Ken is a Usana "associate" (like Amway).  He claims to have Crohns disease
and
to have controlled it with a "nutrient regime" of his Usana products.

Ken has no way of knowing whether this is true or not.

It is normal for Crohns sufferers to have bouts of the disease with
long/short periods of remission in between. The severity of individual cases
varies greatly from person to person.

Not everyone diagnosed with Crohns disease has to take meds.

Kens beliefs appear to be based on the writings of Dr Ray Strand author of
books such as "What Your Doctor Doesn't Know About Nutritional Medicine May
Be Killing You".

Dr Strand claims that Crohn's disease is one of over 70 chronic
degenerative diseases that are caused by oxidative stress. He recommends
large doses of (Usana) vitamins.

http://www.bionutrition.org/showSample.asp

    Dr Strand who is is a family practitioner is on Usana's advisory board
. He has never published a scientific paper in his career, or conducted a
scientific study. He has never earned any kind of degree in nutrition.

Dr Strands website allows associates to extract supplement treatments for
many diseases and this would give unqualified individuals an aura of medical
expertise which is essential for sales in the successful multi level
marketing of supplements.

While there are studies linking oxidative stress and Crohns. These have been
evaluated in medical journals and at medical symposiums and haven't  (as
yet) led to anything beyond an adjunct treatment.

Here are some useful links:

Crohns And Colitis Foundation of America Diet and nutrition information.

http://www.ccfa.org/info/diet?LMI=4.2

Tufts University scientists on [quote] "various claims that taking large
doses of
antioxidants might help prevent a variety of chronic ailments."

http://enews.tufts.edu/stories/041700MegadosesIneffective.htm

How the editorial board at Berkeley University came to their latest
recommendations on Vitamin E intake:

http://www.wellnessletter.com/html/ds/dsVitaminE.php

Linus Pauling Institute

http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/new/response.html

Kens assertions also appear to be based on the idea that his products are
superior, and references The Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements by
Lyle
Mac Williams.

Here's a link debunking the Comparative Guide as "little more than self
promotion by Usana":
http://www.melaleuca.com/wc/pdf/ComparativeGuide.pdf

[Lyle Mac William, who authored
the "Comparative Guide," says, in his own words, that there were only
TWO changes between the second and third edition:

--"the 3rd edition of our guide uses a median [rather than a mean]
value for each nutrient"

-- "we have increased the number of cited authorities to seven from the
previous four."]

[These are the people behind it

1. PHYLLIS BALCHER. Holds no academic position whatsoever. Only
credential: member of something called the "American Association of
Nutritional Consultants."   The group accepts anyone willing to pay the
$150 entrance fee.

2. MICHAEL COLGAN. Has published one (1) scientific paper in his entire
career. Holds no academic position. Sells his own vitamins, tapes,
DVDs, books, newsletters, etc., at his traveling "seminars."

3. EARL MINDELL: A "professor" at something calling itself "Pacific
Western University." Address for this school: 1650 Westwood Blvd.,
Suite 205. (Must be a TINY university.)

4. MICHAEL MURRAY. A "professor" at something called "Bastryr
University," which awards degrees in "natural healing."

The campus was built as a seminary. Bastyr just leases it from the
Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle.

5. RICHARD PASSWATER: A "professor" at "Bernadean University." Address
for this school: 21757 Devonshire, Suite 16 (apparently another tiny
university).

6. RAY STRAND:  Paid USANA promoter (officially: "member of USANA's
board of advisors"). What a coincidence: The "book" he contributes to
rates his company  #1!

7.  JULIAN WHITTAKER: Has created "a formula that has 17 ingredients
that help the eyes. It's called 'Vission Essentials,' and you can call
1-800..."]

Usana is a "Recruiting MLM"/  (essentially a pyramid scheme). Read this
article is from the
Desert News Utah:
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,600140269,00.html

[Usana admits (according to its SEC fillings) that 85% of its sales are to
other Usana Associates. The FDA recommends no more than 30%]

Is USANA a "Recruiting MLM," or Product-based Pyramid Scheme?
http://mlm-thetruth.com/Usana.htm

Scorin' with Orrin

How the gentleman from Utah made it easier for kids to buy steroids, speed,
and Spanish fly

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2001/0109.mencimer2.html

From PR Watch. Political lobbying means supplements could pass on Mad Cow
disease.

http://www.prwatch.org/prwissues/1997Q3/swallow.html

Ken is backed by a down line and up line support crew and Usana's marketing
machine.
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An Comment on Usana stock from Smartmoney.com:

" Chief Executive Dave Wentz credited the strong results to associate
recruitment ..."

we are cautiously optimistic that Japan's new [general manager] will finally
drive the market forward," wrote Block in a July 21 research note. He calls
the stock "an excellent long-term investment" and notes that the most
important metric to watch is associate growth, since it's correlated so
closely with sales.

[85% of Sales are from one associate to another]
http://www.smartmoney.com/stockscreen/index.cfm?story=20040805intro

MLM Watch http://www.mlmwatch.org/

Quackwatch
http://www.quackwatch.org/

Consumerlab.com for objective testing of supplements
http://www.consumerlab.com/

What Usana is really about
http://cosmo_and_judy.usana.com/mystory_en.cfm

The Woolly Thinkers Guide to Rhetoric

http://www.butterfliesandwheels.com/rhetoric.php

Quotes by Ken:

"So why is so much more spent on research for the drugs?
It's definitly not because drugs have proved to be more effective in
treating our health problems.  Aside from penicillin and being able to give
one a sexdrive...there hasn't been too many wonders in the drug world. yet
it consumes up most of the research money. Why is that?"

"Well if I understand correctly....DNA has proven that very little has to do
with genetics when it comes to our health."

"why you so worried about someone reading a book about a doctor who
recommends people taking vitamins? Especially when you haven't even read the
book....or is it my ten years without using meds got you all upset?"

Comparing the anti inflammatory drug Prednisone to Cigarettes:

"What would you call something that could eat away at your
joints,bones, cause diabetes, blindness, arthritis?
Heck...I call cigarretes a poison too  What with it containing more than 50
known cancer causing agents.
But I can see they are still a big seller.

Oh come on Carole...Open your eyes
Sure they do!!!Why else would they give out meds that cause death?  The most
recent being vioxx  and boy did they ever dish it out!!
They spend a lot more time learning pharmacalogy then then do about how
nutrition works .In case you never heard this...but the pharmaceutical
companies play a huge part in there schooling.  It use to be less then a
month out of there whole schooling was spent on nutrition.  Nutrition is an
ongoing science that is just at it's infancy.
Just look at how volatile the DRI's are.  Which use to be
the recommended daily allowances.

Do you know of a better company [than Usana ]  Nina?
Just take a look at the ingredient list.... What wouldn't someone like about
it?   I'm a firm believer that it's the best money can buy.  Why wouldn't I
support it?

Nina there is a lot more to improving one's health than just dropping drugs
.You are extremely nieve to think that taking nutritonal supplements means
you just get to drop the meds. Thats just plain stupid...not too mention
dangerous.

Drugs are bad whether they are prescribed,
bought over the counter, or from the local pusher on the street....If one
can do with out them the better off he is in the long run.
Even with these maintenance dosages of drugs the disaesse will progress,
although it seems more slowly than one who just drops the meds .But that
person is usualyy not involved in a alternate way of treating the disease
either .I'm a firm beleiver that through
balanced Diet, along with complete and balanced quality supplements and
moderate exercise one can not only stp the progression of the disease but
can even repair some of the damage .........I'm an excelleent example and
i'm
definitly not alone in this...My stricture had gotten too the point over 5
years ago that I could no longer get solids in me and they wanted to chop it
out.. I have not puked up my food in over 5 years now do to that stricture
nor did i have the operation.

Ken scoffs at nutritional advice from Tufts University:

But what about one's eye health ?  One needs over a thousand milligrams of
vitamin C to be effective there.
No wonder you don't pay for the advise...i don't think I would either.

"John H" <89s@yahoo.com.au> wrote in message news:42e4b0a1@clear.net.nz...