thing, Heidi, I'd say you've been caught in another lie. What a surprise.

Maybe if Heidi wins her countersuit against the anti-Kimkins crowd, she can use her earnings to buy some golden arches for her yard with sign on them that says "over one billion lies told."

Sounds about right.

Cookie Monster??

For those of you familiar with Dr. Mercola's fine health newsletter know it's always a treat when it arrives in your inbox. For those who don't know, Dr. Mercola is popular with the low-carbers of the world for his recognition that the standard food pyramid is just plain wrong.

The standard food pyramid allows someone to fill their plates with all manner of processed foods, while conforming to a diet sanctioned by doctors and nutritionists everywhere. But, now a colleague of Dr. Mercola's shows that food additives and sugar can turn someone into a beast.

• Food additives and poor diet could help explain poor school performance, criminal behavior, alcoholism, and the growing numbers of Alzheimer's patients.
  According to Dr. Russell Blaylock, high sugar content and starchy carbohydrates lead to excessive insulin release, which in turn leads to falling blood sugar levels, or hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia causes the brain to secrete glutamate in levels that can cause agitation, depression, anger, anxiety, panic attacks and an increase in suicide risk.
  The glutamate that causes this is identical to the flavor-enhancing monosodium glutamate (MSG) and its chemical cousins, which are found in thousands of food products, further exacerbating the problem.
  Repeated hypoglycemic episodes increase the risk of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's and ALS (Lou Gehrig's). In children, hypoglycemia often leads to hyperactivity. In both children and adults, it can cause violent and aggressive behavior. In older people, there can be mental confusion.
  An anti-hypoglycemic diet would consist of lean meat and lots of fresh vegetables. Another key is limiting sugars and starches. Source: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/07/29/what-s-in-that-how-food-affects-your-behavior.aspx?source=nl

Perhaps this explains some of the things Heidi Diaz has done over the past years. Diaz has been doling out dangerous diet advice at her Kimkins website and now faces yet another deposition in a pending lawsuit.

Perhaps she can use the the video evidence gathered against her in her defense now. She can point to the open pak of sugar cookies in her car and tell the judge, "Your honor, the cookies made me do it."

Here's hoping that's the best defense Heidi can manage.

Low Carb and High Minded

Just over a year ago, I began a new lifestyle. A low-carb lifestyle. So far, I've learned quite a bit about myself and about others. Even though some of the lessons have been tough, I am realizing those tough lessons have made me a stronger person. A person who is willing to stand up for herself and do what I see as the right thing, no matter what the cost.

By examining all the lies, cons and the overwhelming level of narcissism displayed by Heidi Diaz of Kimkins diet infamy, I am reminded how important it is to be above-board and play by the rules. True, it is easy to pretend to be something you are not on the Internet, Heidi is a prime example. She's a 300+lbs. bald woman who used bits and pieces of various low-carb diet programs to create a dangerous, starvation diet plan she calls Kimkins. It is well-documented that she did so by pretending to be a svelte 118 lbs. woman who claimed to have lost close to 200 lbs. in about 11 months using her own program.

It may be easy to pretend to be something you're not on the Internet, but it's also easy to get caught. And, while Heidi or Kimmer as she calls herself is being sued, we don't know yet whether or not she'll pay for her crimes. One thing is certain, Kimkins will NEVER again be the thriving diet website it was this time last year.

I was one of the many who signed up for Kimkins and blindly followed her advice. Fortunately, I kept searching for answers to my long struggle with weight and found a lot of people who were already on to Heidi's games. I read the message boards; I read their blogs, and I learned. I not only learned to face that I had been conned, I learned to forgive myself, be strong, and walk away from Kimkins.

I've now had to walk away from one of the anti-Kimkins groups. See, it is more important to me to stand up for what I believe is right, than to knuckle under to popular opinion. I never have been one to follow the crowd.

A little background: I don't fully understand it myself, but one of this group I've chosen to remove myself from, I now know to be one of the anti-KK bloggers. Several months ago, she took a few swipes at me and was quite ugly to me. Why? I haven't the foggiest clue. Later, when she got duped by one of the minor villains in the Heidi saga, I defended her. Not so she'd be my bud, but because I felt it was the right thing to do. I had been duped by Heidi (which this blogger wasn't and was never a KK member) so I knew how it felt to get suckered. Nothing more was said between us and I quit trying to learn who this blogger is or why she disliked me so much. I had NO clue this person was masquerading at LCF since F.W.Kimmer #14 and another anti-KK message board and being quite friendly to me. Oh and we also belonged to a small Yahoo! group together as well.

Anyway, flash forward to a few days ago. This blogger did something I found to be distasteful and unethical. First, I went to her blog and made a comment about it. Secondly, as the information she placed on her blog was lifted verbatim from the alternate anti-KK board, I placed a few messages there saying I thought it was wrong. The information in question was found and placed there by a dear friend of mine IRL who was and is quite upset about this. Long story short: Two other prominent bloggers who started this board turned on me like a pack of she-wolves. We couldn't even agree to disagree. And, I have irrefutable proof that the post was stolen verbatim. Still they say I am wrong to call her on it and that I need to drop it.

Just because I chose to stand up for what I believe in my heart to be right, people I thought were friends have turned on me in a vicious and ugly manner. They have gone so far as to insinuate that I am a back-stabber and frequently talk about other Ducks behind their backs. This is not true. I am a good person, loyal, and will stand up for what I believe in no matter what. It is how I want to be treated and how I treat others. Period.

During this whole scene straight out of " Jr. High School Musical" one of these prominent bloggers accidentally revealed to me the identity of the original blogger who attacked me months ago. I promised her before she completely turned on me that I would not reveal this blogger's true identity. No matter what this person and her friend have said about me, I won't reveal this person's secret. Two wrongs really can't ever make a right.

I'm going to do the right thing, keep fighting to shut down Kimkins, and stay true to the strong, decent person that I truly am. I didn't let the likes of Heidi Diaz shake my faith in myself, and I won't let ANYONE else do so either.

I am Mayberryfan, and I approve this message!

Trickin' Chicken?

Is the magic gone from the infamous Magic Chicken diet?

According to one of it's most ardent supporters, it just might be. You may remember Suzy351. Suzy is the gal who tried her darndest to keep the forum alive at the MCD site, but it has flatlined. And, it's so-called leader Bonnie Luper is no where to be found. The "support" Suzy and a few others paid Bonnie Luper for, well it simply doesn't exist.

Magic? No. Tragic? A definite yes!

Take a look at the latest message posted by Suzy over at the Magic Chicken Diet forum. The quote from Suzy is typed in below since the screen grab isn't clear.

Suzy said: "Ive asked for my money back several times. They just ignore me. Is this what they call support? I don't think so. There's no support here. There's no
community. The board is still messed up. I have to log back in every time just
about I go to a different screen. None of the admin will do anything about it.
Wheres the free website they promised? This is the wrost website I ever seen.
Give me my money back. And you call yourself a Christin Bonnie Luper. You should
be ashamed."

In other words, Suzy is pissed, and she's not gonna take it anymore!! Way to go Suzy. Step up and let everyone know that just because you've bought a service on the internet, and definitely did NOT get what you paid for, does not mean you're going to slink off into cyberspace, never to be heard from again. Bonnie Luper owes you a refund. Pure and simple.

See, this is why I and several other bloggers have been following the MCD story. Just like Kimkins, and it's obese, never-lost-an-ounce creator Heidi "Kimmer" Diaz, Bonnie Luper's so-called magic diet is dangerously low in fat, carbs, and calories. Such diets encourage eating disordered behavior and are DANGEROUS to stay on for any length of time.

The dangers of VLCD - very low calorie diets - are hair loss, heart palpitations, muscle mass loss (including your heart), dizziness, fainting, general malnutrition and a variety of other problems. For a sobering look at what can happen to you when you don't eat, surf over to Medusa's blog and look at the stuff she's written on anorexia. It's scary to say the least.

In fact, there is a rumor going around that the reason Bonnie has been absent from her own website for so long is that she had a heart attack. While I certainly hope it's not true, it would fit the pattern of someone who followed such a drastic diet and lost more than 100 lbs. in just a few months. Bonnie actually has lost a tremendous amount of weight. We just hope she can recover and find a healthy way to eat low-carb like Atkins or Protein Power. We also hope Bonnie has learned that putting people's health at risk just to make a buck isn't right, by any standards.

By the way, Kimmer of Kimkins infamy NEVER lost weight on her starvation diet, and she doesn't appear to have a heart, so no worries there. The latest on her is she's using every stall tactic she can to try and fight the class-action lawsuit she's facing because the facts are not on her side. She has also stooped low enough to use some deeply personal information against two of her former dieters, seeking revenge because they've learned the TRUTH about her. One of these people has a son who is severely disabled, another is struggling through fertility treatments trying to have a child. Heidi has made it a point to blame the disabled child's mother for his issues, and sent a message of congratulations to the infertile couple claiming to think they had recently had a baby.

There is no one lower than Heidi Diaz, folks. NO ONE.

For anyone at Kimkins or the Magic Chicken Diet websites, contact the Better Business Bureau, the California Attorney General (Kimkins) or the Texas Attorney General (MCD) and make yourself heard. You have rights. And you have definitely been wronged.

Kimkins Member Wrestles with Major Issues

As a former journalist, I don't take kindly to sensationalizing the news. But, there is so much that is so over the top about the Kimkins diet and its obese guru Heidi Diaz, it's hard to write about it and NOT sound as though your sensationalizing.

An inside source at Kimkins sent me a couple of passages from a member journal. It is full of pain, and overwhelming issues. So, I've been wondering if publishing it is the right thing to do.

I do NOT want to sensationalize, and therefore trivialize what this woman is going through.

But, I feel her words give important insight into the mental issues that can arise from trying to conform to a starvation diet like Kimkins. I hope that by shining a light on this situation, it may help others to face their eating disordered behavior.

Kimkins member journal:

I recently joined a 12 step program for people married
to addicts of any kind and this is one of the things that started me realizing
that I have problems too. Also my doctor came right out and told me she thinks I
need to be on Wellbutrin and that I have an ED. So where does that leave me? I'm
not taking the antidepressant. Leaves me dealing with the truth and "taking it
one day at a time" to admit what I have been thinking and doing is not good.In
taking a moral inventory and also admitting the exact nature of my wrongs
(against myself really) I will now admit for the first time ever in public that
I have been binging and purging. Only I don't throw up. I take lots of
laxatives. LOTS. I learned this a couple years ago when Miralax came out. I have
this fear of being constipated, it makes me physically ill and panicky. Also, I
have this weird thing in my head that when I *say* I'm going to watch my
calories, it's like it turns on a Super Hunger switch inside my head. When I
*say* I'm going to exercise I feel weak and tired and never do it. It's like I
make myself sick just thinking about it. I hope anyone reading this won't judge
me too harshly. It doesn't sound like anyone could judge her as harshly as she is judging herself! Admitting this is hard. My heart even now is pounding so hard
and my face is red, I can feel it. I wonder if others get physical signs like
this? But I know if I want to get better I have to.Did I ever go off Kimkins?
Well yes, a little bit but I haven't gained the weight back too bad because the
truth is I pretty much eat K/E all the time with the occasional salad thrown in.
I recently realized that XXXX left here but I was trying to cycle like she
did with Atkins. Then is when I began seeing some of my issues. Another thing I find hard to maintain is eating several square meals a day. I tend to starve
myself and then overeat. I rationalized this by saying it all balanced out in
the end calorie wise. Ok that's all for now. If I can come in here and say all
this on a regular basis maybe I can get on a journey towards healing.

Kimmer wrote: Hi XXX! When you were diagnosed were you given recommendations? That would be the first place to start. Did you doctor recommend a different weight loss program? Therapy or support groups? Don't feel down on yourself. If you consider that every obese person has an eating disorder as defined with an unhealthy relationship with food. Whether lacking the control to avoid foods that are harmful, purging foods out of guilt or being unable to limit quantities. In other words, it's NOT your fault, eh Heidi?? Some might call it addiction. Whatever it is, many of us are there.Some consider it a control issue -- either lack of control or super obsessive control. Others find diets with liberal guidelines most beneficial. Some people find a restrictive diet helpful which is the basis for medically prescribed liquid diets or gastric surgery. Glad to have you back!

From XXX
-Thank you for commenting. I have been trying to get my nerve up for days to PM
you but I'm just too what...nervous? WHY?? Aren't you paying her for support? Why on earth would you worry about PM'ing Kimmer?? Sorting it all out I think, but you know, admitting this is so hard.She didn't give me much other than a handout. See, also she is a diabetic doctor (I'm prediabetic and just started on metformin a
few months ago trying to avoid full blown type II) and so of course we get into
food questions. She is pretty much in favor of low carb so that's good, but she wants me to make an appt with a nutritionist. Well, thank heavens!For some reason THAT freaks me out. Why?For what you said, yes, I seem to go back and forth between obsessive control (starving) and getting too hungry, binging and then, well you have to get rid of all that. (sorry, TMI). What is weird is like I said before. I have thought this was normal for a long time. Admitting it's not is just, strange. thanks again for your comments This poor girl is totally out of control where food is concerned, she had no idea that she's doing a dangerous diet that is not helping, but contributing to her issues with food.

From the Kimmer:
XXXX, there's nothing to get your nerve up about, I'm always available and I won't judge. People share their most intimate secrets with me and I'm honored. It sure makes it easier to use people and lie to them when they tell me exactly what they're thinking! Which eating disorder did she diagnose? Bulimia or a combo? She gave you a pamphlet and that was it??? Do you have a follow up appointment? Did she set goals? Keeping in mind that I'm not a therapist or doctor, the root of eating disorders and our relationship with food and body image is very complex. Shazam, call Mike Wallace - Heidi just told the truth for once!! There's a triangle of guilt, hate & shame that's really difficult to overcome on your own. You might want to look for someone to talk to. If you have insurance they probably have a referral source for mental
health. If you don't, check out your community or county health department for
sliding fee scale resources and clinics.What I do know is anything done in
secret is done in shame ... and that's not good. Whether binging, purging,
drinking, drugs or shopping sprees that are hidden from spouses. I think meeting
with a nutritionist is a good idea. Most aren't supportive of very low carb
diets (they're trained on the USDA food pyramid), but maybe a less restrictive
weight loss plan is better for your situation? Doesn't hurt to chat with her and
get a different viewpoint. If you feel strongly that you want to stay with
Kimkins, ask her if she can modify for you Why modify Kimmer? Haven't you said that your diet is just like those doctor-approved plans for WLS patients?? (chances are it will be higher carb like South Beach, but that's fine).Your relationship with food and your self image is what's at stake. I'm very proud of you for having the courage to publicly post. That took a lot of guts.

People like this are why I and so many others keep on fighting Heidi Diaz. She must be stopped. This woman is so overwhelmed with her life, I seriously doubt she knows anything of the controversy surrounding this diet. I cannot quit until Heidi Diaz can no longer dispense her insane diet advice and her false friendship to people who are hurting like this woman is.

It is my sincere hope that she gets the help she needs to be whole, healthy and happy again. One thing is certain: Heidi is looking at this woman's problems as an opportunity for her to further the fraud that is Kimkins. Heidi isn't that nice to anyone without expecting a huge payoff in return!

Vegas, baby! Hey Heidi, I wanna help you out!

Well, in spite of my generous offer last week to help Heidi Diaz make the Kimkins meet and greet in Las Vegas this summer, I haven't heard from her.

Does this mean she doesn't want the free trip?? Maybe, she of all people, recognizes the free trip offer for the spam that it is. Very perceptive, Heidi!

Okay. But, I REALLY want you to be able to make that trip, Kimmer. What better way to show your dieters at Kimkins what the truth really is?? Hmmmm?

So, I'm going to make you another, generous offer. I will reimburse you for your fuel costs for going to Las Vegas to meet with your dieters. See, from where you live, the trip just isn't that far!

Even at the going rate of about $.50 per mile, the cost of driving round-trip to Las Vegas for Kimmer will only be about $245. I'm SURE we can come up with the cash for reimbursement.

Let's see, how much is $245 anyway?? That's just 3.064 Kimkins memberships at $79.95 a pop.

So, while I'm certain you COULD pay to go to Las Vegas, I'm just as certain that you WON'T. Why is that??

Going to Las Vegas and facing those people whom you've conned, fleeced, scammed, etc., means facing the music and that's something you just aren't going to do. Willingly, that is.

I feel truly sorry for those who think they're going to get to meet you in Las Vegas; for those who believe you give a damn about their weight, their health, their hair! I feel sorry for them because I was one of them. I believed you were trying to help me and that I was lucky to have found someone who understood my struggle to lose weight. Wow. Was I wrong, or what??

Now I know it was just my money that you cared about. Nothing, NOTHING more. Just another means to buy sugar cookies, booze and pay for your internet service to keep the scam going.

Anyone who is considering doing Kimkins or going on the trip, please ask yourself why?! You don't have to explain it to me. Just try, in the face of all the evidence against Heidi "Kimmer" Diaz would you believe one thing the woman says?? WHY?

She isn't your friend. She isn't struggling to lose weight with you, okay? She just wants your money, then she's done. If you want to go to Las Vegas this summer, by all means, GO! But don't do so in hopes of meeting Kimmer. She won't be there. She can't be there. She cannot face you looking like she does in this picture. The real Kimmer is nothing that she claims to be.

But, my offer is quite genuine, HKD. Send me those receipts, and I'll cough up the cash.

My only question is, what excuse will you use now for not showing? The truth? That WOULD be fun, but I highly DOUBT it!

I'm Feeling Generous

Several members of the Kimkins diet website are planning a meet-n-greet in Las Vegas this summer. And, Heidi "Kimmer" Diaz has promised to show up. I've got news for the gals who are planning to head for the strip - even if you look good in blue, please don't hold your breath!

Kimmer WON'T be there. She'll have some sort of emergency which will, regretfully of course, cause her to cancel.

But, I want to help. I'm offering Kimmer the "free" trip to Las Vegas that I keep receiving in my email. No strings attached. I'll forward it right to you.

See, I don't want her to have any "excuses" such as the repairman says I need a new hot-water heater and there goes my trip fund. Sorry gals, have good time anyway.

Or, I finally had to break down and buy my son Brandon a bed. Cannot afford to do both. Sorry.

How about this one? My poor overworked tech guys deserve a bonus, and I just can't live with myself if I go to Vegas for fun knowing they're still there, behind the screen, making Kimkins run for all of you. Stay on plan and be sure to post pictures when you get back!

So, Heidi, I hope you will decide to use the free trip. Go to Las Vegas and let your dieters see who you really are. See what you really are. Let them ask you questions like - why isn't the Kimkins diet working for you now? If you've really lost 50-100 lbs. several times during your life, how fast did you gain it back? Why won't you address the medical problems people who've done your diet have had? Where in the hell did you get the idea that eating 500 calories a day is fine as long as you are fat - you body will automatically take the extra calories needed from storage? Why do you persist in saying there is no such thing as "starvation mode" when many studies show there is such a thing and trained medical professionals say the same.

No, you don't have the guts to face those people, do you Heidi? You are a bully and deep down, all bullies are just cowards. Once your members have paid for their Kimkins memberships, that's all you care about.

Well, you may not be generous, but I am. I'd also like to offer you the winnings I keep getting from the U.K. lottery, the money left to me by a long-lost relative in Africa, some great online pharmacy deals and that penis enlargement I keep hearing about.

But, wait, there's more!

Soon, you will be the guest of the State of California, and get a brand new wardrobe. But, you will have to pay for these accommodations, and pay dearly.

Dear Fairy Godmother...My first wish is......

By now it's clear I'm no fan of the "lying liar that lies" Heidi Diaz. I believe the evidence gathered around the internet by a fabulous flock of Ducks shows that Heidi Diaz, aka Kimmer of Kimkins infamy set out to line her pockets and enjoy the pain she's inflicted on others with the starvation that is the Kimkins diet plan.

Knowing that, and believing that Kimmer will eventually face criminal charges, in addition to the civil liability suit for fraud and other crimes she's already facing, I want to ask my Fairy Godmother (if I have one) to grant me this wish:

Upon conviction for her crimes, please remand Heidi Diaz to the custody of my hero Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Arizona. Here are just of few of Sheriff Joe's accomplishments and I heartily applaud him for each and every one!

*Maricopa County was spending approx. $18 million dollars a year on strayanimals, like cats and dogs. Sheriff Joe offered to take the department over, and the County Supervisors said okay.The animal shelters are now all staffed and operated by prisoners. They feed and care for the strays. Every animal in his care is taken out and walked twice daily.He now has prisoners who are experts in animal nutrition and behavior. Theygive great classes for anyone who'd like to adopt an animal. He has literally taken stray dogs off the street, given them to the care of prisoners, and had them place in dog shows.The best part? His budget for the entire department is now under $3 million. Most of his budget is for utilities, building maintenance, etc. He pays the prisoners out of the fees collected for adopted animals.

*He has a huge farm, donated to the county years ago, where inmates can work, and they grow most of their own fresh vegetables and food, doing all the work and harvesting by hand.He has a pretty good sized hog farm, which provides meat, and fertilizer. It fertilizes the Christmas tree nursery, where prisoners work, and you can buy a living Christmas tree for $6 - $8 for the holidays, and plant it later.

*He created the Tent City Jail.

*He has jail meals down to 40 cents a serving and charges the inmates for them.

*He stopped smoking and porno magazines in the jails and took away their weights.

*Cut off all but 'G' movies.

*He started chain gangs so the inmates could do free work on county and city projects. Then he started chain gangs for women so he wouldn't get sued for discrimination.

*He took away cable TV until he found out there was A Federal Court Order that required cable TV for jails. So he hooked up the cable again with two channels: The Disney Channel and The Weather Channel.

*He cut off coffee since it has zero nutritional value. When the inmates complained, he told them, "This isn't theRitz/Carlton.....if you don't like it, don't come back!"

*He bought Newt Gingrich's lecture series on videotape that he pipes into thejails. When asked by a reporter if he had any lecture series by a Democrat, he replied that a democratic lecture series might explain why a lot of the inmates were in his jails in the first place.

*With temperatures being even hotter than usual in Phoenix, he has about 2,000 inmates living in a barbed-wire-surrounded tent encampment at the Maricopa County Jail. When the inmates called this treatment inhumane, Arpaio replied, "It's 120 degrees in Iraq and our soldiers are living in tents too; and they have to wear full battle gear. But they didn't commit any crimes. So shut your mouths!"

*By the way, he was reelected last year with 83% of the vote.

So, dear Fairy Godmother, I think Sheriff Arpaio has a lot to teach Heidi Diaz about the proper way to behave, and how to WORK to actually earn a living, rather than lying to people to earn one. Tough love you might call it.

Now, for my second wish...........

Newsflash: Ducky's Identity Discovered!

Which duck is Ducky?

Like any good melodrama, the Kimkins saga has it share of villains, victims, do-gooders, and shady characters. The main storyline - morbidly obese woman masquerades online as diet guru and makes a fortune - is compelling all on its own. But, some of the subplots are almost as compelling. One of those, has been the identity of anti-Kimkins blogger affectionately known as Ducky.

Now, I'm here to tell you with 99% certainty that I have found out who Ducky is. The only thing I need is confirmation from her to settle that 1% doubt in my mind.

Am I going to reveal Ducky's identity? Hmmm. I don't know. That's the simple answer - for now. I can think of many good reasons why Ducky has never revealed herself. Perhaps she doesn't want to incur the considerable wrath of Heidi Diaz. We've seen the nasty, vicious, and cut out of whole cloth lying attacks Heidi has perpetrated on some of the lawsuit principles like Christin Sherburne and Trista Essex. (Keep going gals, you're doing GREAT!)

Even attacking a former Kimkins member and questioning the nature of her son's disabilities - our friend Amyb over at Food for Thought http://amyb1569.wordpress.com/ - isn't too low for Heidi to stoop.

So, is it this kind of thing that keeps Ducky's identity a secret? Is it fun being the object of so much speculation? Or, is it a desire to help the cause and not take any "extra credit" for the work done by so many to bring down Kimkins? Only Ducky can answer those questions.

So, here's the plan: Ducky, I'd LOVE to hear from you. My email address is available here on CDLW. I also plan to contact you through you new blog which has NOTHING to do with dieting, scams or Heidi and everything to do with your life, family, and other interests outside of this whole effort to rid the low-carb world of the lying liar that lies - Heidi.

I'd love to hear from you. That would be, well, just Ducky!

A Fox in the Magic Hen House?

This is a warning for anyone who has dared to sign up for a completely free forum known as the Magic Chicken Diet Forum - the MCD diet creator Bonnie Luper is P.O. and she's not going to take it anymore!

Strange, though, since she claims that she created the Magic Chicken Diet after talking things over with the big guy upstairs who just wants her to help people. Does he also want you to charge $70 to belong to a FREE forum? That's odd!

My dear friend Jackie was astonished to learn that Bonnie would be upset by people joining her free forum, but not paying $70 to learn how to starve themselves via the Magic Chicken Diet. After all, can't you starve yourself for free? So, Jackie was kind enough to send me the following shot of Bonnie Luper's free forum. After all, there are some great, free diet advice and support sites out there like Low Carb Friends.

Judge for yourself if Bonnie is doing the "Christian" thing by spreading her diet advice.

http://s249.photobucket.com/albums/gg235/Mayberryfan/?action=view&current=Warning_MCD.jpg

The Puppet Master

Anyone who is familiar with the Kimkins diet scam saga, and the growing suspicions about the Magic Chicken Diet will find this Savage Chicken cartoon particularly hilarious.



Former Kimkins admin turned witness for the prosecution Jeannie "Tippy Toes" Baitinger has talked about Heidi Diaz' use of "sock puppet" members at Kimkins. Over the past few days, former Kimkins member Amyb has shown proof that current Kimkins admin Singinglass - Delaney Deaver - has used at least one other name when posting at Kimkins. So, any real members left at Kimkins never know if they're talking to a real dieter, or just an alter-ego of Heidi's.


Sad, right?


Now, members of the low-carb community are buzzing about the possibilty that the Magic Chicken Diet and it's "creator" Bonnie Luper are just the latest parts of Heidi "Kimmer" Diaz' con game. While we know that Bonnie is a real person - who actually lost weight, unlike Heidi - the question remains: Is Heidi Bonnie's puppet master?


See, the Magic Chicken Diet ain't exactly magic. Starvation will cause you to lose weight - along with your hair, muscle tissue and your overall sense of well-being. But, unlike Heidi Diaz or Bonnie Luper, I won't ask you to take my word for it. Google the term "very low calorie diet" or VLCD and read the information for yourself.


Is there a link between The Magic Chicken Diet and Heidi Diaz - who is facing a class-action lawsuit and possible criminal fraud charges because of her actions at Kimkins? That remains to be seen. What we do know is this: The MCD is as nutritionally bankrupt as the Kimkins diet plan.

So, here's a word to the wise dieter - Don't pay for any plan online until you've had a chance to look at what you are buying. There are so many FREE support sites and doctor-approved plans that you can get for little or no money.


When it comes to online diet advice, you often DON'T get what you pay for. And you may pay a price that is far higher than the $70 Bonnie or Heidi will gladly take from your bank account while offering you a way to starve in return.

Abracadabra! Is the Texas AG already aware of the Magic Chicken Diet?

Once upon a time there was a woman named Bonnie Luper who claims she can solve your weight problem for $69.95 with a plan she calls The Magic Chicken Diet. But, this is no fairy tale. Seasoned low-carb dieters have been wondering where Bonnie, an insurance professional of some sort and candle supply store owner, got the medical expertise to advise others how to lose weight. Well, it seems that the Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has a warning for people who use the internet to solve health problems. A quick search of the Texas AG website: http://www.oag.state.tx.us/index.shtml has the following story as the LEAD item on it.

Consumer Alert: Check The Source Of Online Health Information
When it comes to something as important as health and wellness, Texans seeking more information should always consult their doctor or licensed healthcare professional. According to a recent Pew Internet and American Life Project study, every day an estimated eight million Americans search the Internet for health care information. But Texans should never solely rely on a Web site to diagnose or treat a serious illness. Equally important, Internet users should always pay close attention to their information source. Although many Web sites offer informative, helpful information about a variety of health and lifestyle issues, not every site can be trusted for accurate, factual material. Texans who consult the Internet for health care information should always pay close attention to who or what operates their favored Web sites.In some cases, what appears to be medically-oriented Web site may actually be an advertising tool for a third party with a financial incentive to exaggerate or downplay a product’s benefits or dangers. For example, Web-based law firm advertising is particularly common among Web sites that are dedicated to certain specific illnesses or prescription medications. In fact, a recent study revealed that Internet searches for medical information produced results that were “dominated by Web sites paid for and sponsored by either class action law firms or legal marketing sites searching for plaintiff referrals.”In contrast, an unbiased online information source might include a broader spectrum of data about a given subject matter. For example, Web sites created by reputable organizations like the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association often feature peer-reviewed medical journals and other impartial research sources. In addition, many government agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration, impose similarly rigorous standards upon any research included on their Web sites.But even trusted, verifiable online information cannot be relied upon to treat serious ailments or answer critical medical questions. Texans should always contact a licensed medical professional whenever their health is at risk. An in-person visit to a doctor’s office or local clinic is the best way to ensure patients are getting accurate information that is tailored to their unique health needs.Texans who have encountered misleading or deceptive medically-oriented Web sites may file a complaint with the Office of the Attorney General by calling (800) 252-8011 or visiting our Web site at http://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/.

NOTE: To Suzy - It's a free call. Just ask yourself if The Magic Chicken Diet has really given you your $69.95 worth as promised?