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Kate Middleton has made headlines in the past year, both for her engagement to Prince William and her incredible fashion sense. But the latest headlines to mention her name have not been nearly as flattering. Middleton was labeled a “dummy” by the UK charity Sense About Science (SAS) for wearing a Power Balance bracelet.
The silicone bracelet, invented by Californian brothers Josh and Troy Rodarmel in 2007, supposedly eliminates “negativity” from the body and boosts energy level. Scientists, however, have slammed the claims as “bunkum”, saying that the bracelet doesn’t work at all.
Britain’s princess-to-be is not the only one sporting the bracelet, however. It has become the latest must-have accessory for the world’s biggest stars, especially after soccer star David Beckham was spotted wearing one last August.
Beckham has not yet commented if it was the bracelet that helped him get back to peak fitness and finally back on the field in September.
But basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal has attributed his success to the bracelet. The Power Balance website quotes O’Neal as saying: “That night, while playing for the Phoenix Suns, there were about three of my teammates with the product on and we won that game by 57 points! I kept feeling something when I wore the bracelet.”
Unfortunately for O’Neal, his claims have been proven to be more celebrity nonsense, as Power Balance was forced to admit misleading advertising in Australia last December.
The company has agreed to refund customers’ money and remove the words “performance technology” from the bracelet, according to the BBC News.
However, the Japanese equivalent Phiten (法藤) still claims that their titanium necklace can help promote life and relieve stress.
But Professor John Green at the University of Washington doesn’t buy it. He told a Seattle newspaper: “I know of absolutely no scientific evidence to implicate titanium to improving performance.”
SAS has released a report naming and shaming celebrities who have been guilty of promoting health fads with no basis in science. Let’s take a look at some of 2010’s main culprits:
(1) Lemon Detox Diet
British model Naomi Campbell revealed the secret of her stunning figure was a drink made from lemon juice, cayenne pepper and maple syrup. Campbell claimed she survived on the drink alone for up to 18 days.
Expert: Detox is a marketing myth: our bodies detox naturally without any help from pricey drinks or diets.
(2)Charcoal Diet
British pop star Sarah Harding told Now magazine in April that she sprinkled charcoal over her food. “It doesn’t taste of anything and apparently absorbs all the bad, damaging stuff in the body,” said Harding.
Expert: It is unnecessary to eat charcoal because the body is already quite capable of removing any bad stuff.
(3)Blood Type Diet
British singer Cheryl Cole suggested that people eat foods based entirely on their blood types. For example, those with type O blood should have a high meat intake and consume no dairy. “It has made such a difference to how I feel and my energy levels,” Cole said.
Expert: Your blood group cannot affect digestion or the way food is broken down.
参考译文：
去年凯特•米德尔顿成为各大媒体关注的焦点，一方面因为与威廉王子的订婚，另一方面因为她独特的时尚品味。但是，最近有关她的新闻头条却远非溜须拍马。只因戴了一个能量手环，米德尔顿就被英国“科学认知”慈善机构贴上了“虚伪”的标签。
硅胶能量手环是由美国加州的两兄弟约什和特洛伊•罗达梅尔于2007年发明的，据称能消除人体的“垃圾”并增加能量。然而，科学家们对这个说法进行了猛烈抨击，称其纯属信口胡言，表示手环根本不起任何作用。
英国未来的王妃并不是唯一佩戴能量手环的人。能量手环已经成为世界巨星最新的必备饰物，尤其是在去年八月人们发现大卫•贝克汉姆也佩戴能量手环之后。
贝克汉姆并没有发表言论证实，到底是不是能量手环帮助他重回巅峰状态，并最终在九月回到赛场。
然而篮球巨星沙奎尔•奥尼尔却把自己的成功归功于能量手环的力量。能量手环网站援引奥尼尔的话称：“那天晚上，我效力于菲尼克斯太阳队，有三个队友佩戴了能量手环，最终我们以57分赢得比赛！佩戴手环的时候我总是能感觉到某种无形的力量。”
可不幸的是，事实证明，奥尼尔的评论更接近于名人说瞎话，因为去年12月能量手环公司在澳大利亚被迫承认广告具有误导性。
据BBC报道，公司同意向消费者全额退款，并去掉手环上的“科技成就表现”的字样。
然而，业内的日本公司法藤仍然宣称其钛项链有助于提升生活品质，缓解生活压力。
但是华盛顿大学的约翰•格林教授并没有购买钛项链。在接受西雅图一家报社采访时，他说：“我非常清楚没有科学证据证实钛元素能改善人的表现。”
“科学认知”发布的一项报告列举并批评了一些因推销没有任何科学依据、号称能促进健康的时尚产品而自责的名人。让我们来看看2010主要的伪科学都有哪些：
（1）柠檬排毒餐
英国模特内奥米•坎贝尔透露，她的魔鬼身材源于她常服一种由柠檬汁、辣椒末、枫糖浆调制而成的饮品。坎贝尔称曾长达18天只喝这种饮料。
专家提醒：排毒餐是一种营销幌子。人体有天然排毒功能，无需借助任何价格不菲的饮品或者食物。
（2）木炭排毒法
英国歌星萨拉•哈丁四月接受《现代》杂志采访时说，她会在食物里撒一些木炭。哈丁表示：“吃起来没有什么怪味，而且很明显，炭能吸收体内所有有害物质。”
专家提醒：没有必要吃木炭，因为人体自身已经具备了很强的排毒能力。
（3）血型饮食
英国歌手谢丽尔•科尔建议，人们应该完全根据自己的血型进食。比如说，O型血的人应该多摄入肉类食品而不要食用奶制品。科尔说：“我的感觉和身体的能量因此都有了很大的变化。”
专家提醒：一个人的血型不会对食物的消化和分解产生影响。
