The obesity epidemic, as perceived by the manufacturers of the multitude of dietary supplements on the market, is a goldmine. All they need to dig for their share of the billions of dollars being spent on quick-fixes is a means to reach their target audience. Enter the internet. Anyone with an e-mail address who has ever done a search for diet information is flooded with sales letters from every imaginable maker, broker or associate marketer of weight loss aids, all claiming stupendous results. According to the Mayo Clinic newsletter (www.mayoclinic.com/health/weightloss/HQ01160/METHOD) and site, most of these claims are bogus. In fact, due to the lack of research and statistical data, many of these “cures” for fat bodies may actually be quite harmful.