That's really well put, Nelie.

Ever see the stomach of a mouse? LOL The experiment failed with cats in Asia, and cats are more like us than mice are. However, the US does not do animal testing on cats.

And Nelie, you know what else? At the risk of really making everyone here throw rotten tomatoes at me, I am SICK of Oprah touting yet another fad diet! (Don't even get me going on YOU on a diet.)

Good God! If everything she promotes works so well, why is SHE on a new one every other year? I love O to death, but girlfriend needs to get a grip and understand that even the wealthy have to count calories!

Obesity does not discriminate!

Just as Nelie said that the diet industry thrives on our failures, they are now having to pay for it!

WASHINGTON - The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday fined the marketers of four weight loss pills millions of dollars for making false advertising claims ranging from rapid weight loss to reducing the risk of cancer.

The rest of the article is here:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16467558/

Well, it's about time! I'm waiting for that one where they mail you your food to get nailed right along with Jenny. Any diet that has you buy THEIR food for BEST results is a scam! Plain and simple!!!

Funny...I didn't take any pills or powders or specialty drinks or what have you, and I LOST weight over the holidays. Funny how I didn't need anything magical to help me do that other than some self control, portion control, planning, and exercise

It seems to me researchers are contantly looking for new things to blame for the obesity epidemic. When will they stop blaming things and just fix things? Healthy diet and increased exercise--millions have lost weight this way regardless of whether or not there was some sort of bacterial imbalance.

Someone questionned where the article was published..I read the article in the New York Times.

I'm the one who asked what Ronny's interest is. She's posted five times here, and all five are about this magic bacteria that she somehow is able to get even though it's not, like, sold publically. (Of course her family doctor has some special connection to chemical labs that supply research institutions and also has research-depth knowledge of cutting-edge bariatrics--just like all family practice doctors. Of course.)

It'd be rude to call her a cheap spammer, but to ask what's up with the most stereotyped online marketing scam (new user shows up and has some magic product or site and only talks about that product or site, and disappears when called on it)? Not rude, IMO. Let's see whether she comes back and posts on any topic other than magic bacteria before calling me the problem, Mami.

(FWIW, no, I'm not angry or upset at you.)

You come across as angry and/or upset in this post.

Mami didn't "call you the problem" in her post. She simply asked that everyone give this "Ronny" person a chance before judging. From reading the posts and checking out "Ronny"'s profile (which is barren) I would guess that this person is a spammer (I apologize to you Ronny, if not so!!).

BUT, you'll notice, I'm sure, that the second person who posted on this thread is our very own Suzanne, so she's obviously aware that this thread is here in the "DOES IT WORK" forum, which is dedicated to discussing all types of "products."

Up-date , I'm still using Bacteroidetes bacteria. I've been taking the bacteria for 4 weeks now.
Steped up my work outs by 25%,4 days a week 45 min per day. Lost 2 more pounds for a total of 8 lbs.
My goal is a total of 25 lbs to lose.

Congratulations Ronny!

Sounds like the exercise is a major factor--I bet you FEEL great, too!!

I agree with Maria that it's odd the original poster joined 3FC just to push bacteria pills/powder.

But in any case, I'll note that correlations does NOT equal causation. As the original article notes, they are not sure if putting more bacteria in the system can make people fatter/thinner or if fatter/thinner people, due to their body's chemistry, are killing off/fostering these special buggers.

And of course, i'll agree with everyone that the tried and true method of diet & exercise works best.

and High Five, Jill - I lost over the holidays too! and no magical assistance here either -- though I might need some for the $$ to buy new clothes, har har!

I don't use bacteria for weight loss. I use it (probiotics) for enhanced immunity and I find that they work wonderful for this. They have been around as a supplement for a long time, just check your health food store. Weight loss aid???? Puh-lease....... I wouldn't buy from someone who claims that that is the sole purpose. Yes, they are the same bacteria found in yogurt, but there is some discrepency as to weather or not many of the bacteria found in yogurt actually survive your stomach acid. I take probiotics in pill form (not faithfully every day) from Trader Joes. As I said.....they sure help the immune system. My kids bring home all kinds of illness from school and daycare and I just get a minor cold. Bottom line-It is good practice not to take any supplement for the sheer purpose of weight loss. All you need is a healthy diet and some good ol' exercise (and determination to do it just for yourself) for that.
I'll get off the soapbox now........

wow there seems to be a lot of anger from everyone on this post.

earlier i did a search to see if anything was posted about this and someone pointed me to this thread. I also believe in excercise and eating healthy, but also struggle with weight loss big time. I currently jog for an hour 5 days a week and have been eating few calories as I am on the fat smash diet. I have only lost 2 pounds in 10 days. now that is soooo slow. i could gain those two pounds by just one wrong food item(it seems) This is the story of my life I have been 20 to 30 pounds overweight my entire life and always feel like such a failure. But when I ask my fellow thin friends none of them and I mean none do much at all to keep thin. Oh some say the work out once or twice a week and watch what they eat but they do not do what I do. before the holidays I was on weight watchers. again worked out 5 days a week (hard) ate very healthy followed the plan to a T and only lost 3 pounds in 3 months. How can anyone stay on a strick program when there is no motivation no success. So when I see an article like this it makes me curious that maybe I am not the failure. Maybe I do have a proness to being fat. Oh and the other thing I am soooooo sick of and many of you will say it too is that there is no way i have been following the plan I must be sneaking fooood. If one more doctor tells me that i will scream. I honestly dont and I honestly dont lose the weight so when Isee people put down the simple formula eat less excercise more I am like ----Iam and it is still not coming off. So anyway I guess I just wish people werent so angry and more forgiving. And I still am curious about this study. There I said it so hate me if you want, say I am lazy and just looking for an easy way out, but I am tired of being overwieght and conventional methods are not working. OH and yes I have had a full blood workup and I dont have any health issues or thyroid issues.

I don't think there is anger here but I think there is realism. People will try to sell you whatever if they can and the best way to sell some supplement is to say that it will help you lose weight.

Now for your case, 2 lbs in 10 days is really good. Trust me, I know. I can go weeks/months even over a year without losing a lb. At the beginning of last year, I decided to try really hard to lose weight. I went 3 months with proper eating and exercise and didn't lose a lb. Then around the 3rd month, I lost 1 lb. Then the weight came off a little quicker after that.

A couple things to remember is that calories count no matter what plan you are on. Have you counted and tracked your calories?

Your body also can get very efficient at a specific exercise if that is all you do. Have you tried mixing up your workouts? Have you done weights?

We know for a fact that weight loss comes from eating less calories and increasing activity. Everything else is iffy. Even things that have burn calories make a very minimal effect.