Things worth caring about, and things worth ignoring

It's difficult to search any "news" site or watch a "news" cast these days without seeing stories like these:

"Beyonce' and Jay-Z - married?"

"Angelina admits 'I'm pregnant'"

"Ashlee Simpson engaged and knocked up!"

"Britney Spears sneezes!"

Okay, I might have made up that last one. But it wouldn't really shock me to see that being reported as "news" even though the information lacks anything of any real newsworthy import. And, I'd just like to say to the news media: I DON'T CARE! Couldn't care less. Not interested, Shut up already!

You see these kinds of stories tick me off for two reasons: They aren't important and they take up valuable news time that could be devoted to more important stories like the on-going fraud that is Kimkins and the dangers of similar VLCD's like the tragic Magic Chicken Diet.

A former Kimkins administrator turned against the program, Deni Huttula, astutely pointed out not too long ago that there are still people out there who do not realize how very dangerous diets like Kimkins can be. Hair loss, nausea, dizzy spells, heart palpitations, loss of muscle mass and menstrual irregularities are just some of the problems one can have if following a program like Kimkins or the lesser-known Magic Chicken Diet.

Compare the pictures here of Heidi "Kimmer" Diaz and Bonnie Drusilla Luper. What do these two have in common? Well, they're both trying to be internet diet gurus. Each has a website promising a diet that will end your weight problems, supply you with tons of support for your weight loss journey, lifetime memberships, a $70-80 fee to join, and access to the diet guru for support. But, wait. There's more!

Both the Kimkins diet and the Magic Chicken diet are starvation diets that will deprive you of valuable nutrients, lead to muscle wasting and eating disordered behavior. And, if you order right now, you can be assured of getting a word or two from your diet guru of choice almost NEVER. Yep, that's right. All that "support" you're promised, well its about as hard to find as "legal" foods are on either diet program.

My spies inside Kimkins tell me that she rarely posts these days, and when she does, it's some form of snarky comment about someone eating too much salad and that's why they're not losing. As for my spies at the Magic Chicken Coop, they show that Bonnie has made about 50-60 posts total on her forum, whereas her most active member Suzy - who paid $79 for "support" - has close to 200 posts. Who's supporting whom here?

In fact, about the only thing Bonnie and Heidi do not share in common is that Bonnie has actually lost weight. Heidi Diaz, according to her family, has been heavy her entire life.

So, WHY on Earth would anyone still be paying either one of these women to help them lose weight? Perhaps they don't know any better. And, who's fault is that?

News media, do your job! Report on stories such as these that have real impact on people's lives. There used to be a clear line between real news and "infotainment" news. Not any more. It's a shame, too. The media wields enormous power to do good, and they know it. They just choose not to, for the most part.

And the media wonder why they are losing viewers and readers in droves?

Could it be many feel just like I do?