Celebrity Fans of Dinosaurs

They stopped making them 65 million years ago and now Dinosaur fossils have become the latest status symbol for Hollywood "A" listers. Nicholas Cage and Leonardo DiCaprio were in a bidding war for a Tarbosaurus skull (an Asian relative of Tyrannosaurus rex) at a recent Beverley Hills auction. Dinosaur fans and model makers have no chance when these high rollers enter the auction. More importantly, many museums, keen to acquire new fossils for display and study, may not be able to complete financially with wealthy, private collectors. It seems that a number of celebrities as well as big businessmen and even royalty have taken to collecting rare fossils. This phenomenon is not new, wealthy patrons have always helped fund fossil collecting and sponsored expeditions as well as permanent exhibits. Mary Anning, the pioneering English fossil collector, sold many of her Lyme Regis (Dorset, on the south coast of England) finds to private collectors.

Securing the Patronage of a Wealthy Sponsor

Had Gideon Mantell been able to secure the support and patronage of the newly crowned King William IV when the royal party visited Lewes on October 22nd 1830, the science of palaeontology could well have taken a different route. However, the luckless Mantell missed out and one of the most distinguished and important early pioneers of Dinosaur study was doomed to be squeezed out by the better connected Sir Richard Owen, who later went on to found the Natural History Museum located in South Kensington (London).

Dinosaur Fossils - The New Status Symbol

For the world's wealthy having your very own private collection of fossils and other antiquities is becoming an important status symbol. DiCaprio may have lost out to Nicholas Cage when it came to bidding for the Tyrannosaur skull, but no doubt other batches of rare and unique specimens will be auctioned in California shortly and he will have another chance.

Fossil sales are big business, many scientific bodies and museums cannot compete and as a result palaeontologists are unable to study rare specimens and important specimens. The rising prices has led to increased trade in illegal fossils (remains removed without permission) and counterfeit specimens, so well made that they can even fool professional palaeontologists.

Another consequence of the high prices paid for dinosaur and other prehistoric animal fossils is that there have been a number of raids on scientific dig sites, with many precious and delicate fossils stolen or damaged in such raids. Fossil sites, in the United Kingdom and the United States have been vandalised by individuals keen to find dinosaur fossils so that they can either be sold at auction or privately. Sadly, such fossils are taken out of the hands of palaeontologists who are not able to study them, thus our fossil heritage is weakened and scientists have fewer opportunities to learn about these amazing prehistoric creatures.

Do Celebrity Weight Loss Plans Really Work

We look at celebrities and think, "Wow, if her weight loss makes her look that good, it should work for me too!" And often, we're wrong! Why is that?

The first reason, and there are several, is that these people have grim determination to lose weight no matter what the consequences are. They need to look glamorous and slim because that is what the industry demands from them. Many times, they choose the wrong method like surgery, pills, drastic diet plans, and even starvation or vomiting.

The second reason is that they can afford to hire a private trainer or nutritionist to prepare every meal and handle the exercise hour according to their specific needs. We all have specific needs like having excess fat in our upper arms, thighs, abdomen, chin, or even ankles.

Thirdly they have money or they have access to funds or services to support their weight loss plan. Some of them sign up with high-profile weight control companies as an endorser and they get the full VIP treatment for free, plus their talent fee.

About 90% of the rest of humanity does not get to enjoy these types of perks. Nonetheless, there are viable options for weight loss available.

Join a Reality TV Program

How about being The Biggest Loser? You may think this is funny but people do line up to be in a TV show where they can benefit in 3 ways: make money, lose weight, and become famous themselves. Unfortunately, there are not many opportunities to be in a program like this. It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

In case you do get a chance to be in a free weight loss program, the benefits are tremendous aside from those listed above. One gets to bring his or her weight under control under close supervision, no payment needed, and with all the latest equipment.

Adopting the Same Approach Taken By The TV Program On Your Own

There have been quite a number of people who have just tried to follow the format of TV programs on weight loss on their own, and this is very, very risky. According to experts, dramatic drops in weight can affect glucose and insulin levels. There are many side effects that can happen especially if the person has a pre-existing medical condition he may or may not know about. Keep in mind that programs like The Biggest Loser have expert medical staff who monitor every contestant very closely. Without such monitoring you are at extreme risk.

Bariatric Surgery

Bariatric surgery involves reducing the capacity of the stomach by one of several methods. This is an extreme option that will cost you at least US$30,000 depending on your surgeon. It is also invasive, which means you are on the operating table and under anesthesia. There are many possible risks in any kind of medical surgery. Furthermore, insurance does not cover this type of surgery, which means it would be an out-of-pocket expense. A number of celebrities have undergone this procedure, but that does not mean that it is for everyone.

Try One Of Their Weight Plans

A lot of celebrities have come up with their own "personalized weight and diet plan." The best way to deal with these is to pick the most sensible parts and forego the parts that aren't feasible or are unusual. For instance one of the most important ideas that have come out of these plans is to avoid emotional eating.

Look for Natural Methods

One logical option would be to go natural. Look for a program that will not upset your stomach or system, that will have minimal to no side effects, and that is effective. If you can find this weight loss plan, then you don't have to worry about surgeries or celebrities.