Health & Beauty

  Botox - is it for the Good, the Bad or the Ugly? Definitely, not for the faint hearted

Advertising, we just can't live without it. It keeps us up to date and in focus as to what is in and what is out. Trendy, or, just last season. It is everywhere we look. In newspapers, on the internet, thrown at us via our mobile telephone, magazines are littered with glossy pictures, bill boards, we are seduced and even hooked. It is there, either hitting us straight between the eyes or subliminally. Could we live without it? We could, but do we truthfully want to?

Experts say our eyes actually get a craving to see flawless features, the perfectly formed physique and hippest of fashions. Bright colours cheer us up. Those beaming smiles gazing back from glossy covers make us dream of that perfect place and the perfect you.

or as with Nicole Kidman and everyone like her who are bathed in the public eye, the need to maintain that image of fresh faced and youthful 'joie de vive.' While everyone changes around them, they cannot. The icons of the silver screen have to maintain an aura of time standing still. Whether it be through surgical enhancement, botox or something equally dramatic, someone is going to try it. It takes an objective mirror to say whether it was for the Good, the Bad, or the Ugly!

single course in nutrition, most often in their first year.

A New Study Finds Physicians’ Nutrition Education Lacking, American Dietetic Association Advises Consumers Seeking the Best Information: See a Registered Dietitian

A new study indicates that 60 percent of medical schools in the United States are not meeting minimum recommendations for their students’ nutritional education.

With obesity being a Western epidemic. Pre-packaged, processed foods the norm, poor dietary consumption has created diseases and brought on ailments that once did not exist 15 years ago. Symptoms for poor dietary health or malabsorption and intolerance can be devastating and life threatening and yet when a blood test comes back showing a clean bill of health, one is almost guided towards a Psychiatric chair for a mental evaluation.

More and more people are resorting to 'physician heal thyself' treatments because of the GP's lack of knowledge and empathy. Patients are pushed into going to see specialists who just want to do very expensive procedures, knowing full well that they are not necessary, but it is the easier of several options, when the problem, most of the time is looking everyone square in the face. DIET sensitivities. But no-one takes the time to properly evaluate because of a lack of dietary wisdom and care. It's called, thinking outside of the box. Sad, when in the end -
'We are what we eat.'

We all wish that there was a miracle cream or pill that will wipe away those frown lines, deminish the smile indentations and just roll the clock back in time, sadly, it's not quite that simple.

Grantedly some creams on the market (and we are talking about some incredibly expensive ones) can soften and swell the skin to a degree, giving the applier a feeling of softness and complete well being. These benefits are accurate, but short lived however. The advantage to most is a confidence boost that outways the departure of cash from the wallet.

The Advertising slogans are relentless. Promising heaps and delivering...well, you be the judge. From creams, to pills, potions, health drinks. The Health and Beauty Industry is BIG BUSINESS. An industry driven by sexual instinct will always thrive
MEDIEVAL noblewomen swallowed arsenic and dabbed on bats' blood to improve their complexions; 18th-century Americans prized the warm urine of young boys to erase their freckles; Victorian ladies removed their ribs to give themselves a wasp waist. The desire to be beautiful is as old as civilisation, as is the pain that it can cause.

The pain has not stopped the passion from creating a $160 billion-a-year global industry, encompassing make-up, skin and hair care, fragrances, cosmetic surgery, health clubs and diet pills. Americans spend more each year on beauty than they do on education. Such spending is not mere vanity. Being pretty—or just not ugly—confers enormous genetic and social advantages. Attractive people (both men and women) are judged to be more intelligent and better in bed; they earn more, and they are more likely to marry.

Obesity is a growing epidemic and currently affects more than 72 million adults in the United States, the UK is currently the FAT capital of Europe. Experts say losing
weight can add the vitality needed to make that extra cash. That has to make anyone feel better!

Well, it must have something to do with it as while some businesses in the USA struggle, this is not the case for many Fitness Clubs in the country with all-time high attendances. One presumes that the healthy motivation to kicking your financial woes could become a world wide fad - one hopes so.

The Big question is; should we as consumers believe all these promises, or just count on them being smooth scams. And, even if we think, this must be 'too good to be true,' will most of us try it outanyway in the hope it will at leastso SOMETHING.

Like that miracle wonder drug that removes a cancer tumour over night? In deed we will and the Health and Beauty Industry relies on it.

Some creams will deliver a minute portion of what is promised and this may be enough for some people, again, the Industry relies on this. While others just don't deliver at all OR as with cellulite eradication creams, becomes just so expensive to continue one wouldn't really know whether it could have finally delivered on all it's touting or not!

For all you know, the cons far outweigh the pros, thus using such product is not only pointless but also wasteful of time and money. Advantages are definitely easier to find out because manufacturers will make sure that it doesn't escape your notice.

However, when it comes to the cons, you need a little more digging. It takes a little effort and time but it's definitely worth it if you are keen on seeing desirable results on your skin.

Whatever the result of discoveries versus studies, trials and indepth investigations people will always be curious and try.However, the old adage still remains, 'If in doubt, do nothing.'

Actors find time between takes to make some extra dough...
'Because they're so worth it!'

It was not so long ago when if you were an Actor appearing in an Advertisement your career was said to be on 'Death Row.' It was also acknowledged, that if you were appearing
 in a play or PERISH the thought, LAS VEGAS your film or television career was really in the
- 'Little Back Room' - and don't even contemplate a revival or come back.

But, the last 10 to 20 years has seen a dramatic swing change, a mellowing of theories, where thespian snobbery has gone out the back door, way past that 'Little Back Room' with a resounding THUD as the exorbitant paychecks for such 'desperate dealings' in Adverts and Las Vegas shows prove that it isn't such a 'desperate deal' afterall, in fact, you would be
almighty insane not to take the deal - running all the way to the bank with the check, before the ink even drys - and before 'SOMEONE,' changes their mind.

In 2006 Nicole Kidman - while at the time was the highest paid Hollywood actress and in great demand - was reportedly paid $5million dollars for four days work shooting a perfume commercial for Chanel No. 5. The Advert cost a wapping $12 million to make - a miniature movie in itself. Now we find our own stellar Englishman, Hugh Laurie also joining the ranks of the 'smiley' salesman cum advocator of a brand that 'he trusts.' He joins Cheryl Cole, Beyoncé, Rachel Weisz, Gerard Butler and Patrick Dempsey as the NEW face of L'Oréal.

Even Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow strips off for a Vanity Fair photo shoot, posing topless while wearing nothing but fishnets and Louis Vuitton jewellery. But hey, it's all for the ART!