Where the City Meets the Country

Cities have typically been associated with authentic food and diversity. Today's suburbs are the new cities, only flattened and dispersed. They are the destination of immigrants, land of experimentation, incubator of invention. In that regard, Prince William County is as fine an example as any.

Yes, the farms and the county's former rural character are practically gone, and the vast majority of historic landmarks have been obliterated by development, but what is the nation about if not rejuvenation?

As in any growing area, there are many diversions. Music lovers can enjoy the Prince William Symphony and the Woodbridge Flute Choir. There are theater groups performing classic and contemporary plays. There is the Manassas National Battlefield Park to explore and the unusual Weems-Botts Museum in Dumfries, named for Mason Locke Weems, who popularized fictitious anecdotes about George Washington, and Benjamin Botts, noted for defending Aaron Burr.

For the sports-minded, there are fields, pools and opportunities galore. For exercise, try the slick new Freedom Aquatic and Fitness Center in Manassas. If you prefer golf, fairways abound.

For shopping, there is the singular experience of grabbing an Orange Julius and shuffling through the cavernous Potomac Mills Mall, a vast, warehouse-scale labyrinth of outlet stores in Woodbridge, home to $9.99 sweaters.

The most interesting thing about the county is the county itself, taken all together -- its odd juxtapositions and varied worlds. So grab some pupusas, drive around and just look through the windshield.

Go to the western end of the county, where sweeping developments such as Dominion Valley Country Club feel like so many theme parks and golf resorts out in the middle of nowhere.

Keep going west and enjoy the farmscape while you still can. Note the leftover scraps of older, rural communities without feeling nostalgic or sorry for people who have probably happily sold their land for a small fortune.

Then head to some neighborhood near Manassas and revel in the cultural diversity brought to this old Virginia burg by its new residents, who might hail from Mexico, El Salvador or Peru.

Drive east down Dumfries Road and into the massive Quantico Marine Corps Base, then up Route 1 to Cherry Hill Road, a shaded lane that winds alongside slanted and low-slung houses to the Potomac. Consider the river. Then go back to Route 1 and consider the river of cars -- and the wild and mighty landscape of strip malls and gas stations alongside it.

Much has been written about the image of Prince William County and how it's changing. Politicians like to emphasize such things as the $56 million performing arts center at George Mason University's Manassas campus. The center, styled after a famous European opera house, will surely be splendid and offer lots of cultural events.

Amid all these changes, the culture of Prince William County is broader and more dynamic than stages, restaurants or a sentimental version of history.

That culture includes the faux cupolas of Dominion Valley, which have their own authenticity in that they are an expression of the desires of people who live there. It includes the stuffed otter head in the shop next to Panino Ristorante and the man from Durango, Mexico, walking by in a white cowboy hat. There is much to do here, and much to see.

Related:

• Va
• LAKE MANASSAS - Real Estate Market Report for Friday, October 19, 2007
• Foreclosures for sale in Prince William County, VA, banked owned

The Right Breeder

Dogs are considered as man's best friend. Deciding to own one whether it is big or small involves a lot of responsibility. It is not just about feeding it but includes other chores such as grooming, watching its health and diet, cleaning up after it and most importantly, giving it some tender loving care. There are many places one can get a dog such as a kennel or the pet store but if one wants to get a pure bred animal, one must seek a reputable breeder to get the best results.

Finding the right breeder for the dog depends on the breed that one selects. Professional breeders do not breed frequently and will only do so when a pair is found to be healthy and temperament that will insure the birth of also healthy offspring. Breeders will also breed only when a sufficient number of homes have been evaluated and deemed appropriate.

Given that there is no standard as to what a standard breeder is, one should do research by asking people and interviewing as many breeders as possible before making a decision. There are many categories of the type of breeders in the market and by knowing which one is the best and understanding the consequences; this will make all the difference of the type of offspring that will be produced.

The ideal breeder should have the pair of dogs tested for every possible disease as well as have all the information regarding the pair's ancestors and health records on file. Should a breeder find no problem in the history of the pair, one must still ask details to be sure. This is one sign that shows the breeder the interest of a potential owner of such a magnificent and smart animal. One can also ask the people who have be given offspring's in the past to check if there were any problems since the breeder maintains a close relationship with these dog owners.

Reputable breeders have certain requirements that one must have before qualifying as a potential dog owner. These are usually in the form of written contracts or guarantees with a spay or neuter requirement that limits the registration of the puppies. This is done both for the protection of the owner as well to control a possible overpopulation problem.

The person who wants a dog must have a secured backyard and attend certain classes such a puppy kindergarten to be familiar with the challenges one will face come the time the dog has been given.

The requirements needed by the breeder is not to delay the process of giving one a dog but to ensure that the person is aware of what will happen as a dog owner and the responsibilities that come with it as well as make sure that the puppies will have good homes. This is what makes responsible breeders different from others who are not since these people are not concerned about the health or welfare of the dogs but are just in it to earn money.

Once a person is able to find the ideal breeder, the waiting does not end there. Since the demand for the breeder's dogs are well sought after due to the selective nature of the breeding practices, the newborn pups will still have to be raised with the breeder and will only be released when a number of pre-screened homes have been found. If one does the all the research, it is possible that one will qualify as part of that list.

One of the most critical factors in identifying a good breeder aside from the health and food given is the condition of the mother after birth and how well are the puppies taken cared of. The best way to do is if the breeder is just nearby so one can visit the place from time to time and monitor the condition of the puppies.

Another good quality of a responsible breeder is the voluntary assistance provided to the owners of the puppies. If the placement of the puppy did not work out as hoped with a certain owner, the breeder can require the person to return the puppy and provide it with a better home since the life of the puppies is the responsibility of the breeder throughout the dog's life.

Related:

• Curly Coated Retriever
• Komondor Dogs
• Tibetian Mastiff
• Tibetan Mastiff Dog

EU Food Supplements Directive Legal Challenge

"Mike you are a true American hero. All of us are lucky to have you out there not only fighting for our rights but protecting us, informing us, educating us and making it a better place to live." - Gregory Kunin, Principal, Ola Loa / DrinkYourVitamins.com

"Mike Adams has brought his towering intellect and uncompromising integrity to bear in this truly important work." - Jan Eastgate, International President, Citizens Commission on Human Rights International

European Court Announces Date of Ruling : EU Food Supplements Directive legal challenge (press release)

Print this article Link to this article

Highlight:

Consumers, practitioners, retailers and innovative food supplement companies came together in 2003 under the umbrella of the Alliance for Natural Health, to challenge the European Food Supplements Directive. This Directive, set to affect over 30% of Europeans who regularly consume food supplements, has the potential to ban some 75% of vitamin and mineral forms, especially those found naturally in foods, affecting around 5000 products in the UK alone.

The case was brought initially in the High Court in London in October 2003, and was successfully referred and expedited to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg in January 2004. Oral hearings were presented to the Court a year later, culminating in an Opinion from the Court's Advocate General, issued on 5 April this year.

The Advocate General, Leendert Geelhoed, declared in his Opinion that the Directive was fundamentally flawed, and contravened EU law. He concluded:

"...that the Directive infringes the principle of proportionality, because basic principles of Community law, such as the requirements of legal protection, of legal certainty and of sound administration have not been properly taken into account. The Directive is, therefore, invalid."

The European Court of Justice has now declared that the judgment, made by the thirteen Judges presiding over the case, will be handed down at 09:30 h on 12 July 2005, in the Courtroom of the Court, Boulevard Konrad Andenauer, Luxembourg-Kirchberg.

Executive director of the Alliance for Natural Health, Dr Robert Verkerk, commented:

"The judgement will hopefully give rise to an amendment to the Directive that will result in much greater clarity for consumers and manufacturers of food supplements across Europe. This amendment is needed to prevent important nutrients being lost in food supplements. The Alliance for Natural Health is now close to commissioning an independent group of risk assessment scientists in Europe to help develop a new regulatory framework that is based on good science and good law. Such a framework would be likely to suggest that a Regulator should not determine which ingredients are allowed in supplements without also determining, based on all available science, the maximum dosages. The Food Supplements Directive currently separates these two issues. If this work had been undertaken before the Directive had been finalised, we would never have seen the attempted implementation of a defective Directive."

The ruling will potentially have significant impacts on the parallel development of international guidelines for vitamin and mineral food supplements by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which are near finalisation. This body, composed of delegates from around 90 governments and 40 non-governmental organisations, will meet in Rome on 4 to 9 July to decide whether to finalise these guidelines.

Since this Codex meeting occurs just before the date of the European Court ruling, the Alliance for Natural Health argues that it would be premature to finalise the Codex guidelines on vitamin and mineral food supplements before both the EU Food Supplements Directive is amended, and an improved system for risk assessment of nutrients is developed.

Dr Verkerk adds, drawing a further parallel with the Food Supplements Directive case:

"There is good evidence that in the effort to push through the Codex guidelines, procedural errors have again been made. Governments and regulators, as well as the many interests in this area, need to work together to put these right.

Related:

• EU Commission counter-terrorism package - where is the threatened
• Brown's BNP Moment
• Italian police begin round-up of Romanians with support of EU
• European Union Citizenship: Writing the Future

The Benefits of Using a Treadmill

Treadmills are one of the most widely used pieces of exercise equipment available today. Not only are treadmills found at gyms around the world, they're perfect for use at home. If you're seeking an easy way to work out in the comfort of your home, then you can't beat a treadmill. However choosing one can be confusing at times. There are so many different types and models out there, you might wonder exactly which one is best for you.

There are manual types of treadmills and motorized ones. For almost everyone, the motorized type is the best choice. Some people choose a manual treadmill in an attempt to save money, then discover they would have been better off spending a little bit more for an inexpensive motorized model. With motorized treadmills, you can control the speed and incline of the treadmill with the touch of a button, something you cannot do with a manual model. For most every budget and fitness need, the motorized type of treadmill is usually always the best choice.

If you have a limited amount of space, then you'll want to check out the space saving folding treadmills on the market. These models are light and easy to fold up, and fit nicely in a closet or under the bed. They're also quite affordable, more so than some of the heavier and more complex models. Regardless of whether you purchase a folding or non-folding model, be sure it comes with a good warranty. A quality product will come with an extensive plan to guard against wear, tear and mechanical breakdown.

How much you should spend on your treadmill will depend on how often you're planning to use it. If you're a professional athlete or a marathon runner, you'll want a durable, high-quality treadmill with the longest deck possible and lots of options when it comes to your incline and speed. However if you're simply looking for a treadmill to walk on a few hours each week, one of the basic motorized treadmills on the market should do just fine. You can expect to spend anywhere from $200 to $1000 for one of these treadmills, depending on who makes it, what features it has and where you purchase it from.

Related:

Parasite makes men dumb, women sexy

A common parasite can increase a women's attractiveness to the opposite sex but also make men more stupid, an Australian researcher says.

About 40 per cent of the world's population is infected with Toxoplasma gondii, including about eight million Australians.

Human infection generally occurs when people eat raw or undercooked meat that has cysts containing the parasite, or accidentally ingest some of the parasite's eggs excreted by an infected cat.

The parasite is known to be dangerous to pregnant women as it can cause disability or abortion of the unborn child, and can also kill people whose immune systems are weakened.

Until recently it was thought to be an insignificant disease in healthy people, Sydney University of Technology infectious disease researcher Nicky Boulter said, but new research has revealed its mind-altering properties.

"Interestingly, the effect of infection is different between men and women," Dr Boulter writes in the latest issue of Australasian Science magazine.

"Infected men have lower IQs, achieve a lower level of education and have shorter attention spans. They are also more likely to break rules and take risks, be more independent, more anti-social, suspicious, jealous and morose, and are deemed less attractive to women.

"On the other hand, infected women tend to be more outgoing, friendly, more promiscuous, and are considered more attractive to men compared with non-infected controls.

"In short, it can make men behave like alley cats and women behave like sex kittens".

Dr Boulter said the recent Czech Republic research was not conclusive, but was backed up by animal studies that found infection also changes the behaviour of mice.

The mice were more likely to take risks that increased their chance of being eaten by cats, which would allow the parasite to continue its life cycle.

Rodents treated with drugs that killed the parasites reversed their behaviour, Dr Boulter said.

Another study showed people who were infected but not showing symptoms were 2.7 times more likely than uninfected people to be involved in a car accident as a driver or pedestrian, while other research has linked the parasite to higher incidences of schizophrenia.

"The increasing body of evidence connecting Toxoplasma infection with changes in personality and mental state, combined with the extremely high incidence of human infection in both developing and developed countries, warrants increased government funding and research, in particular to find safe and effective treatments or vaccines," Dr Boulter said.

Related:

• Natural
• Human Parasites

Chicago Trib Middle School Athletes Receive EKG article

Twelve wires, one for each year of his life, flowed from an electrocardiogram machine and were attached to his body as he lay on a gurney 10 days ago in the gym at Lincoln Hall Middle School in Lincolnwood.

In a couple minutes, the procedure was over, the electrodes were removed. "It felt like bandages when they took it off, that's it," said Amir of the non-invasive EKG.

Amir plans to try out for the basketball and volleyball teams at his school, so the test wasn't optional. Last March, District 74 approved a proposal spearheaded by board member and Chicago attorney Paul Langer to require a "complete sports physical," including an EKG, for sports participation.

"It's my understanding that we're the first middle school in the country to be mandating this," said District 74 Supt. Mark Klaisner as he watched students and their parents forming a line at the door even before testing began at 3 p.m. that day.

Although the death of teenage athletes is an anomaly (about 1 in 200,000 annually), Langer said that's one too many when EKG testing is available that can detect about 40 percent of congenital heart problems. But the major cause of sudden death among athletic kids, a condition known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM for short), can be spotted on the EKG about 90 percent of the time, said Joseph Marek, a DuPage County cardiologist and medical director of the Midwest Heart Foundation's Young Hearts For Life program, which was administering the tests at the school.

Catching other heart conditions

Other heart conditions that often turn up on the EKG, he said, are potentially fatal rhythm problems such as long QT syndrome, Brugada syndrome and ARVC, which stands for arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.

Langer admits that the test isn't perfect but says that sparing even one family from tragedy makes it worth it. "We've stressed it over and over again: It doesn't buy you absolute protection," he said. "In baseball, you know how sometimes the manager will bring in the lefty because he's playing the percentages? We're trying to play the percentages here."

Many parents at the testing liked the odds.

"It's not a guarantee," said Linda Ibrahim, whose soccer-playing son George, 12, was being tested. "But if they could catch 40 percent of the cases, then that would be a great chance for kids to survive."

Denise Fricke, accompanying her daughter Rachel, 13, agreed. "I'm an advocate of it. Anything that prevents a further health problem, I would be fully supportive of."

The test cost $45 per child at the school. Langer said a private EKG could cost $100 to $300. Marek's program, part of the Lombard-based heart foundation, has been doing EKG tests for all students at a number of DuPage County high schools for several years, often for free because of corporate sponsorship. Langer said the speed with which the Lincolnwood program was put together prevented such funding this year, but he hopes to find such backing for the 2008-09 school year.

Testing young athletes for cardiac problems is becoming routine in Europe. Testing every other year, beginning at the age of 12 to 14, is recommended by the International Olympic Committee and the European Society of Cardiologists. Italy, for example, has mandated EKG testing for 25 years and has seen cardiac-related sudden deaths among athletes fall 89 percent.

But an American Medical Association statement in March reaffirmed its position that EKG testing is cost-prohibitive as a national program. In general, it applauds local, volunteer efforts such as the ones in DuPage and Lincolnwood but says they are difficult to sustain and "create uncertain areas of liability."

Langer, a litigation partner at the Chicago firm of Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw, says that argument is bogus.

No fear of lawsuits

"I'm not concerned about that and the district isn't either," he said. "In any given test, there's a statistical possibility of false positives or false negatives. My view is I would rather be sued 100 times because they administered the test than to have one child die because we didn't administer the test."

The AMA position also claims that the tests are too expensive, that they would discriminate against minorities in poorer areas and that the resultant medical tests from false positives would be too costly and would cause unnecessary anxiety for the athletes and their families.

Marek said he thinks local initiatives have the best chance of success in the U.S., where grass-roots support for EKG testing is growing.

In Texas, where football is king, some schools offer the testing. Closer to home, state Rep. Mary Flowers (D-Chicago) recently introduced legislation to require the EKG testing, but it failed to pass. Flowers said she plans to reintroduce the plan next session unless she can find a state Senate bill to attach it to. She commended the Lincolnwood district and said that Kidcare, a health-care program for low-income families, should help with the cost of statewide testing.

"There should be no reason why any young person that's involved in any kind of contact sports should not have that as part of their physical," she said.

Julie Younan, who brought her son Joey, 12, to Lincoln Hall's gym to be screened, said she thinks Lincolnwood residents have been especially supportive of the district's trailblazing mandate because of a 1st-grade girl who died suddenly after a gym class in April 2006. She knows the girl's family.

"I think that was the start of why Lincolnwood decided to do the screening," Younan said. "It's a good role model, because once other communities see this, I think that they will slowly follow."

Marek said the AMA report should have focused more on medicine and less on what he calls some flawed economics.

"They made some assumptions that are arguable," he said. "We will never figure out a way to lower the cost if we say, No, we're not going to do it.'"

Meanwhile, Amir, the birthday boy, and his mom, Aida, prepared to head home to a barbecue in his honor.

Related:

• Retin
• Corner Lake Middle School

Article - Orange County Register

The state Legislature's Democrats last week approved two plans that Republicans say will be a $5 billion tax on businesses to pay for health insurance for Californians. We agree with the Republicans.

About the same time, a similar plan by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to force doctors, hospitals and businesses to foot the bill for near universal health care suffered a potentially fatal setback when the Legislature's legal adviser deemed its proposed levy to be a tax, rather than a "fee" as the governor claims. We agree that Mr. Schwarzenegger's plan to force a 4 percent levy on businesses and hospitals and 2 percent on doctors is a tax, not a fee. (A fee is typically what a user pays to contribute to a particular service that he or she benefits from directly, such as a national park admittance fee. Because there's a direct connection between fee, service and user, this is a more palatable kind of tax from a philosophical standpoint.)

The significance of the tax-or-fee question as it pertains to the Legislature is that a tax requires two-thirds approval by the Legislature. A fee can be imposed by simple majority. Without Republican support, two-thirds approval is impossible. Not a single Republican voted last week in favor of the Democrats' Senate or Assembly bills that would require businesses to either spend 7.5 percent of payroll on health coverage, or pay an equivalent amount into a state fund. (The governor's plan never even made it into bill form before last Friday's deadline as apparently no Republicans were willing to carry it.)

It promises to be a long, hot summer of negotiations as Democratic legislators and the governor try to reach agreement on their different approaches to achieve their common desire of guaranteeing health insurance coverage for everyone.

We should be leery any time the government seeks to guarantee anything, and particularly when it's for everyone.

"This massive government health care plan will hurt our state's businesses, drive up health costs, reduce choices for working families and make our budget problems even worse," said Assembly Republican leader Mike Villines. "Imposing a 7.5 percent jobs tax will force California's employers to raise prices on their customers, lay off hard-working employees or close their doors."

Republicans say the Democrat "fees" amount to the "single largest tax increase on businesses in state history."

The California Chamber of Commerce also notes that the proposed mandate that employers must provide insurance, which is common to the Democrats' and the governor's schemes, "threaten jobs and slow economic growth." Again, we agree.

We found parts of an alternative plan by Senate Republicans to be reasonable, such as changing state regulations to allow health plans and insurers more flexibility in co-payments, deductibles and reducing mandates on businesses, rather than increasing them. But those plans went nowhere in the Democrat-controlled Capitol, and Republican amendments to lessen the burdensome Democrat measure were defeated. We should, however, applaud Assemblyman Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, the lone member of his party to join Republicans voting against the Democrat bill.

Without more like Mr. Correa, perhaps the best Californians can hope for is to block Democrats' and the governor's anti-business, anti-taxpayer tactics by denying a two-thirds vote. Nevertheless, a bill may be approved with the sleight of hand of calling its taxes "fees." If so, a court challenge and resulting appeals can be expected. We hope the courts agree that a tax by any other name remains a tax, and invalidate any damage the Legislature may inflict.

Listen to stories like this and more: Audio news & Podcasts



What's your opinion?

Want to comment on what you've just read? Fill in the form below. Your comments will be considered for publication online or as a letter to the editor in The Orange County Register.

Related:

• Republican debate highlights
• NJ-39:Note to Gerry Cardinale: Senators in Glass Houses
• Is Hillary Clinton a "Corporate Democrat"?
• [16:15] (BillFrugg) "Democrats make sure we are always safe, just

Lyme Disease

May is Lyme disease awareness month. And while many people know that bites from a Deer tick can transmit Lyme disease to humans, most are unaware of two similar diseases spread by deer ticks. Craig Hedberg, a professor of environmental health sciences at the University of Minnesota, says the three diseases exhibit similar symptoms.

• Listen to Hedberg on Public Health Moment

My sister Tracie and I both have chronic lyme disease. We are also the one's who wrote the proclamation for awareness of this horrific disease. I went 10 years misdiagnosed and now have lesions in my brain, liver and on my spinal cord. We are both working hard on starting our advocacy/website in order to help others. We are called Minnesota Lyme Fighters Advocacy and our website is www.lymefighters.com, which is still under construction. We are both on disability, but, utilize our time educating the public and providing information to learn more. We are very passionate about this mission and would like any help or info on new research, tests, treatments and the list goes on. Any help that you could provide to us would be priceless.

My phone #952-217-5946 and my sister lives in Brainerd and can be contacted at #218-534-2992

Thank you, so much, for acknowledging a disease that has debilitated our lives.

Hello :) I also have Lyme Disease & have been disabled for quite some time. Ironically, I am trying to create a website called lymefighters as well. Now that I see it's taken, I'll just try again :)

The reason I'm writing is because I was wondering how to get a website sponsored or syndicated, so I can avoid any monthly fees. (It's hard enough just getting disability payment, I'm sure you know)So basically if you aren't paying for your site, email me ONLY if you have time.

Related:

• From 1 July 2007, the Better Super changes will give the
• Online version of the popular print magazine.
• Click here to get all the information you need
• All the countries have joined together to obtain all the

Bogus Weight Loss Claims

Federal Trade Commission has a web site that address Bogus Weight Loss Claims. They red flag a number of product making false claims. Here are some of their current listings:

Block the absorption of fat or calories, and lose substantial weight.

No fat blocker can block enough fat or calories to cause lots of weight loss. Even legitimate fat blockers must be used with a reduced-calorie diet to work.

Variations

- "Lose up to two pounds daily…Apple Pectin is an energized enzyme that can ingest up to 900 times its own weight in fat. That's why it's a fantastic FAT BLOCKER."

- "Brindall berries cause very rapid and substantial weight loss by reducing fat absorption by 76%."

- "Super Fat-Fighting Formula guarantees rapid weight loss. Shortly after ingesting small amounts of the component, it dissolves into a gel that absorbs and surrounds excess fat and calories, preventing them from forming body fat."

- "This product blocks fat before your body absorbs it; the pounds will melt away effortlessly."

- "The Super Fat-Fighting Formula inhibits fats, sugars and starches from being absorbed in the intestines and turning into excess weight, so that you can lose pounds and inches easily."

- "Mulletwood is an 'all-natural ingredient' designed to attract and absorb excess calories and transport them out of your system. Watch the weight come off your body."

Lose two pounds or more per week (for a month or more) without dieting or exercise.

Meaningful weight loss requires consuming fewer calories and/or increasing exercise. Ads that promise substantial weight loss without diet or exercise are false. A claim is false if it states or implies that users can lose lots of weight fast without changing their lifestyles, even if the ad doesn't mention specific amounts of weight loss or time periods.

Variations

- The four measurements used in weight loss ads are pounds, dress size, inches and body fat, any one of which can be used to convey the message of substantial weight loss.

- "Today, there exists a safe, all-natural, bio-active weight loss compound so powerful, so effective, so relentless in its awesome attack on bulging, fatty deposits that it has virtually eliminated the need to diet." [Next to, before and after pictures with quote, "I lost 36 pounds in 5 weeks."]

- "I lost 30 pounds in 30 days even though I ate all my favorite foods."

- "Lose up to 2 pounds daily without diet or exercise."

- "I lost 15 pounds in 30 days without having to change my eating habits or lifestyle in any way. See results fast without back-breaking exercise."

- "Go from a size 12 to a size 6; lose inches QUICKLY, and do absolutely nothing but take this pill."

Weight loss will be permanent (even when the user stops using the product).

Without permanent lifestyle changes (eating less food and/or doing more exercise), weight loss does not last once product use stops.

Variations

- "Take it off! And keep it off!"

- "Thousands of dieters are already using it and losing weight faster than they have before…and keeping the weight off."

- "For 15 years, Mary yo-yo dieted without success. Fed up and desperate, she discovered a new miracle product to lose weight easily and permanently."

- "The amazing 'Fat-Sponge in a Pill' that lets you eat more, weigh less and finally…yes, finally…slim down for good for the rest of your life."

- "Tired of yo-yo diets without success? This miracle product lets you lose the weight easily and permanently."

- "It can help you quickly lose the weight, and keep it from returning."

- "People who use this product say that even when they stop using the product, their weight does not jump up again."

Consumers can safely lose more than three pounds per week for a period of more than four weeks.

Reality Check

Losing more than three pounds per week over multiple weeks can result in gallstones and other health complications, so the safety claim is false. If the claim also is that NO dieting is required, the claim is false for that reason too.

Variations

- "Lose 30-40-50 pounds. Yes! You can lose three pounds per week, naturally and without side effects."

- "Neptune's Potion is safe and effective," with customer testimonials claiming more than 12 pounds of weight loss per month.

Related:

• Health And Fitness
• To Lose Weight & Burn Up Fat… Shakes or Whole Foods?
• Official site featuring a complete catalog.
• Fat