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Anne Diamond Calls for Volunteers to Play Bejeweled Twist and put a New Weight Loss Theory to the Test

When broadcaster and health campaigner Anne Diamond reviewed some videogames earlier this year, her damnation was so scathing that it overshadowed The Byron Review, a major government-commissioned report on the subject.

Fast forward eight months and the leading health campaigner is now working with researchers to test a theory that certain casual games may actually help weight loss and she’s recruiting volunteers for a clinical trial to put the theory to the test.

This study was prompted by work already undertaken in the U.S. by East Carolina University research published in May 2008 which showed casual videogames relieved stress [see the following for more information http://www.ecu.edu/cs-admin/news/releases/2008/4/ecupopcapstudy04282008.cfm].

“Of course, we are not talking about the kinds of violent games I reviewed earlier in the year, and which caused such a stir in the gaming world” Diamond comments. “We’re looking at casual videogames. Research suggests that, unlike the violent and adrenalin-fuelled titles I reviewed, certain “casual” games can reduce stress levels, enhance mood, and even reduce depression. What’s more, they could actually help with weight loss - a subject very close to my heart. The theory is that playing casual games like PopCap.co.uk’s Bejeweled Twist for a few minutes, say at lunchtime, or at a stressful time of day, can provide a simple distraction from food cravings, helping dieters remain focussed, de-stress them and lift their mood - very important features in weight loss… So naturally, I wanted to know more.”

Respected dietician and nutritionist, Nigel Denby, who will conduct the research throughout January 2009 added: “Beating cravings and ‘grazing’ are two of the most challenging aspects of dieting for many people and January 1st is traditionally when many people embark on a diet. The majority have fallen off the wagon within three weeks. We’ve therefore decided to make this trial a real torture test and see if Bejeweled Twist can help New Year dieters achieve their goals.”

Cathy Orr of PopCap.co.uk, the company behind Bejeweled Twist and whose games were used in the clinical trials in the US said, “We are delighted Anne is involved in the new trial. We are just beginning to understand some of the positive health benefits casual games can have and we hope that we can find some good news for the millions of dieters in the UK.”

Dieters who wish to participate in the trial should visit http://www.popcap.co.uk to try out Bejeweled Twist and sign up for the study. The research will take place throughout January 2009.

Anne Diamond added: “Losing and managing weight is a struggle - some experts say that 12.8 million Brits are on a diet at any one time and all my research shows that it is a life sentence, and people need to develop strategies to stop snacking or comfort eating. Anything that can help make dieting even a little bit easier and less stressful is a positive development and playing casual games is something that anyone can do, any time, anywhere.”

Bejeweled is the most popular casual game franchise of the 21st century, with more than 350 million copies downloaded and over 25 million units sold. Bejeweled Twist is the first new Bejeweled title in almost four years.

Filed under : Beauty, Chat, Entertainment, Fun, Health & Fitness

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A group of highly experienced female financial gurus have launched an online ‘help-site’ and forum aimed specifically at women having trouble managing their finances.

Debt Divas has been set up by female financial experts Melanie Giles, Melanie Nicholas, Susan Clay, Suzanne Stocker and Vanessa Phillips and encourages women, who are traditionally reluctant to own up to their personal debt problems, to talk, share and discuss how to resolve their finance worries. The site provides a combination of professional advice, hints, tips and case studies along with a ‘Debt Analyser’ and a ‘Girl Chat’ forum facility.

According to a report by the Consumer Credit Counselling Service, women account for more than half of their client base (almost 60%) and women are also more likely to have home credit, store card and catalogue debt than men. Women are also more likely than men to keep their debt problems secret. Forty percent of female CCCS clients hide their debt problems from their partners, compared to 34 percent of men.*

Melanie Giles, who heads up the Debt Divas team is one of a very small number of female insolvency practitioners in the UK and along with her female colleagues, who are all debt experts, hopes the website will offer a much needed open forum for women in financial trouble, who want to seek help and support whilst retaining anonymity.

“As a group of female finance practitioners we were all finding that a large proportion of the calls we were receiving from potential new clients were from women,” says Melanie Giles.

“Many women with debt problems get into trouble because they are more likely to be single parents, working part-time or caring for relatives, often earning less than men. Women also often borrow from high interest sources and then feel embarrassed about admitting that they are not managing their finances.”

“A ‘help-site’ with an active online community forum that offers advice, tips and guidance from peers, experts with a uniquely ‘female’ view and anyone with an interest, was seen as the best way to offer a truly relevant and practical service to as many women as possible,” added Debt Diva Susan Clay.

The site offers news, features, guidance and opinion and actively encourages participation from members when it comes to offering examples of what has and hasn’t worked for them.

Sections on the ‘help-site’ include general debt solutions, case studies and success stories as well as extensive resources on Debt and Health, Debt and Family, Debt and Workplace Issues including budget busting recipes, how to look good on a budget and much more.

“With Christmas looming and all of the financial implications that come with the festive season, we hope members and future members of the site will band together and come up with some really useful tips,” added Melanie Giles.

“The site offers up-to-date professional advice and guidance but the Debt Divas community is also very much about women helping each other. And we’re pretty good at that!”

For further details visit http://www.debtdivas.co.uk .

* Centre for Credit Counseling Statistical Yearbook 2007

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Santa Claus Allows Families to Keep the Spirit of the Christmas Season Despite Tight Spending

While families are trying to make wiser spending choices this season, that doesn’t mean that Santa Claus will be put on the back burner. With parents opting to spend only where it counts and make sure they are getting the most bang for their buck, they are being selective with gift purchases, and are putting a focus on traditions that will make the most impact on their families’ Christmas memories.

One company that specializes in making sure that children receive a memorable visit with Santa Claus is SantaSpeaking.com, which provides personalized phone calls to children from Santa. SantaSpeaking.com’s early season figures show a 46% increase in scheduled visits over 2007, illustrating families’ commitment to keeping the tradition of Santa Claus alive.

“Parents can do much to scale back their Christmas, but children will still expect Santa to come. The anticipation of his arrival is part of the magic of their holiday, and a special visit with Santa just adds to that,” says Anne Gaskell, founder of SantaSpeaking.com. “We weren’t sure what to expect in terms of volume this year because of such gloomy forecasts, but we’re surprised to see the spike in orders so early in the season.”

Scott Williams, VP of Emisare Inc., a relationship and branding firm in Greensboro, NC, says, “Families will use this time to focus on what’s important, keeping their traditions intact and strengthening the message of Christmas. Celebrating Santa Claus offers parents the opportunity to stress valuable lessons like being kind, considerate, helpful and to show appreciation for what you do have, at a time where indulgent spending may not be an option for families.”

And so while there may be fewer presents under the tree this year, families are counting on Santa to still bring cheer and warm, fuzzy memories at a time where families really need it. Keeping family traditions like Santa Claus alive — when little on the news seems bright — may just lend optimism to Christmas where pessimism was forecasted.

SantaSpeaking.com was founded in 2004 by two moms in the midwest who aim to brighten other families’ Christmas through the magic of Santa Claus. SantaSpeaking.com provides personalized phone calls to children from Santa Claus, offering a recording of the conversation after the call is made as a keepsake to parents. Cost of calls and recordings range from $21.95 - $49.95.

Filed under : Chat, Entertainment, Family & Home, Money, Shopping

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