Eating Disorders In The News



Trying To Define Binge Eating Disorder


Los Angeles Times
Binge eating was long seen by psychiatrists as an unusual symptom of major depression or an anxiety disorder. After all, it seemed sometimes to lessen or yield to antidepressants and psychotherapy -- both aimed primarily at treating depression or anxiety.

But as anorexia and bulimia gained public recognition and as eating disorder clinics began to fill in the 1980s, the field began to see a growing group of patients who had clearly dysfunctional eating patterns yet fit the description of neither anorexia nor bulimia.

By 1994, when the American Psychiatric Assn. published the most recent edition of its diagnostic manual, binge eating was put on a watch list of conditions that might in the future be considered distinct. Since then, researchers estimate that roughly half of eating-disorder patients are identified as not fully fitting the diagnostic criteria for anorexia and bulimia. They are consigned to the diagnostic gray area called "eating disorder, not otherwise specified," or EDNOS. A large proportion of people with the diagnosis are believed to be binge eaters who do not then purge.

Read in full: Trying To Define Binge Eating Disorder

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Thinspiration: Do Web Sites Encourage Anorexia?

Fox News
Recently there has been increased concern over hundreds of "pro-eating disorder" Web sites that provide "thinspiration" to legions of young women who want to become stick-thin.

These sites provide an online community to swap tips on how to fast, disguise disordered eating, and generally "encourage" anorexia (though people don't really need to look far for information on dieting tips or how not to eat).

Following public complaints and concerns, many such "pro-ana" sites have been shut down. In 2001, for example, the search engine Yahoo purged over 100 pro-anorexia sites. French officials have recently threatened to criminalize groups they believe encourage eating disorders, arrest their members, and shut down Web sites hosted in France. People posting images of thin women or sharing dieting tips could face up to three years in prison and more than $70,000 in fines.

The concern is surely well-meaning, but is it misplaced?

For as much concern and furor as these "pro-ana" sites have generated, there is very little evidence of harm. As Kenyon College psychology professor Michael Levine told the International Herald Tribune, "You're going to be hard pressed to demonstrate in a very clear way that these sites have a direct negative affect."

Read in full Thinspiration: Do We Sites Encourage Anorexia?

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Get Off The Binge Eating Rollercoaster

The Australian
CAROL was just 15 when she went on her first diet.

It would be the start of a 15-year binge-eating and binge-dieting roller-coaster, one that would leave her suicidal and locked into a vicious cycle of depression, followed by yet more comfort eating and bingeing.

Now in her 40s, Carol has finally won her battle with binge eating disorder thanks to a long journey of self-discovery involving therapy and support groups where others with BED shared their experiences with her.

Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are well-known eating disorders, but there's less awareness of BED. And that's surprising as it's more common than anorexia and bulimia combined.

Read in full Get Off The Binge Eating Rollercoaster

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Holiday Meals Especially Difficult For Binge Eaters

Chicago Sun-Times
Most people feel tempted to overeat during the holidays, when calorie-laden comfort food is in endless supply from Thanksgiving until New Year's.

But the food-focused holiday season holds special dangers for those suffering from binge eating disorder -- a condition in which people eat excessive amounts of food while feeling unable to control their behavior.

Especially on Thanksgiving and Christmas, "you have this license to really go out of control, and it's acceptable behavior," said Christ, a recovering binge eater from the North Side who requested that his full name not be used. "Nobody notices that you're eating 12 pieces of pie, because you're just trying each one there."

The stress of family gatherings also can trigger unhealthy eating.

Read in full Holiday Meals Especially Difficult For Binge Eaters

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British Politician Attacks Kate Moss For Encouraging Anorexia

The Independent

After Moss publicly declared in an interview that "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels," Lembit Opik -- a member of the British Parliament -- has lashed out at the topmodel, telling UK paper The Sun this statement was "everything that is wrong with the fashion world."

(Relaxnews) -After Moss publicly declared in an interview that "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels," Lembit Opik - a member of the British Parliament - has lashed out at the topmodel, telling UK paper The Sun this statement was "everything that is wrong with the fashion world."

The model's quote from a recent interview with Women's Wear Daily had been posted as credo on several pro-anorexia sites, causing concern among help organizations such as Beat.

Read in full British Politician Attacks Kate Moss For Encouraging Anorexia

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The Most Common Eating Disorder You've Ever Heard Of

North by Northwestern

Sara always blots her pizza with a tissue to save calories. Carrie never eats the crust. Margaret professes to love deep dish pizza, but peels off all of the cheese. Mark rarely eats pizza because he doesn’t deserve it unless he runs ten miles first.

Which of these behaviors is normal? Which might be signs of an eating disorder? Sometimes it’s hard to make a distinction.

While perhaps none of these fictional characters would be diagnosed with anorexia, bulimia or a binge eating disorder –- the most commonly referenced eating disorders -– they may each have their own varying levels of undefinable psychological food struggles.

According to the National Eating Disorders Association, signs of an eating disorder include a preoccupation with body image and weight, fluctuation in weight unrelated to a medical condition and secretive or strange behavior during mealtimes.

EDNOS, or Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified, is the most common diagnosis for those with eating disorders. A study published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders found that over 77 percent of eating disorders were classified as EDNOS. Yet despite its prevalence, EDNOS is often neglected in the study of eating disorders, with most research focusing on anorexia and bulimia.

Read in full The Most Common Eating Disorder You've Ever Heard Of


sources linked above

Happy Thanksgiving!


For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Wishes for a wonderful Thanksgiving Day spent in the company of those who love and support you.
Happy Thanksgiving!



picture source:http://www.flickr.com/photos/zedzap

Recovery Quote Of The Week: November 25, 2009



Don't Quit
by: unknown

Poem in full:
When things go wrong as they sometimes will;
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill;
When the funds are low, and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but have to sigh;
When care is pressing you down a bit-
Rest if you must, but do not quit.

Success is failure turned inside out;
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt;
And you can never tell how close you are
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit-
It's when things go wrong that you must not quit.


Picture source:http://bit.ly/70zt97

Eating Disorder Recovery Quotes: Giving Thanks



Life can be hard. Some days are more difficult than others. Often we are so caught up in all that is wrong with our lives, so focused on the struggle, that we forget to be thankful for the good ... no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. In keeping with the holiday of Thanksgiving, here are some quotes to remind us of how important it is to focus on the positive. How important it is to celebrate and be thankful for what is right in our lives.

Happy Thanksgiving!


“Real life isn’t always going to be perfect or go our way, but the recurring acknowledgment of what is working in our lives can help us not only to survive but surmount our difficulties.”
Sarah Ban Breathnach

“Whatever our individual troubles and challenges may be, it’s important to pause every now and then to appreciate all that we have, on every level. We need to literally “count our blessings,” give thanks for them, allow ourselves to enjoy them, and relish the experience of prosperity we already have.”
Shakti Gawain

“Find the good and praise it.”
Alex Haley

“Take full account of the excellencies which you possess, and in gratitude remember how you would hanker after them, if you had them not.”
Marcus Aurelius

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. "
Thornton Wilder


“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
Albert Einstein

“You simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life. And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law: the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you.”
Sarah Ban Breathnach

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”
William Arthur Ward

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”
G. K. Chesterton

"Praise the bridge that carried you over."
George Colman


“Both abundance and lack exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend… when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that’s present — love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature and personal pursuits that bring us pleasure — the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience Heaven on earth.”
Sarah Ban Breathnach

“When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the morning light, for your life and strength. Give thanks for your food, and the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies with yourself.”
Tecumseh Shawnee Chief

“Sometimes our light goes out but is blown into flame by another human being. Each of us owes deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this light.”
Albert Schweitzer

“The person with a fixed goal, a clear picture of his desire, or an ideal always before him, causes it, through repetition, to be buried deeply in his subconscious mind and is thus enabled, thanks to its generative and sustaining power, to realize his goal in a minimum of time and with a minimum of physical effort. Just pursue the thought unceasingly. Step by step you will achieve realization, for all your faculties and powers become directed to that end.”
Claude M. Bristol

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."
John Fitzgerald Kennedy


“Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.”
Brian Tracy

“Never neglect the little things. Never skimp on that extra effort, that additional few minutes, that soft word of praise or thanks, that delivery of the very best that you can do. It does not matter what others think, it is of prime importance, however, what you think about you. You can never do your best, which should always be your trademark, if you are cutting corners and shirking responsibilities. You are special. Act it. Never neglect the little things.”
Og Mandino

“When we become more fully aware that our success is due in large measure to the loyalty, helpfulness, and encouragement we have received from others, our desire grows to pass on similar gifts. Gratitude spurs us on to prove ourselves worthy of what others have done for us. The spirit of gratitude is a powerful energizer.”
Wilferd A. Peterson

"If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness. It will change your life mightily."
Gerald Good


"The unthankful heart... discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings!"
Henry Ward Beecher


“He who thanks but with the lips Thanks but in part; The full, the true Thanksgiving Comes from the heart”
Unkown

"If you count all your assets, you always show a profit."
Robert Quillen


"Grace isn't a little prayer you chant before receiving a meal. It's a way to live."
Jacqueline Winspear


“There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy.”
Ralph H. Blum

“I will give thanks to thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Thy works, and my soul knows it very well.”
Bible quotes

"There is not a more pleasing exercise of the mind than gratitude. It is accompanied with such an inward satisfaction that the duty is sufficiently rewarded by the performance."
Joseph Addison


"The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings."
Eric Hoffer


"To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven."
Johannes A. Gaertner


“Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude.”
Denis Waitley

”The best way to pay for a lovely moment is to enjoy it.”
Richard Bach

"The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you."
John E. Southard


“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”
Marcel Proust

"He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has."
Epictetus


“What if you gave someone a gift, and they neglected to thank you for it-would you be likely to give them another? Life is the same way. In order to attract more of the blessings that life has to offer, you must truly appreciate what you already have.”
Ralph Marston

"A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues."
Cicero


“Gratitude is a vaccine, an antitoxin, and an antiseptic.”
John Henry Jowett

“Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes of which all men have some.”
Charles Dickens

*Please see sidebar menus for more recovery quotes and quotes of the week.

picture source:flickr.com: santacrewsgirl

Eating Disorder Poll: Thanksgiving Day Feelings



While so many happily look forward to celebrating Thanksgiving Day with their family and friends, how does it affect your feelings? Please take a moment to participate in the poll located in the sidebar and share your feelings with others.
Thank you.

This poll is closed. Thanks to all who participated.

Poll Results:
Eating Disorders and Thanksgiving Day Feelings

Anxious
71 (63%)
Fearful
53 (47%)
Grateful
18 (16%)
Afraid I'll Relapse
22 (19%)
Afraid ED will B discovered
25 (22%)
Happy 2 B with loved 1s
22 (19%)
Indifferent
12 (10%)
Afraid I'll binge
63 (56%)
Afraid I'll purge
39 (35%)
Not attending TG dinner
12 (10%)
Preparing TG dinner
15 (13%)
Attending TG dinner
44 (39%)
In recovery
40 (36%)
Not in recovery
24 (21%)

Votes: 111


More poll results can be found here.

Eating Disorders Inspirational Recovery Quotes: Our Bodies



Each individual woman's body demands to be accepted on its own terms.
Gloria Steinem~

It is the confidence in our bodies, minds, and spirits that allows us to keep looking for new adventures, new directions to grow in, and new lessons to learn ... which is what life is all about.
Oprah Winfrey~

Intelligence is present everywhere in our bodies . . . our own inner intelligence is far superior to any we can try to substitute from the outside.
Deepak Chopra
~

Some patients I see are actually draining into their bodies the diseased thoughts of their minds.
Zacharty Bercovitz
~

To keep the body in good health is a duty... otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.
Buddha
~

There is deep wisdom within our very flesh, if we can only come to our senses and feel it.
Elizabeth A. BehnkeAnne Sexton~

Our own physical body possesses a wisdom which we who inhabit the body lack. We give it orders which make no sense.
Henry Miller~

I love the body. Flesh is so honest, and organs do not lie.
Candea Core-Starke~

Emotion always has its roots in the unconscious and manifests itself in the body.
Irene Claremont de Castillejo
~
I finally realized that being grateful to my body was key to giving more love to myself.
Oprah Winfrey~

All we actually have is our body and its muscles that allow us to be under our own power.
Allegra Ken~

Safeguard the health both of body and soul.

Cleobulus~
We don't stop at our skin.
Dolores Krieger~

The body is a multilingual being. It speaks through its color and its temperature, the flush of recognition, the glow of love, the ash of pain, the heat of arousal, the coldness of non-conviction . . . It speaks through the leaping of the heart, the falling of the spirits, the pit at the center, and rising hope.
Clarissa Pinkola Estés
~

Why do we alienate ourselves so much from our bodies? It's that big piece of machinery attached to your head.
Carrie Latet
~

If the body be feeble, the mind will not be strong.
Thomas Jefferson~

I stand in awe of my body.
Henry David Thoreau~
Take care of your body with steadfast fidelity. The soul must see through these eyes alone, and if they are dim, the whole world is clouded.
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe~


It is amazing how many hints and guides and intuitions for living come to the sensitive person who has ears to hear what his body is saying.
Rollo May~

Each body has its art...
Gwendolyn Brooks~

Every man is the builder of a temple called his body.

Henry David Thoreau~

You should pray for a sound mind in a sound body.
Juvenal~
If the mind, that rules the body, ever so far forgets itself as to trample on its slave, the slave is never generous enough to forgive the injury, but will rise and smite the oppressor.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow~

The body is a sacred garment.
Martha Graham~
The best and most efficient pharmacy is within your own system.
Robert C. Peale~

It's also helpful to realize that this very body that we have, that's sitting right here right now... with its aches and it pleasures... is exactly what we need to be fully human, fully awake, fully alive.
Pema Chodron~
Sometimes your body is smarter than you are.
Unknown~

If your inner energy is misdirected, so will your whole life be.
C. Astrid Weber~

Our body is precious. It is our vehicle for awakening. Treat it with care.
Buddha
~

Our bodies are our gardens to which our wills are gardeners.
Shakespeare~

Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live.
Jim Rohn
~

The goal in life is living in agreement with nature.
Zeno~

In our bodies, in this moment, there live the seed impulses of the change and spiritual growth we seek, and to awaken them we must bring our awareness into the body, into the here and now.
Pat Ogden~

No matter who you are, no matter what you do, you absolutely, positively do have the power to change.
Bill Phillips~

Wisdom is to the soul what health is to the body.
DeSaint-Real~

Begin to see yourself as a soul with a body rather than a body with a soul.
Wayne Dyer~

Here in this body are the sacred rivers: here are the sun and moon as well as all the pilgrimage places ... I have not encountered another temple as blissful as my own body.
Saraha
~

As is the gardener, so is the garden.
Proverb~

The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, nor to anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.
Buddha~

*Please see sidebar menus for more recovery quotes and quotes of the week.

What Are Your Strengths?



Video by: Holdingon

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Kimkins: Notice Of Pendency Of Class Action

Here is the notice that has now been approved by the Court. I will post a copy of the notice including the Judge's signature as soon as it is provided to me.

Please pass this on - forward it to every party you might think remotely interested, including media outlets you think may have an interest in sharing this information. If you are familiar with anyone who joined Kimkins, please direct them to this notice so that as many of the 40,000 people affected by Heidi's little scam as possible will have the opportunity to know they are part of the class and can opt out, preferring instead to allow Heidi to keep their money, or, perhaps, retaining their right to sue her independently.


NOTICE OF PENDENCY OF CLASS ACTION

TO: EVERYONE WHO PURCHASED A MEMBERSHIP TO KIMKINS.COM THROUGH THE KIMKINS.COM WEB SITE (www.kimkins.com) FROM JANUARY 1, 2006 TO OCTOBER 15, 2007

PLEASE READ THIS NOTICE CAREFULLY. YOUR RIGHTS MAY BE AFFECTED BY A CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT THAT IS CURRENTLY PENDING IN RIVERSIDE COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT, IN RIVERSIDE, CALILFORNIA.

INTRODUCTION

1. On May 20, 2009, the Riverside County Superior Court, located in Riverside, California, issued an order certifying this case to proceed as a class action.

2. The plaintiffs are six individuals who bought memberships to kimkins.com through the kimkins.com Website (www.kimkins.com) from January 1, 2006 to October 15, 2007. The defendants are Heidi Diaz, an individual, and Kimkins (also known as Kimkins.com), a business entity that conducts business in Corona, California.

3. The plaintiffs contend that Diaz and Kimkins.com induced them into buying memberships for kimkins.com through false and misleading information provided on the Kimkins.com Web site. The plaintiffs contend that the defendants violated California Business & Professions Code § 17200, et seq., which authorizes courts to provide relief from unfair, unlawful, and fraudulent business practices. The plaintiffs also contend that Diaz and Kimkins.com violated common law prohibitions against fraud and negligent misrepresentation.

4. This notice provides you with information regarding the litigation, including the plaintiffs’ claims against the defendants and the current status of the litigation. This notice also provides you with information regarding the court’s class-certification order.

THE LITIGATION

The Plaintiffs’ Claims

5. This lawsuit is based on the plaintiffs’ claims that Diaz and Kimkins used unfair, unlawful, or fraudulent business practices to induce them into buying memberships to Kimkins.com. This lawsuit is also based on the plaintiffs’ claims that the false and misleading information contained on the kimkins.com Web site constituted fraud or negligent misrepresentation by Diaz and Kimkins.

6. Here’s a list of the kinds of misconduct that the plaintiffs have alleged:

• that Diaz and Kimkins concocted a false persona, “Kim Drake” or “Kimmer” to sell memberships to Kimkins.com
• that Diaz and Kimkins misled potential members into believing that “Kim Drake” was real by using photos of real women and then falsely claiming that the photos depicted “Drake”
• that Diaz and Kimkins posted lied about “Drake’s” purported weight loss
• that Diaz and Kimkins provided false or misleading information to Women’s World magazine
• that Diaz and Kimkins fabricated 41 “success stories” and published on the Kimkins.com Web
• that Diaz and Kimkins made up celebrity endorsements
• that Diaz and Kimkins misused labels and metatags to steer Internet traffic to the Kimkins.com Website, in violation of the law
• that Diaz and Kimkins misled potential members into believing that they were buying lifetime memberships, when in fact Diaz and Kimkins.com terminated memberships at their whim
• that Diaz and Kimkins intended to mislead potential members and assumed that potential members would rely on her misrepresentations.

The Defendants’ Position

7. Diaz and Kimkins have denied all allegations of wrongdoing and liability, and they continue to deny that they have done anything wrong. Diaz and Kimkins also have asserted various affirmative defenses to the plaintiffs’ claims.

THE COURT’S CLASS-CERTIFICATION ORDER

8. In an order filed May 20, 2009, the Court granted the Plaintiffs’ Motion for Class Certification. The Court certified for class treatment the plaintiffs’ claims for equitable relief, including disgorgement of the subscription fees paid to Diaz and Kimkins by the plaintiffs and the members of the class.

9. The certified class is defined as all individuals who purchased the Kimkins.com diet membership on-line from the Kimkins.com Web site from January 1, 2006 through October 15, 2007.

THE COURT HAS NOT EXPRESSED ANY OPINIONS REGARDING THE MERITS OF THE PLAINTIFFS’ CLAIMS

10. The Court ordered that this notice be provided to advise class members that this case is pending and that the Court has certified the case to proceed as a class action. You should not consider this notice or its mailing to be a statement by the Court that the plaintiffs are right or that their claims will prevail.

INSTRUCTIONS TO CLASS MEMBERS

11. You do not need to do anything to remain a member of the class. If you bought a Kimkins.com diet membership on-line from the Kimkins.com Web site from January 1, 2006 through October 15, 2007—including either of those dates—you are automatically included in the class. Your rights will be represented by the plaintiffs and their attorneys. You will not be personally responsible for any attorney fees or for the any of the costs of this litigation.

OPT OUT OF CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT

12. You have the opportunity to opt out of the class action lawsuit as detailed herein. If you incurred a personal injury as a result of using the Kimkins.com aka Kimkins Diet, you have a right to opt out. Notices to opt must be sent to jtiedt@tiedtlaw.com or mailed to Tiedt & Hurd at 980 Montecito Drive, Suite 209, Corona, California 92879.

WHERE TO GO & WHOM TO CONTACT SHOULD YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION

13. This notice provides only a brief summary of this litigation. For further details, you should take one or both of the following steps:

• Review the documents in the Court’s file for this lawsuit. Many of these documents may be viewed or obtained on-line at the following URL: http://public-access.riverside.courts.ca.gov/OpenAccess/ . You also may review the Court’s file in person by going to the Office of the Clerk of the Court for the Riverside Superior Court, during regular business hours. The Clerk’s office is located at 4050 Main Street, Riverside, California 92501.

• Write a letter to the attorneys who are representing the plaintiffs and whom the Court has appointed to represent the class. Here are their names and their contact information:

John E. Tiedt & Marc S. Hurd
Tiedt & Hurd
980 Montecito Drive, Suite 209
Corona, California 92879

Michael L. Cohen
Michael L. Cohen, a PLC
707 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 4100
Los Angeles, California 90017

Ray Moore
Moore Winter McLennan LLP
701 N. Brand Blvd., Suite 200
Glendale, California 92103-4232

If you decide to contact one of the plaintiffs’ attorneys, please do so in writing. To make it easier for them or one of their staff members to respond, however, your letter should include both your e-mail address and your telephone number.

There are estimated to be as many as 40,000 members in the class. So please, DO NOT CALL THE COURT OR ATTEMPT TO CONTACT THE COURT BY E-MAIL.


DATE: ___________________________, 2009


____________________________________
Hon. _________________________,
Presiding Judge

More on Heidi Diaz and Kimkins:
Kimkins: An Internet Diet Scam
Kimkins: San Diego County Victims Sought
Kimkins Lawsuit: Class Certification Granted
Kimkins Lawsuit: Class Certification Granted ... Again