You may have noticed the proud sponsor of BreastCancer Network of Strength logo at the end of this week's alli television ads. But, you might not be familiar with the organization because they used to be called Y-ME National BreastCancer Organization. 

BreastCancer Network of Strength provides support to people touched by breastcancer through its YourShoes 24/7 Support Center.  As part of this center, you can talk to someone (1-800-221-2141) who has walked in your shoes because all of the peer counselors are breastcancer survivors. 

Having worked on the project, I can tell you the passion and enthusiasm that the organization has for helping those touched by breastcancer. I am proud to say that I wear their pin everyday.  Like many others, I have already provided their Support Center number this year to someone dear to me.

Oh, BTW, the BreastCancer throughout the post is not a typo, but the only way that our system would allow the first word to be used.

The lawyer also reminded me to state that The BreastCancer Network of Strength name and emblem are used with its permission which in no way constitutes an endorsement, express or implied, of this product.

More attention has been given in recent years to how media portrays beauty, especially among women. Some brands have begun to challenge the stereotype that to be beautiful, you have to be stick thin. You may recall Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty which celebrates women no matter their age or size. A new TV ad for the campaign, featuring a little girl, was recognized in one of TIME's 2007 Top Ten lists.

You don't have to be a size two to be beautiful, as the models portrayed in advertising for alli have demonstrated. You also don't have to be a size two to be high fashion.

This month, alli and Vogue magazine have partnered to provide a new weight loss tool for overweight women - a 2008 alli calendar. The January 2008 issue of Vogue includes a 28-page pull-out calendar featuring real, beautiful, fashionable women for every month along with motivation tips for losing weight.

In addition, three mini-episodes on healthy entertaining will be posted online on ShopVogueTV in March, September and December 2008. I'll try to remember to post on the blog when they're available for viewing.

As the calendar says, "Resolutions are good, but action is better." I hope the alli Vogue calendar will be a real motivator to stick with your action plan, and have a little fun while you're at it.

Losing weight tops almost everyone's New Year's resolution list. And this year, for the first time, an FDA-approved weight loss product is available to help.

The alli team thought very carefully about how to structure a theme for this time of year while being consistent with the alli approach. To help guide our thinking, we commissioned a survey that asked 2,000 people their opinions about weight loss options and their past New Year's resolutions.

We found that three quarters (73 percent) of adults who plan to make a serious attempt to lose weight in 2008 agreed that receiving outside help from a dietitian, pharmacist or other healthcare professional would help them achieve their weight-loss goals. However, only a fraction (17 percent) of these adults said they would actually seek this level of support.

This was the foundation for our idea: a free, four-day program to give people the opportunity to engage with health care professionals who can help with weight loss.

Mark your calendar for Jan. 4 - 7, 2008 between 10 AM and 6 PM Eastern daily

You may hear about Make This Year Different in our TV ads. Visit the site to find out more on how you can engage with a healthcare professional, even if you are not taking alli.

Here's what you can do as part of the event:

• Chat live with a registered dietitian or pharmacist January 4th - 7th from 10am-6pm


• Watch videos by weight loss experts


• Call 1-866-551-DIFFERENT for tips from weight loss experts


• Learn about GSK's partnerships with the American Dietetic Association and the American Pharmacists Association


• Lastly, learn how alli can help you lose more weight

Hope you'll tune in if you are overweight.  This can be your opportunity to make this year different and to seek expert advice from a registered dietitian or pharmacist.

Note: you do have to register for the chat sessions but it only takes a minute.

Colleen Laing, a blogger writing for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer notes that she picked up a copy of are you losing it? while waiting in line for a prescription.

Her biggest takeaway came from a quote on page 10 by Gary Foster, Ph.D., director of the Center for Obesity Research and Education at Temple University. "Weight loss is about self care. It is about taking time for self care. It is about changing your attitude, your behavior and your lifestyle," says Dr. Foster. 

And, he weighs in on how to accomplish this: "Don't make time for yourself - take it! ... you are worth taking care of." As Colleen puts it:

Remember in the airplane when the flight attendant says "put your oxygen mask on first, then your child's." That's the idea here -- if you're not taking care of yourself, how can you take care of others? Burnout is on the horizon, temporarily staved-off by a few donuts, a couple frappuchinos [sic], a brownie here, a cookie there.

- Colleen Laing for the Seattle Post Intelligencer

As the book says, the big question isn't whether a weight loss program can change your life, but can YOU?