Introduction
Introduction
Obesity: an American Epidemic
People obsess. This is a well-known fact of life. They obsess over
what they will wear, over what their neighbor said, and over their job.
But perhaps one of the most widespread obsessions in America is that of
body weight. To verify this, one needs only to pull up a common search-engine
on the world wide web and type in a simple word: weight. The results are
astounding. On Yahoo alone, 24 categories, 815 sites, and an unbelievable
648,514 web pages respond to this calling. Outside of cyberspace, supermarkets
are dominated by "low-fat", "reduced fat", and "fat free" claims; skim
milk clearly has a much larger following than full fat, or even 2% milk.
And yet despite this hype, despite the dedication to weight management
that Americans appear to have, weight is still a problem. According to
"Shape up, America," (http://www.shapeup.org/sua/general/index.html),
incidents of "unhealthy weight" has increased by 9 percent since 1980,
bringing the amount of overweight Americans to 34 percent. Quantitatively,
this makes an estimated 58 million overweight adult Americans. The same
trend is seen in young Americans, but to a much greater degree. The increase
in child obesity since 1980 has been charted at 42 percent, and approximately
20 percent of teenagers fit into the "significantly overweight" category
(http://www.shapeup.org/sua/general/index.html).
Apparently, not enough people have been frequenting the health-markets.
Consequences: the Toll on America
And so Americans are overweight. What is the next issue on hand? Unfortunately,
this problem cannot be so quickly overlooked. The repercussions of this
weight problem on society are far greater than would be expected. To begin
with, "weight-related conditions are the second leading cause of death
in the U.S., resulting in about 300,000 preventable deaths each year" (www.shapeup.org).
While this is fewer than smoking-related deaths, it is still a phenomenal
amount. However, weight-related death does not necessarily mean that an
individual wallows in his own fat until he drown in it. Obesity produces
other effects which then lead to death. Among them are Type II diabetes,
coronary heart disease, and various cancer types. An estimated 88 to 97
percent of Type II diabetes cases are weight-related. Hypertension and
osteoarthritis are also associated with weight problems (http://www.shapeup.org/sua/general/index.html).
Another way in which weight problems negatively effect society is financially.
Studies and statistics have estimated that the bill of obesity is more
than $100 billion annually. Components of this check written by society
include $45.8 billion in direct costs and $18.9 billion in economic loss.
Economic loss includes days lost due to illness. Productivity loss is also
included in the $100 billion total loss (http://www.shapeup.org/sua/general/index.html).
By assessing the cost of obesity on the American society and economy,
it is easy to conclude that a solution is definitely a necessity. And many
companies have taken it upon themselves to create this solution. Among
some more well known solutions are Weight Watchers, Phen-Phen, Ultra Slim-Fast,
and Jenny Craig, some are apparently famous, others notorious. However,
there are many other weight management plans or solutions that exist with
much less publicity. Among them is the herbal pill known as Metabolife,
although it is beginning to assume a more dominant role on the stage of
weight-control products.
What is Metabolife?
Metabolife is a herbal substance designed to curb ones appetite while
simultaneously increasing ones energy level. It is made available on the
internet, through a one-click order form. Metabolife is highly publicized
on local radio stations. KSON, a San Diego country radio station, endorses
Metabolife, as does 95.5 Nashville. In particular, the morning show DJs
dedicate a considerable portion of their time to professing the glamours
of Metabolife. However, Metabolife is only available for purchase through
independent stands or over the internet. One of the biggest selling points
of Metabolife is that it is all-natural and approved by Vanderbilt
University.
Before committing to or accepting any form of drug, natural or unnatural,
it is normal to pose certain questions, both to oneself, and to the authorities.
In today's modern day society, it is easy to find answers to these questions
with the touch of a button on the Internet. So how much merit is there
in the information provided at these sources?
Starting from the radio web page, in this case, http://www.KSON.com,
a link leads to the Metabolife web page, http://www.metaboliferadio.com.
On this web page, many of the important details are revealed about the
product. Several other web sites also exist, publicizing the Metabolife
product.
The Formula
Metabolife is a weight reduction formula that has been "formulated
based on research and safety studies" (http://www.slimup.com/).
The all-natural ingredients have
been tested and approved in studies by two institutions, including Vanderbilt
University.
Metabolife 356 works in such a way as to increase the metabolism,
thereby creating a thermal genic response, which will assist in the burning
of fat. A higher energy level also accompanies this end result due to the
herbs included in the formula. There are other ingredient included in Metabolife
356 , as it is also "formulated with chromium picolinate which is proven
to burn fat and decrease appetite without additional effort."
The ingredients in Metabolife 356 are listed on the web. From the list
provided, it is evident that the ingredients are, in fact, all-natural.
Some of the more commonly known ingredients include Vitamin E, Magnesium,
Zinc, and Chromium. The other ingredients include various plants such as
Ginseng and Golden Seed. It seems highly probably that the list provided
is an accurate representation of the true formula of Metabolife. However,
the only way to verify this would be to compare it to the actual bottle
itself. Granted, this information could be incomplete or embellished on
the bottle as well, however, at this point, the trust must lie within the
FDA rather than in the Metabolife Company itself.
All of this information is available on any of the web sites previously
listed, as well as many others. The simplicity in the effects of the product
make it seem highly conclusive that Metabolife is a successful weight loss
assistant. Moreover, an emphasis on safety issues throughout the web site,
which points repeatedly to the fact that the product has been proven safe
in various studies, puts the consumer even more at ease with the merits
of this product.
Metabolife at Work:
Dosage & Use
There are very explicit directions on the web site for the use of Metabolife.
Metabolife calls for the use of one to two capsules, depending upon many
factors. The authorities of Metabolife are very careful in their recommendation
of dosages. Men and women are advised to take different dosages, and several
warnings are given as well. Among these are not too exceed the maximum
dosage, and not to lose too much weight all at once. Medical supervision
is also recommended in some instances.
The Metabolife Distributors also address frequently asked question
on their web site at
http://www.metaboliferadio.com/faq.html#9. Among the questions addressed
are: how does the product work? and other questions regarding health issues
and Metabolife, such as the effects on diabetes or other health problems.
This shows a conscientious effort on the part of the authorities to place
the consumer's mind at ease.
Selling Metabolife:
Marketing Efforts
Part of the marketing strategy is not merely to make the product look
enticing, but to make it look safe and trustworthy. For this reason, the
first two elements on the home page are:
Metabolife Gets A.C.E.R.I.S.
Award.
The only herbal supplement to
receive this prestigious award.
Read About it Here.
and
100% Money Back Guarantee
Simply put, if you don't like
Metabolife 356, you get your money back!
Guarantee Details.
The effect of this is to increase the person's trust in the product.
A guarantee always works to assure someone that a product must have some
worth. This belief stems from the understanding that a company would not
guarantee a product unless it actually works. Guaranteeing a bogus product
would cause the company to lose far too much money, should the consuming
population lay a claim to their money.
Under the heading regarding the A.C.E.R.I.S. Award (Academy of Clinical,
Environmental, Research, and Informational Science), crucial information
is provided relating to the studies on Metabolife. To begin with, the studies
were carried out by and at an accredited institution: Vanderbilt University
Medical Center. Details were given on the study. The article states that
"the preliminary findings were the result of a double blind, placebo-controlled,
cross over study conducted at Vanderbilt, The 24-hour energy expenditure
... was significantly higher on the Metabolife 356 diet day than it was
on the placebo day,' the findings said." The article then goes on to explain
technical details resulting calorie and energy use, resulting in the conclusion
that results "[indicate] weight loss while at rest" (http://www.metaboliferadio.com/aceris.html).
The authorities sited on this page are doctors at the University in discussion.
This gives the product even more merit, considering the title and degree
that these men hold. Additional mentions include a lack of side effects
observed in the study, and a final conclusion that "the implications of
these results are that Metabolife 356 diet is a promising and effective
product in chronic weight loss and weight management."
The web page also addresses the issue of competitive products. On this
note, the doctors compared the different ways used in preparing Metabolife
as opposed to other products. Unlike competitive brands, claim the doctors,
Metabolife 356 has been standardized:
This means that we assay the raw ingredients for all active substances
and then add the necessary active ingredients from the natural source to
make each caplet the same. Metabolife 356 diet is stabilized. This helps
prevent a jittery or nervous feeling from occurring when taking, Metabolife356
diet . When you ingest any Ma Huang, product your body utilizes an increased
amount of Magnesium and Zinc. Metabolife 356 diet contains both Magnesium
and Zinc to replenish your bodies depleted reserves. Metabolife 356 diet
is formulated with a balance of both heating, and cooling, herbs (a yin
yang principle ) just as nature balances, and every ingredient is derived
from only all natural sources. Metabolife 356 diet is the only diet and
energy supplement to be tested by two independent board certified laboratories
and be medically proven safe. [http://www.metaboliferadio.com/aceris.html]
The formal presentation of all of this material, as well an advanced
medical jargon, increases the credibility of the substance. The claim that
Metabolife 356 is the only herbal weight loss supplement to receive the
distinguished A.C.E.R.I.S. award also increases the likelihood of an individual
taking the Metabolife route as opposed to any other herbal substance. Details
are also provided about this award in a smaller type beneath the Metabolife
home page, thus confirming its authenticity. However, further research
on A.C.E.R.I.S. failed to reveal anything about the organization (using
www.yahoo.com
and www.lycos.com).
Consistency in Information
Entering "Metabolife" into a search engine (yahoo.com) yielded several
resulting web pages. Among them were the http://www.metaboliferadio.com
previously mentioned. Also listed are: http://www.356diet.com;
http://www.metabolife.com; http://met356.com/studies/default.htm;
http://www.bayouknifeworks.com/metabolife.htm;
http://www.trimdown.com;
and many others, with a total of 13 web pages accessible through a single
search engine. The unique thing about these multiple web sites is the consistency
from one to another. Each web site presents exactly the same information
regarding Metabolife, nearly verbatim. Some web sites may have more of
an introduction, others more of a background, but they are generally rather
uniform throughout. This repetition suggests that the information is factual,
due to a lack of discrepancies. When different or opposing information
is presented on a single item, it confuses the consumers and causes an
understandable mistrust. This is obviously not an issue here, as all of
the information provided is consistent throughout.
On the down side, this limits the attainable information on Metabolife
356. The only information available to consumers is that found on any one
of the web sites. The chances of finding any other details on another site
are slim to none. And none of the web sites are particularly overwhelming;
the information is simple, straightforward, and kept within a certain quantitative
constraint. However, should the consumer have any questions regarding the
product, there is E-mail correspondence availability.
The Metabolife company seems to be presenting the over weight community with a viable solution to the problem. Although the information is identical from one web site to another, there is sufficient evidence of studies performed at accredited institutions to make the product appear to be trustworthy. Additionally, there are ample success stories circulating on both the web and through the radio broadcasting networks to further attest to the success of this product. The ingredients prove that it is an all-natural product, while study results and public feedback indicate that the product does, in fact, work to control weight problems, while simultaneously providing an energy boost. An individual basing a decision solely on internet research would likely be sufficiently convinced to try Metabolife 356, based on the information and evidence made available through the world wide web. Judging from this research, Metabolife 356 is highly likely to be a safe and effective dietary supplement to assist in weight loss and energy gain.
Title Contents
Part I Part
II Part III
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