IAPAM Announces Position Statement on Using hCG for Weight Loss

The IAPAM is committed to educating physicians in the industry’s best practices for hCG for weight loss. In support of this commitment, the IAPAM has prepared a position statement on safely using hCG for Weight Loss.

Las Vegas, Nevada - December 14, 2011 -- The IAPAM is committed to educating physicians in the industry’s best practices for hCG for weight loss. In support of this commitment, the IAPAM has prepared a position statement (http://www.iapam.com/hcg-for-weight-loss.html) on safely using hCG for Weight Loss. In summary:

- The IAPAM agrees with the FDA regarding homeopathic hCG. The IAPAM supports the FDA/FTC’s removal of homeopathic hCG from the market. Homeopathic hCG is unproven and unsafe, and was never used for weight loss in the original Dr. Simeons program for weight loss (http://www.iapam.com/dr-simeons-pounds-and-inches-manuscript.html).

- hCG on its own is not effective for weight loss. What is required is a strict protocol, which includes: the use of prescription hCG, diet and patient counseling in order for hCG to be successful for weight loss. The IAPAM has found that physician directed hCG weight loss programs are very successful. Over 15,000 patients have safely and successfully lost weight by working with physicians who follow the IAPAM hCG for Weight Loss Protocol.

- The IAPAM does not endorse prescribing hCG for weight loss unless the physician has been properly trained, evaluates every patient, and reviews a comprehensive medical history along with current lab testing.

- Most existing hCG studies are flawed. The IAPAM has found that the few studies which have found that hCG offers no benefit over placebo for weight loss, do not always follow the Simeons Protocol precisely.

The IAPAM Agrees with the FDA’s Position in Homeopathic hCG

The IAPAM (http://www.iapam.com) is in total agreement with the FDA’s ban on homeopathic hCG (human Chorionic Gonadotropin).

The IAPAM and Ilisa Bernstein of the FDA agree that, homeopathic “hCG products, marketed over-the-counter, are unproven to help with weight loss and are potentially dangerous even if taken as directed, and a very low calorie diet should only be used under proper medical supervision.”

It is unsafe for a person to undertake a 500 calorie a day diet without the direct supervision of a physician. The original Simeons hCG protocol did not use or envision homeopathic hCG. Homeopathic hCG is unproven and unsafe, and these products contain little or no hCG,” emphasizes Jeff Russell, Executive Director of the IAPAM.

15,000 Patients have Safely and Successfully Lost Weight on the IAPAM’s hCG Protocol

Mr. Russell further emphasizes that, “hCG is only one part of an hCG program. The key to successful weight loss is: to use pharmaceutical grade hCG, to follow a strict diet and maintenance protocol, and to be under the direct supervision of a physician. A full patient medical history and complete lab testing is needed prior to any patient going on the hCG program. Using hCG alone will not result in safe, long term weight loss.”

Over 15,000 patients have safely and successfully lost weight under physician supervision and on the IAPAM’s hCG Protocol (http://www.hcgtraining.com).

Inconsistencies in Existing hCG Studies

Finally, in reviewing many of the studies that have been completed since the 1960s, the IAPAM has found that many of these trials did not follow the Simeons Protocol exactly. Physicians, who have reviewed the studies, have commented that they “were small studies and not rigorously controlled.” Moreover, many of “the studies done on hCG in the literature were not undertaken by physicians trained on the hCG diet,” and/or the “studies did not look at some of the touted benefits of hCG, such as how people feel on the diet, how and where they lose weight, and the success rates of people taking hCG.”

Ultimately, patients will have safe and effective weight loss, if under the supervision of a properly trained physician, expert in the use of pharmaceutical hCG for weight loss.

For a copy of the IAPAM’s Position Statement on hCG for Weight Loss go to http://www.iapam.com/hcg-for-weight-loss.html. For more information on the IAPAM’s hCG Training for Physicians or to register for an upcoming hCG Training seminar, please see http://www.hcgtraining.com or call the IAPAM at 1-800-219-5108 ext. 708 or email info@theiapam.com

About the IAPAM: The International Association for Physicians in Aesthetic Medicine

The International Association for Physicians in Aesthetic Medicine is a voluntary association of physicians and supporters, which sets standards for the aesthetic medical profession. The goal of the association is to offer education, ethical standards, credentialing, and member benefits. IAPAM membership is open to all licensed medical doctors (MDs), dentists (DDSs/DMDs) doctors of osteopathic medicine (DOs), physicians assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs). The IAPAM offers aesthetic medicine and hCG medical weight management programs, including: Botox ® training, medical aesthetic training, laser training, physician hCG training, and aesthetic practice business training. Additional information about the association can be accessed through the IAPAM’s website (http://www.iapam.com) or by contacting:

Jeff Russell, Executive-Director
International Association for Physicians in Aesthetic Medicine (IAPAM)
1-800-219-5108 x704

FPL Gives the Gift of Energy Efficiency with a Free Energy Makeover for Local Nonprofit

The Boys & Girls Club Nan Knox Unit in Broward County received a free energy makeover by Florida Power & Light Company and S & H Lighting, which will save the organization $1,500 annually on its energy bill.

Juno Beach, FL, December 14, 2011 -- With the holidays right around the corner, FPL led an effort to benefit a nonprofit organization which helps children in the community every day. The Boys & Girls Club Nan Knox Unit in Broward County received a free energy makeover by Florida Power & Light Company and S & H Lighting, which will save the organization $1,500 annually on its energy bill. The energy-efficient upgrades for the facility are worth approximately $6,200 and were made at no charge to the nonprofit organization.

The makeover included an overhaul of the outdated lighting - replacing older, inefficient lights with high-efficiency fixtures and light bulbs. FPL also donated $1,000 in holiday gifts for the center’s children and LED, energy-efficient holiday lights to help decorate the children’s activity room for the holidays. “The best lights of all were on the faces of our children as we unloaded their holiday packages,” said Matt Organ, executive vice president of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County. “We are so thankful to FPL for helping to make our holidays brighter here at the center and for the year-round energy savings we will be able reinvest in our community programs.”

FPL thanks the Boys & Girls Club Nan Knox Unit for its efforts to assist at-risk children by providing a positive alternative to the streets. To qualify for rebates on improvements, the Boys & Girls Club first underwent FPL’s free Business Energy Evaluation (http://www.FPL.com/OBEE) which can help all businesses and organizations learn the tools to manage their energy use and save money on their monthly bills. For more information about FPL’s free Business Energy Evaluation, go online to http://www.FPL.com/BEE. To learn more about the energy makeover at Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County/Nan Knox Unit, visit http://tinyurl.com/fplphotos to see photos from the event.

About Florida Power & Light Company
Florida Power & Light Company is the largest electric utility in Florida and one of the largest rate-regulated utilities in the United States. FPL serves 4.5 million customer accounts in Florida and is a leading employer in the state with approximately 10,000 employees. The company consistently outperforms national averages for service reliability while customer bills are below the national average. A clean energy leader, FPL has one of the lowest emissions profiles and one of the leading energy efficiency programs among utilities nationwide. FPL is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Fla.-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE). For more information, visit http://www.FPL.com.

Media Contact:
FPL Media Line
Florida Power & Light Company
700 Universe Blvd.
Juno Beach, FL 33408
305-552-3888

Zevrix Updates LinkOptimizer for InDesign: Adds Color Management Controls

Zevrix Solutions announces LinkOptimizer 4.6.8, a feature update to its popular workflow automation solution for Adobe InDesign. Awarded 4 out of 5 starts by Computer Arts magazine, LinkOptimizer allows to reduce InDesign job size and speed up processing by eliminating excess image data, performing essential image adjustments, converting image formats and more. The new version lets users control profile inclusion policy of color-managed images and addresses some stability and reliability issues.

Toronto (ON), Canada - December 14, 2011 -- Zevrix Solutions today announces the release of LinkOptimizer 4.6.8, a feature update to its popular workflow automation solution for Adobe InDesign. Awarded 4 out of 5 starts by Computer Arts magazine, LinkOptimizer automates complex image manipulation tasks allowing to significantly reduce the size of InDesign job, save processing time and reduce production costs.

The new version lets users control the ICC profile inclusion policy of color-managed images during processing, which is especially useful for workflows that require images to be saved without color profiles embedded.

"LinkOptimizer makes me extremely happy", says Nynke Tiekstra, the owner of design studio ColtsfootMedia in Friesland, Netherlands, "It converted 10000 images in a 1800 pages project saving us at least 40 hours work, and it proved to be 100% accurate."

LinkOptimizer works automatically with Adobe Photoshop to eliminate the excess image data of InDesign links, perform essential image adjustments and convert image formats. For example, with just a click of a button users can:

-scale and crop images to match their dimensions in InDesign,
-change their resolution to 300 ppi,
-convert all RGB images to CMYK,
-resave all JPEG images as TIFF,
-run a Photoshop Action on each image.

At the end of processing, LinkOptimizer will reimport images to InDesign at 100% in their precise position. In addition, the software can apply sharpening filters, merge layers and delete hidden ones, and process copies of InDesign documents and images instead of original files. As a result, users can save gigabytes of disk space and countless hours of optimizing images manually; accelerate document output; reduce job turnaround and cut costs through faster processing.

Pricing and Availability:
LinkOptimizer can be purchased from Zevrix website for US$259.95 (Light version: $179.95) as well as from authorized resellers. Trial is also available for download. The update is free for LinkOptimizer 4.x users and $98.78 to upgrade from previous versions. LinkOptimizer is available for Mac OS X 10.4.2-10.7, a Universal Binary, and works with Adobe InDesign CS2-CS5.5.

About Zevrix Solutions

Located in Toronto, Canada, Zevrix Solutions provides productivity solutions for Adobe Creative Suite software, PDF and graphic file diagnostics, as well as Microsoft Office on Mac OS. Zevrix Solutions is dedicated to helping professionals increase their profits through automating their everyday tasks, producing error-free documents, saving disk space and cutting production costs. For more information, visit http://www.zevrix.com.

-Ends-

Contact:
Leo Revzin
Owner
Zevrix Solutions
105 McCAUL St, Suite 301
Toronto Ontario M5T 2X4 Canada
Tel: 858-206-0607

Worksite Training a Priority in New Economy

AlphaStaff takes closer look at programs managers need in New Year.

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. - December 14, 2011 -- Worksite training is a must for companies wanting to improve administrative efficiency and ensure compliance. Not only can the right worksite training reduce costly HR-related litigation, it can help revitalize a company’s workplace culture and organization as a whole.

With the New Year right around the corner, AlphaStaff Group, Inc. (“AlphaStaff”), one of the nation’s largest professional employer organizations (PEO), has taken a look at training programs by area and offers the following advice:

1. Anti-harassment and diversity training -Diversity training must be all-inclusive, not limited to supervisors and managers but should extend to every employee in the organization. This is critical because it gives everyone the tools to identify, report and stop discrimination and also demonstrates that the employer is committed to fairness. Lastly, it can also prevent costly litigation should it occur and help bolster an organization’s legal defense. In terms of potential savings and improved productivity, diversity training is perhaps the most important component in today’s overall training equation.

2. Employee life cycle training -Training for managers as it relates to hiring, the employment stage and termination should have a clear focus and can be done in multiple sessions or one long session and should be followed with a series of refresher courses, as this can help limit potential legal action and protect employers when suits are filed.

a. Hiring -Managers should be informed about what can and cannot be asked in interviews; issues related to background checks and discrimination should be fully examined.

b. Employment stage -Managers should be trained on the value of coaching versus counseling; they should be informed about language to avoid, the importance of encouragement, and the legal requirements related to asking employees to work overtime. Ultimately, good training in this area can help to transform an organization’s culture, improving productivity.

c. Termination -Managers must be trained on the correct procedures involved in every state of the process. For instance they must review and understand the need for thorough documentation and the importance of communication. Smaller, specific details must be discussed in training as well, such as the fact that every termination meeting should include at least two management level employees, the need for security should be evaluated, and IT issues regarding access to email and files must be anticipated. Utilizing a progressive discipline process can limit uncomfortable separation meetings, as well as provide vital support for litigation/unemployment hearings.

d. Overtime - Overtime has become a hot employment topic. The bottom line for employers is –they must pay employees if they work the time. The Department of Labor requires that employees covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) must receive overtime pay for hours worked in excess of 40 in a workweek of at least one and one-half times their regular rates of pay; however there are some exceptions to this rule. Although this is clearly defined, employers can institute a policy that overtime must be authorized and employees may be disciplined for working unauthorized overtime but they must be paid for the time worked. Employees should not work off the clock and managers should not suggest it.

3. FMLA/ADA/Workers' compensation training -Good training can help avoid litigation and detect fraud, contributing to a stronger bottom line for employers. FMLA and ADA are difficult to navigate but it is vital for organizations to understand and recognize the signs when an employee is eligible for these protections. When it comes to workers’ compensation, HR leaders face significant challenges as they navigate a host of complex issues. Managers should be trained on key issues such as fraud detection, the proper process for filing claims and it will also make them more likely to follow the rules.

4. Conflict resolution training -This is an immediate priority -for the first time there are four different generations working side-by-side in the workplace. Role play is one of the best and most effective ways to act out situations and prepare managers in the event they should have to deal with various conflicts in the workplace. When handling an employee complaint, managers should: listen politely, allow the employee the chance to be heard, acknowledge the employee’s feelings, maintain confidentiality to the extent that they can, contact HR immediately, follow up with the employee using HR’s instructions and be sure to monitor the worksite to make sure the behavior is not recurring. Managers should not: agree with the employee, investigate/discuss the matter with other employees, promise to fix the problem, ignore the complaint, treat employees differently or retaliate. Mutual respect and apologizing also goes a long way in conflict resolution. A manage r's role in preventing and resolving conflict is to set the tone for a respectful workplace, recognize harassment and discrimination, and report those behaviors.

When it comes to worksite training, if not implemented correctly, the costs associated are great not just in dollars but in morale and productivity. By being proactive in their approach to training, communication and policies, employers can truly make their managers better prepared and their employees feel protected and supported.

About AlphaStaff
AlphaStaff Group, Inc., a full range of human resource outsourcing (HRO), delivers services to small and medium sized businesses and mid-market companies through a shared employment model. The company specializes in helping companies save money, time and free up administrative resources while reducing risk and ensuring compliance. Unlike other Professional Employment Organizations (PEO) or HRO providers, AlphaStaff has a unique, coordinated delivery approach as they work exclusively with insurance broker partners to distribute services. AlphaStaff’s experienced HR professionals deliver personal and flexible service to more than 1,300 client companies in the U.S. For more information, visit http://www.alphastaff.com.

Media Contact:
Kristy Kennedy
AlphaStaff Group, Inc.
800 Corporate Drive
Suite 600
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33334
305-448-5839

BusinessVibes showcases the Tobacco Industry

BusinessVibes, the international business directory and networking platform, announces this week the launch of the Tobacco and Allied Products industry portal.

London, UK, December 14, 2011 – BusinessVibes (http://www.businessvibes.com), the international business directory and networking platform, announces this week the launch of the Tobacco and Allied Products industry portal. Covering the main players and regions in the industry, the portal serves as a starting point for companies wishing to expand their international business. BusinessVibes is a perfect fit for those willing to search for new business partners and opportunities to make new deals.

Tobacco and Allied Products - the new industry introduced to the website includes 118 leading companies. Those which have already joined us, represent more than 30 countries considered to be crucial players in described Industry. Members of this group on BusinessVibes can benefit also from database of multiple international events gathering experts and leading exhibitors in this industry. All the companies and events listed on the website were hand-selected and verified by the BusinessVibes research team.

Tobacco Industry gathers those companies, which are engaged in growth, preparation for sale, shipment, advertisement, and distribution of tobacco and tobacco-related products. Tobacco industry is being developed in many places worldwide as tobacco itself can grow in any environment and on every continent apart from Antarctica.

BusinessVibes provides a platform for international buyers and sellers helping them to make connections and form partnerships. New companies wishing to join the directory are verified and categorized by the BusinessVibes team to ensure that listings are trustworthy and useful to our members.

Industries already covered on BusinessVibes include Textiles, Food Processing, Plastic Products, Farm Supplies, Industrial Equipment, Industrial Chemicals, Electronics and Electricals, Renewable Energy, Hotel Supplies, Metal Mining, and more.

Contact:
Marta Munia
Marketing Executive - Europe
Infiniti Research Limited
8 Wimpole Street
London W1G 9SP
Tel: +44 20 7291 0883
Follow us on Twitter: @businessvibes

BusinessVibes showcases Recreation Equipment Industry Portal

This time, new industry added to the portal consists of companies and associations acting in Recreation Equipment Industry.

London, UK, December 14, 2011 -- BusinessVibes (http://www.businessvibes.com) is a new global platform invented to help associations and companies all over the world to search for new business partnerships, better deals and efficient cooperation between buyers, suppliers and joint venture partners. Every single month new industries are added to the website allowing enterprises from different fields of economy to join the network and benefit from its functionalities. BusinessVibes covers main players in particular industries available on the website, this is why it is often considered to be a good first step in searching for new business contacts and partnership possibilities.

This time, new industry added to the portal consists of companies and associations acting in Recreation Equipment Industry. New BusinessVibes industry portal gathers 110 companies from 29 different countries giving them possibility to interact between each other and work on new deals and partnerships or simply to cooperate on the certain stage of their supply chain. Members have also access to 114 international industry events selected and checked by BusinessVibes team.

Recreation Equipment focuses on the leisure activities engaged indoors and outdoors as well. The more and more fashionable nowadays is spending a free time in natural or semi-natural landscapes out of the big towns. Recreation Equipment Industry offers then all tools and equipment necessary to do backpacking, adventure racing, canoeing, cycling, hunting, fishing, kayaking, hiking, mountaineering, running, rock climbing, skiing, surfing and many more. Recreation Equipment covers also all necessary staff for team games and practice held outdoor and indoor.

BusinessVibes gives companies acting in this industry possibility to find partners not only among the same industry but also to search for new buyers, suppliers or subcontractors from different industries. To avoid any scammers on the website and to ensure trustworthy listings BusinessVibes team members verify and categorize every single enterprise willing to join the network.

Industries already added to BusinessVibes include: Chemistry, Automotive, Textiles, Plastic Products, Renewable Energy, Food Processing, Electronics and Electricals, Hotel Supplies, Metal Mining, and many more.

Contact:
Marta Munia
Marketing Executive - Europe
Infiniti Research Limited
8 Wimpole Street
London W1G 9SP
Tel: +44 20 7291 0883
Follow us on Twitter: @businessvibes