The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced that there is a range of diet pills being sold nationwide, as well as over the internet, that are now considered unsafe.

FDA suggests to consult with your health care professional before taking dietary supplements to treat obesity or other diseases. All consumers should be familiar with the following signs of health fraud:

• Promises of an “easy” fix for problems like excess weight, hair loss, or impotency.
• Claims such as “scientific breakthrough,” “miraculous cure,” “secret ingredient,” and “ancient remedy.”
• Impressive-sounding terms, such as “hunger stimulation point” and “thermogenesis” for a weight loss product.
• Claims that the product is safe because it is “natural.”
• Undocumented case histories or personal testimonials by consumers or doctors claiming amazing results.
• Promises of no-risk, money-back guarantees.

I would like to add “studies suggest” or “extensive research indicates” or “patented.” None of these statements really say that what was studied, researched or patented actually did anything.

But when I first saw this announcement a couple of weeks back, I was under the impression that while these pills / supplements were completely useless, they might not really pose much danger. Not so. Reading closer, I find that  these “natural supplements” may “contain prescription drugs in amounts that greatly exceed their maximum recommended dose.”

The updated (01/08/2009) list includes the following products:

Contains Sibutramine

• 2 Day Diet
• 2 Day Diet Slim Advance
• 2x Powerful Slimming
• 3 Day Diet
• 3 Days Fit
• 3x Slimming Power
• 5x Imelda Perfect Slimming
• 7 Day Herbal Slim
• 7 Days Diet
• 7 Diet
• 7 Diet Day/Night Formula
• 8 Factor Diet
• Eight Factor Diet
• 21 Double Slim
• 24 Hours Diet
• 999 Fitness Essence
• BioEmagrecim
• Body Creator
• Body Shaping
• Body Slimming
• Cosmo Slim
• Extrim Plus
• Extrim Plus 24 Hour Reburn
• Fasting Diet
• Fatloss Slimming
• GMP
• Imelda Fat Reducer
• Imelda Perfect Slim
• JM Fat Reducer
• Lida DaiDaihua
• Meili
• Meizitang
• Miaozi MeiMiaoQianZiJiaoNang
• Miaozi Slim Capsules
• Natural Model
• Perfect Slim
• Perfect Slim 5x
• Perfect Slim Up
• Powerful Slim
• ProSlim Plus
• Reduce Weight
• Royal Slimming Formula
• Sana Plus
• Slim 3 in 1
• Slim 3 in 1 Extra Slim Formula
• Slim 3 in 1 Extra Slim Waist Formula
• Slim 3 in 1 M18 Royal Diet
• Slim 3 in 1 Slim Formula
• Slim Burn
• Slim Express 4 in 1
• Slim Express 360
• Slim Fast
• Slim Tech
• Slim Up
• Slim Waist Formula
• Slim Waistline
• Sliminate
• Slimming Formula
• Somotrim
• Super Fat Burner
• Superslim
• Super Slimming
• Trim 2 Plus
• Triple Slim
• Venom Hyperdrive 3.0
• Waist Strength Formula
• Zhen de Shou

Contains Rimonabant

• Phyto Shape

Contains Phenytoin

• 3x Slimming Power
• Extrim Plus

Contains Phenolphthalein

• 8 Factor Diet
• 24 Hours Diet
• Fatloss Slimming
• Imelda Perfect Slim
• Perfect Slim 5x
• Royal Slimming Formula
• Superslim
• Zhen de Shou

Contains Bumetanide

• Starcaps

FDA details what these ingredients do:

Sibutramine is a Schedule IV controlled substance and the active pharmaceutical ingredient in Meridia, an approved prescription drug to treat obesity. Some of the identified products recommend taking more than 3 times the recommended daily dosage of sibutramine. Because of this, even consumers without a history of health problems that take these high doses of sibutramine may suffer serious adverse effects if they take these products, such as increased blood pressure, tachycardia, palpitations, and seizure.

Rimonabant is the active pharmaceutical ingredient in Zimulti which has not been approved in the United States. In Europe the drug is known as Acomplia. In June 2007, the FDA Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee unanimously voted not to recommend approval of the drug because of increased risk of neurological and psychiatric side effects—seizures, depression, anxiety, insomnia, aggressiveness, and suicidal thoughts among patients. In June of 2008, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency of the United Kingdom linked rimonabant to 5 deaths and 720 adverse reactions over the past two years. In October, the European Medicines Agency recommended that marketing and sales of Accomplia be suspended due to safety concerns.

Phenolphthalein was an ingredient in some Over-the-Counter laxative products until 1999 when the FDA reclassified the drug as “not generally recognized as safe and effective” after studies indicated that phenolphthalein presented a potential carcinogenic risk. Phenolphthalein has also been found to be genotoxic in that it can damage or cause mutations to DNA.

Phenytoin is the active pharmaceutical ingredient in Dilantin, an approved anti-seizure medication.

Bumetanide is a the active pharmaceutical ingredient in Bumex, a prescription diuretic. Potential risks associated with the use of Bumetanide include serious and significant fluid and electrolyte loss and an elevation in uric acid concentrations.

So what do the Kimkins survivors have to say about the diet and the founder, Heidi Diaz?

A few snippets from Kimkins Survivors:

I began to feel more tired, more worn out then ever. . . I was told this was normal. I wondered when my legs began cramping until I couldn’t even walk or move hardly at all. . . but again this was normal. When I began getting heart palpitations and a serious choking feeling, I began to get worried that something was seriously wrong.

I stayed on the plan for 2 months. After a few weeks, my emotions went flat. I didn’t feel happy, sad, anything. It was really bad. I stopped the plan as I felt I was choosing between being fat or being clinically depressed. After about 2 weeks, my hair began falling out by the hands full.

I was dizzy and my life became sedentary due to the lack of food. My hair also started to fall out.

People go from “strict” to “even stricter” when they are highly encouraged to go as low in calories as possible…many of the “big” losers hang out around 300-500 calories daily. Also, because the plans don’t have much in the way of fiber to “push things through”…it’s encouraged to take laxatives daily. The owner of the site, Kimmer, even goes as far as to say that people shouldn’t be afraid to do this since recent studies show that they’re perfectly safe and not addictive after all. (omg)

The weight loss made it easy to ignore the dizziness, nausea, and exhaustion. I brushed off the concerns of friends and family about the amount of food I was eating and for my health. I had read many accounts of other members experiencing the same side effects that I was having and the responses explaining them away as normal, signs they were doing the diet correctly.

In no time at all, I became weak, fainting, angry, shakey, dizzy. My hair fell out. I was still overweight but was sick as hell. I stopped low carb all together. I have been seeing Drs ever since with complications with blood sugar and kidneys ect…

Within 15 minutes of my ER admission, I was rapidly being set up to check for a stroke or a brain tumor. I was so sick and I simply couldnt believe this was happening. At NO time did I suspect the KK diet. I still feel so stupid. MRI’s, Neurologists, CAT scans, IV medication to try to stop the spinning. 5 days of laying on my side with a wet towel over my eyes, they finally got the vertigo under control enough that I could walk slowly. They did find my electrolytes were all out of whack and my liver enzymes a little elevated….

While I did lose weight, I also began to experience significant hair loss, nausea, bouts of dizziness and was freezing all the time.

…some days my calorie intake was lower then 500 calories. My hair thinned out too…but I am older and thought that was due to age, dizzyness or light headed sometimes too. I lost fast, lost alot, and gained it back just as fast too.

I can only hope that some day I’ll find my metabolism again.

I joined in July hoping to put my low carb lifestyle back on the right track. All I accomplished was further derailment. I got off the train when the dizzy spells crept up on me. One call to the Dr. and he said STOP! Healthy lower carb is ok, but this isn’t healthy. This is disordered eating.

I am losing hair in clumps, awful joint pains and dizzy/nauseous frequently.

I was one of those who kimmer told to take a full dose (laxatives) the first day and then take 1/2 dose everyday after.

I have lost tons of weight. But guess what…at a price. I went to the DR not feeling well. My blood levels are all off . My thyroid is shot . Know what the DR asked me…..She said..you are not starving yourself are you? I have such bad blood work that I need to have some injections to fix it..such as Vit . I also have to have scans to see if my thryiod can even be saved. This all got started because I was having dizzy spells and bad pain in my bones.

My hair was falling out, I couldn’t potty, I couldn’t stay awake, I had no energy, I felt waves of nausea and dizziness every time I changed positions…and worst of all, I was becoming completely obsessed b/c I was trying to keep up with everything on there–you know–low, low calories, very small portions, etc.

…..losing handfuls of hair, having heart palpitations, a strange tingling down my left arm, a total loss of energy, I went and got blood test because I had lost my short term memory, I could not remember my sons birthday even and it was scary, I was suffering from insomnia and all kinds of different things. When I got my blood test back, everything was screwed up, all my female hormones, it put me into early menopause, I am 37 years old, my human growth hormone was at the age of a 97 yr old woman…

These testimonials for the Kimkins Diet are just from the first few pages on the Survivor blog. There are a lot more. Over 100 “survivors” have shared their experiences.

Who in their right mind would try the Kimkins Diet after reading these?

So, who got the idea that our colon needs cleaning in the first place? I mean, why would it? It’s clearly designed as a waste disposal system so what suggests that it needs help to be “cleaned”?

It seems that it originated with a book written by a Richard Anderson, N.D., in 1988; “Cleanse and Purify Thyself”. Anderson went on to develop cleansing products that produces what the product is supposed to cleanse.

Anderson invented the term “mucoid plaque”.

The phrase, “mucoid plaque,” is a coined term that I use to describe various conditions found throughout the body, especially in hollow organs and the alimentary canal. It is a substance that the body naturally creates under unnatural conditions, such as attack from acids, drugs, heavy metals, and toxic chemicals. I have always attempted to make it clear that the “Mucoid Plaque” found in the bowel is not equivalent to the natural healthy gastric and intestinal mucosa. The natural mucosa serves as a necessary buffer for the gastrointestinal wall and as a lubricant for intestinal motility. “Mucoid plaque” of any description is unnatural and is found only after the body has moved towards diseased states. Medical science has many words to describe each of these conditions, but to my knowledge, there are no effective terms that describe them under one category.

I agree with him that “mucoid plaque of any description is unnatural”. It is caused by the cleansing product!

The cleansing procedure involves taking some more or less defined substance in pills or powder form in the morning with a lot of liquid. Then followed by a strong laxative at night. The bowel then expels this mucoid plaque. There are a million of pictures of the expelled matter on the internet. Just google “colon cleanse” images. They are disgusting.

What nobody tells you is that the pills or powder are what produce this mucoid plaque. From my understanding, one of the original formulas consisted of clay. CLAY! The clay powder expanded with the help of liquid and when expelled, had the form of the colon.
Psyllium is the main ingredient today, and produces a similar result.

When Anderson was asked why medical doctors didn’t see any of this mucoid plaque, he dismissed the question with that “they didn’t know what they were looking for”.

How can anybody believe that medical doctors have never, ever, found any evidence of “mucoid plaque” in our colon? From the “evidence” shown in the pictures, it shouldn’t be that hard to see if it were actually there.

Anderson didn’t jump on the weight loss train, but the present marketing of colon cleanse products has. While most people might not care whether their colon is “clean” or not, there are many, many potential customers for weight loss products.

So does it produce weight loss? Temporarily, it does. When the laxative empties your colon from any fecal matter, your scale weight will go down. Until you eat and your colon fills back up.

It is scary how affiliate marketing is making these types of scams explode on the internet. It is so easy to set up a website, fill it with some ludicrous copied claims, add some pictures of slim models, fake some testimonials and then sit down to wait for the money to roll in.

Just the huge number of web sites with the same claims makes these types of sites look convincing. Please do not fall for another online scam without making your research. Just because the same information is repeated on a thousand web sites doesn’t make it true.

How much fiber should I eat? It’s not easy to find an answer to that question.

FDA says 28 grams, minimum (14 grams per 1,000 calories).

Numerous google hits tell me that “high fat, low fiber” causes constipation. Of course, none of them say anything about the total carb consumption on the low fat diet they recommend. Perhaps it’s the excess carbs and not the lack of fiber that’s the problem?

Some sources cite the study, now disproved, that fiber prevents colon cancer. While others acknowledge that this long established “fact” is not true, they still insist that high fiber intake is required for colon health. Supposedly, it is not good to have this “toxic waste” sitting around in our intestines, and we need fiber to push it out. The now so popular colon cleanse products are also based on this fear of the “toxic waste”. To understand why our body could not handle the waste it was designed for in the first place is beyond me.

Many diets suggests high fiber intake. The higher the better. Fiber is supposed to fill you up, absorb some of the fats/calories you eat and bring them out undigested, and prevent the apparently inevitable constipation from any calorie restricted diet.

Even Weight Watchers is promoting high fiber consumption. In their point formula, fiber is subtracted so the more fiber you eat, the more other foods you can fit into your alloted points. For example, a slice Scandinavian Bran Crispbread (16 cals, 3 carbs, 3 fiber, 1 protein) adds up to minus 0.28 points.

Then there is the other camp that believes fiber is not necessary and might even be harmful. Coincidentally, this camp is also in favor of high fat, low carb.

Of course, this other camp most likely have their own agenda, just as the “low fat, high fiber” camp has.

Barry Groves, the author of “Eat Fat, Get Thin” wrote an interesting article about fiber: The Bran Wagon. Is it true? I have no idea but it certainly provides another point of view in the debate.

Another anti-fiber author is Konstantin Monastyrsky, who is promoting his book Fiber Menace. Again, I have no idea how much of this is true, and I do not recommend buying the book, but I find the website a fascinating read.

And last, perhaps the best anti-fiber article, by Dr Eades: A cautionary tale of mucus for and aft.

Personally, I find much more in the anti-fiber information being true (for me) than the pro-fiber claims. I did an experiment the last couple of weeks, eating a lot of fiber in the form of bran.

The experiment started out unintentionally. I just happen to like the crunch from Scandinavian Bran Crispbread, and can eat a lot of it. I probably have had in excess of 40 grams of fiber as compared to the 10-15 grams I normally get from vegetables.

The result?

• More frequent bowel movements, bordering on diarrhea. I didn’t “need” this as I don’t suffer from constipation and never have.
• Bloating. This amount of bran requires a high water consumption. The two combined certainly filled up my stomach, and not in a pleasant way. Some “high-fiber” diets use this fact to claim that this would diminish appetite. That didn’t happen in my case.
• Gas. And a lot of it. Thankfully odorless. While fiber is not digested directly by the body, the bacteria we have in our guts thrive on it. I think I prefer to starve these particular bacteria for a while.

My experiment convinced me that I don’t need to add fiber to my low carb, high fat diet. And while I like the bran crispbread, it has to be an occasional treat (note, most people find these resembling card board and would never label them as a “treat”).

My results might not be typical. My diet is not low fat and I have never had to rely on laxatives to “help”.

From what I understand, high fat consumption combined with low carbs prevents constipation and fiber supplements are not necessary.

By the way, did you know that oil is a well proven, harmless (as far as I understand) home remedy for constipation? Suggested dosage is 1 tablespoon twice per day. That’s why I’m not surprised that my low carb, high fat diet keeps me regular without any added fiber supplements.

Now, a low fat diet probably needs fiber supplements. At least it seems to be a MUCH better alternative than the laxative abuse recommended by the Kimkins founder, Kimmer.

One of the main concerns for people starting a low carb diet is the apparent lack of fiber in the diet. I say “apparent” because it’s really a misconception. One of those accepted “truths” that keeps on being repeated over and over again.

The FDA recommends 28 grams of fiber for a 2,000 cal diet. Using their other recommendations for servings, I fall just short of that. For example:

• 4 servings of fruit (2 cups)
• 5 servings of vegetables (2.5 cups)
• 6 oz grain (6 slices of bread)
• 5 oz meat
• 3 cups milk

add up to only 24 grams of fiber. And this is only because I used “100% whole grain wheat” for the grain servings. Whole grain bread was introduced to help increase fiber intake so it can really be compared to a fiber supplement in my opinion. If I replace it with white bread, the total fiber ends up being 15 grams.

On a low carb diet, staying at induction level carbs (<20 when subtracting fiber) I can easily achieve the same 15 grams of fiber as on the “normal” diet. My sample menu included 2 cups cooked cabbage, 1 cup cooked green beans, three cups lettuce and one tomato.

So do I need to be worried about just getting half the recommended daily fiber intake? No, I do not. Why would I need more fiber?

The FDA fiber myth claims:

• Lack of fiber causes colon cancer. This “fact” was never proved in the first place and has been shown not to be true.
• Lack of fiber causes constipation. This is just not true. Lack of fat causes constipation.

But, IF you don’t want to try a low carb diet with just these 15 grams of fiber, the problem is easily solved by fiber supplements that do not add much to your net carb count. I routinely eat Wasa rye crackers and the Bran Crispbread I order from Netrition. But that isn’t because I think I need more fiber. I just happen to like them. Actually, I have to be careful with the bran crispbread as too much fiber will give me diarrhea.

However, a NO fiber diet that is also LOW FAT is bound to cause constipation. Look at the K/E menu below. The plate has the food for ONE FULL DAY, i.e. 3 meals.

K/E is short for Kimmer’s Experiment. It was a diet devised by Kimmer/Kimkins to produce heavy ketosis (or as she calls it, “real” ketosis) and quick weight loss. Lean meats and eggs only. No vegetables. Originally suggested for 3 days to jump start weight loss, the time limit was soon removed and it was recommended for long term use.

The problem with this diet is not really related to fiber. It is LOW calorie and LOW fat. This particular menu, based on Kimkins recommendations, provides just 376 cals (only 12 grams of fat) for ONE DAY!

Kimmer, or Heidi Diaz, does not recommend fiber supplements. They are bulking and a negative reflection on scale weight before the “bulk” has been eliminated is to be avoided. Instead, she suggests laxatives. On a daily basis.

Beware of the Kimkins Diet! Don’t be fooled by its claim to be a low carb diet. It’s low everything. Low carb, low fat, low calorie.

Laxatives are not useful for weight loss. They cause loss of water weight. Not fat loss. The drop on the scale is not permanent. As soon as you replace the lost water, your scale will be back where you started. 

You would think that a diet “guru” like Heidi Diaz would know this. And I think she does. Is she also aware that her advice to take laxatives to produce a temporary scale loss might end up killing someone?

Extensive laxative abuse can cause:

• Dehydration.  Dehydration can cause weakness, blurry vision, fainting, kidney damage, and (in cases of severe dehydration) death.
• Electrolyte imbalance.  Electrolytes are minerals (sodium, potassium, calcium, etc.) that are in body fluids in very precise amounts and ratios.  Electrolytes are responsible for proper functioning of nerves and muscles. Laxative abuse can upset a person’s electrolyte balance and cause improper functioning of vital organs, like the heart!
• Laxative dependence.  This is when the colon requires larger and larger doses of laxatives to produce bowel movements.  People often become so dependent on laxatives that their body loses the ability to produce bowel movements on it’s own without the aid of laxatives.

Or listen to the advice of someone that tried it:

Okay, I had a really long reply typed but here’s what I was going to say in a nutshell. I’m only 23 years old, and I have been dealing with this problem for 10 years already. And, don’t do it, seriously, please read this and seriously consider the truth, and hopefully you will realize that it doesn’t help you at all in the long run.

Okay, yes taking laxatives or I should say abusing them will actually help you lose weight. But, the ways that they do it are as follows:

• You realize hey I weigh less today!
• Then, you convince yourself that you don’t want to eat because you don’t want to gain the weight back.
• You find yourself drinking less.
• You get nauseated when you attempt to eat.
• And, you constantly have diarrhea, you can’t control when where or who is in the public restroom at work/school when you have it.

Look, it’s not pretty, but it gets worse. If you still think it’s worth it, listen to the rest. Picture yourself thinner, and then picture yourself smiling, and when you look at that smile, broken and thin brittle teeth. Pretty huh? True though, because laxatives can remove the calcium from your body because it won’t let your body absorb the calcium Hardly no one seems to realize that this is a horrible side effect. Your teeth can practically crumble. And your bones…easily broken.

Also, you can end up in the hospital for any of many many reasons, where they will pump you full of potassium (oh, and that reallllllly hurts!! It causes your arms to swell, and every vein they put the iv in with that crap, collapsed).

And, you can get jaundice (where your skin turns yellow) from your liver enzymes being high because of organs failing, and end up with a not so pretty scar on your stomach.

And, think about your colon, no seriously think about it for a second, think about the alternatives to keeping it healthy.

Okay, so those are the physical problems.

I’ve tried to sum it up for ya, but it’s not a short list. I hope that you realize that this is a baddddddd decision, and not one easily kicked.

The TRUTH recently posted a series of PM’s from Kimmer (aka Heidi Diaz) where laxative abuse is recommended.

I know many overweight people that do not have what I would call an unhealthy relationship with food. They eat what they want and just don’t care about being heavier than what society deems “acceptable”. They don’t obsess over food and rarely, if ever, step on a scale. Nothing disordered about their eating, in my opinion.

I think that eating disorders are mainly caused by restrictive dieting, Kimkins being the worst restrictive diet out there.

Is there anybody that did Kimkins for any significant amount of time that did not develop an eating disorder? I have yet to see one. The ones that have left the Kimpound typically react by:

1. Binge eating. The excessive food restriction on the Kimkins causes both physical and mental cravings. The body is crying for nutrition and the mind is rebelling. This results in weight regain and in possibly even in full blown bulimia with binge/purge cycles.

2. Fear of food. Following the extreme restriction on Kimkins, any increase of food tends to cause a weight gain, threatening to undo the weight loss success from Kimkins. It’s tempting to cut down calories again to get the scale to move downwards. But how long can you keep on doing it? You have to start eating more at some point in time.

It is sad to watch the victims of Kimkins struggling with finding a WOE (way of eating) that will not reverse the weight loss and that provides a sensible eating plan that can be followed for life. A WOE that can lead to a maintenance plan.  A WOE that stops yo-yo dieting and attempts at crash diets like Kimkins.

Weighing The Facts has a lot of information about Eating Disorders and Eating Disorder help resources.

“Get a life” is an originally American idiom and catch phrase usually intended as a taunt, to indicate that the person being so addressed is devoting an inordinate amount of time to trivial or hopeless matters. The phrase has also appeared as a generally more emphatic variant of the taunt “get a job” and implies the addressee needs to go out and make their way in the world, without being supported by outside sources such as parents or benefactors. It may also be directed at someone who is perceived as boring or single-minded; suggesting they acquire some other, more practical interests or hobbies and get dates, find a job, or move to their own house.

It was also applied to so-called workaholics and others who are perceived as dedicated to their work (out of “labor of love” as opposed to money or loyalty to the company) but not taking the time to relax or enjoy life.

Sometimes the phrase is used against people who are viewed as officious or intermeddling in someone else’s affairs. It is another way of saying “Get your own life”, or “Stay out of my business.”

The Kimtologists frequently tell us, the Anti-Kimkins ducks, to “get a life”. Wikipedia gives two interpretations that may apply. Do they mean that we are “devoting an inordinate amount of time to trivial or hopeless matters” or that we should “stay out of my business”? Both, would be my guess.

Inordinate amount of time?

What would I do with my free time if I didn’t write Anti-Kimkins blog posts? Watch TV? And yes, it is my FREE time. I have a job that I’m paid for. I have a family. I cook. I clean. I go to the gym.

Trivial or hopeless?

Kimkins is a dangerous diet, promoted by an unscrupulous scam artist. The Anti-Kimkins blogs provide a way for an unsuspecting consumer to get a second opinion before paying $79.95 for an online scam. A year ago, there was nothing negative about kimkins available on the internet.

For me, this entire ordeal has been (and continue to be) a great learning experience. I have:

• Formed friendships with a wide range of people on the internet. They are interesting, intelligent and funny and have lives outside the Kimkins Debacle that I get to share in.
• Learned how to manage a blog on Blogger and WordPress, and even my own domain. Not too deep into html yet, but it’s coming.
• Learned to set up yahoo groups and message boards.
• Found out about new web tools and tricks.
• Become a google expert in finding information.
• Begun to get an understanding of Internet Marketing, including blogs, ads, article sites.
• Found out that such things as Russian Brides sites and BDSM bulletin boards exist on the internet. Nasty porn too. (Not everything on this journey has been a pleasant experience.)

Stay out of my business?

What exactly is the Kimtologist’s business? I know what Heidi’s business is but what about her customers? Losing weight by starving themselves? Posting within the safe confines of the Kimpound?

Shutting Kimkins.con down is my business. I paid for a lifetime membership and Heidi defrauded me out of that money. First by having me pay based on fraudulent representation of herself (there were no fake success stories yet at that time) and then by banning me from the site without grounds.

Existing members on kimkins.con that value their friendships there better exchange information so that they can get together elsewhere when kimkins.con is gone (not that the posters going around on the blogs telling us to “get a life” sound like somebody I would want to be friends with, but, whatever) .

We have been all over the internet to pull kimkins weeds. One place kimkins articles were found was Article-Gems. They did not respond too well to emails sent by “angry weigh loss people”:

Running an article directory – like article-gems is not always easy. Apart from the hundreds of articles each day to approve you occasionally are targeted by spammers – or in the latest case an email campaign from angry weight loss people (must be missing the food). Seriously though we received a number of emails demanding we removed articles on the Kimkins diet because the diet was the subject of litigation.

We make it quite clear in our terms of service will take no responsibility for the content of articles on article-gems. We chose to remove two articles – the first one for failing to comply with our terms of service (it had a link in the main article body) and the second one, because it had an untruth that was publically admitted to be untrue and therefore failed to comply with the spirit of our TOS.

However the over riding principle at article-gems.com is FREEDOM OF SPEECH. If your article complies with our terms of service IT WILL REMAIN – no matter how many angry dieters send us emails.

I have not emailed this site. But now I will.

Long term laxative use can damage the colon. Because of the damage that laxatives can cause, ever increasing dosages of laxatives may be needed in order to achieve the desired effect. Where one laxative dose produced results, now two, then three doses a day or more, are required. At this point, the habit has become fixed. The individual is unable to move their bowel without the use of a laxative or other bowel interventions.

So why do people use laxatives for weight loss? In the words of a girl recovering from an eating disorder:

Well, because laxatives cause a body to lose WATER WEIGHT and thus, when first used, appear to assist in weight loss. However, it is NOT REAL WEIGHT that is being lost. Every calorie consumed is still digested by the body, you simply lose more water than usual because the laxatives induce soft stool by adding water to the stool. That’s the “secret” that has KILLED a number of people. Stupid water weight that you will GAIN right back as soon as you re-hydrate yourself (by drinking no calorie water). It’s a LIE that laxatives cause any real weight loss. Ask a doctor if you don’t believe me. In addition to this outrageous lie, laxatives are PHYSICALLY ADDICTING. That means, if you use them your body will start to depend on them in order to have a normal bowel movement. Your colon muscles will get lazy and you’ll have to take laxatives just to be normal and the number of actual laxatives needed will increase as well. This cycle is VICIOUS and can absolutely RUIN your life without any “benefit” of weight loss that is lasting or real, and, in fact, there is a risk of weight GAIN.

There are numerous reports from Kimkins how laxatives are being pushed by Kimmer. Why is she doing this? Is it to boost the spirit of the dieter due to the immediate, imaginary weight loss that results? Or is she just plain evil?

Kimmer has a long history of recommending laxative abuse. A few examples from the “Ask Kimmer” thread on LCF:

“Reminder to everybody as to whether epsom salts or other laxative is necessary? We want to keep things moooooving, so to speak.”

—

“I think fiber slows down weight loss initially because it’s bulking in the colon, absorbing water and “slowing things down” when new food is eaten. Think of the commercials for drain cleaners.

You’re still losing, it’s just takes awhile for everything to “work through” and this can be a hard thing for someone checking the scale. Suddenly there will be a “whoosh” and it’s just everything catching up, so to speak.

Traditional advice is that laxatives are not for daily use because the digestive system will depend on them, but I’ve read new info (don’t have a source) which says that’s old science. The opinion was that it was more important to keep waste moving. We’re talking the stated dose, not mass quantities or laxative abuse.”

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“You might consider MoM, epsom salt or other laxative either full strength 2-3 times a week or a reduced amount daily. Are you diabetic? “

“Keep in mind that meat, chicken & fish have zero fiber so there’s nothing to “push them through”.

Have you considered taking a mild laxative each night you’re doing “protein only”? Or, hate to even suggest it, make up a batch of the horrible Epsom salt solution and take a couple tablespoons each night?

How much have you been losing each day before? You’re still losing that right now. When things “move”, you’ll have a whoosh that will bring you up to date.”

Question: I’ve had to use a laxative three times in the past two weeks, which I’ve never had to do before. When I bought them I was thinking it would be a one time deal, get things moving, and all would be well. Not so, I guess. I’ve heard mention of epsom salt tonics. Are they less harsh than a laxative? How often are people taking the epsom salt? Do you take it nightly? Or as needed? Is either the epsom salt or the laxatives used on a regular basis harmful? Also, I’ve stayed the same weight for a three days now. Can I assume that is due to the backup? Fun stuff

Kimmer: My guess would be, ‘yes’, to the back up.

Low carb is also low fiber so we have the option of taking extra fiber (sugar free Citrucel or Benefiber) with plenty of fluids or an “active” laxative like Ex-lax, epsom salts or something similar. They work in different ways, some bulking, some water attracting and others.

I’m cheap so I would use the epsom salts. Make a batch according to the directions on the box and keep it in the fridge. It tastes horrible so use Crystal Light or diet soda instead of water when you mix.

Personally, I’d drink 4 oz every night, but check on the timing according to how your body reacts. The point is to keep waste moving, as unpleasant as it is to think about.”

And when someone questions her advice: I don’t want to be negative, but I’ve seen a lot of dancers get dependent on laxatives, and have problems as they get older. An MRI will show how the colon is stained and damaged by many over the counter products used long term. Not the healthiest choice.Psyllium fiber needs lots of water to work right but has no dependence issues. $3.99 pound at Trader Joes. Slightly more expensive under brand names.By perscription only is the very best choice for those with coverage. Enulose is a non digestible agent that draws water into the colon, completely unabsorbed by the body, doesn’t cause any dependency issues, extensively used in pediatric and adult medicine with reams of data supporting it’s safety. Very $$$ RX for those without coverage though.

Senna is in the group of stimulants which the body eventually developes an attenuation to.
Not saying they won’t work, just not the optimal choice for long term use.

Kimmer: Very good point about laxative abuse. We aren’t interested in going there, but we are interested in maximum speedy weight loss.

I think laxatives used per instructions are safe and far better than constipation where the body reabsorbs some of the toxins and waste that are accumulated.

Do you think the staining of the colon is from the laxatives themselves or compaction of the fecal matter or bouts of poor eating and then relying on laxatives to maintain weight?”

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As always with Kimkins, it’s weight loss at any cost. It’s just not obvious what the cost is at the time. Kimkins Survivors has many examples what the cost was for unsuspecting Kimkins dieters.

That laxatives are not even useful for weight loss is apparently of no importance to Kimmer. Anything to make the scale go down, if only temporarily.

If you are abusing laxatives, this thread has good information. Probiotics may help to restore the intestinal microflora balance.