Oscar-winning actress Kate Winslet has been awarded $40,000 in libel damages over allegations made by the U.K.'s Daily Mail that she lied about her exercise regime.

In a January 2009 article, the newspaper disputed a quote that Winslet gave to Elle magazine: "I don't go to the gym because I don't have time, but I do Pilates workout DVDs for 20 minutes or more every day at home." The article also featured naked photos of the actress, claiming that she must have worked harder on her figure. Her lawyer told reporters that the story was offensive in nature and "simply not true".

If you want to drop some pounds, try going for a run, because drinking Enviga tea -- touted as a calorie-burning beverage that's supposed to result in weight loss -- won't do the trick alone. Enviga claimed that consumers could burn an extra 106 calories a day and lose weight just by drinking three cans of its sparkling green tea daily. If you're thinking it sounds too good to be true, you're right. An investigation found no evidence to back that up those claims.

Coca-Cola and Nestle, the makers of Enviga, got a very expensive lesson in false advertising last week when they settled a major lawsuit over the unfounded claims. Under the settlement, Enviga's makers owe 27 suing states and the District of Columbia $650,000 and were forced to change their labeling. Now, if you pick up the beverage or surf on over to Enviga's web site, you'll still read that the tea will boost your calorie-burn, but they also add that "weight-loss, of course, requires a reduced-calorie diet and exercise." Isn't the no-effort angle kind of the whole point of Enviga? If you have to exercise and diet to see weight-loss results, would you still give Enviga a try?

Photo Credit: Cassandra Hubbart, AOL

Aaron Ferguson, a former accountant for Rachael Ray's TV cooking show, has filed a $1 million lawsuit after being fired. Ferguson has battled anorexia for about six years. While employed on Rachael Ray's show, Ferguson says others treated him with hostility because of his condition. He says that his supervisor made "vile, discriminatory, and hurtful comments."

Ferguson, who began working for CBS Television Distributions, Inc. in July 2007, says that he complained about the discriminatory language regarding people with anorexia, but the situation didn't improve. He was fired in October 2007. Ferguson feels he was terminated because he complained about wrongful treatment. Rachael Ray is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit.

If you know someone who is battling anorexia, bulimia, or other eating disorder, they need your support and understanding. HelpGuide has some information on eating disorders and how to best support loved ones who are battling the condition.

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Recently, my son's fourth grade class had been learning about bullying. They've had several continuing lessons on the subject and I think it's a great thing. There are kid-drawn posters all over the school describing exactly what bullying is such as name calling, trying to make another kid feel bad, ganging up on one kid, and being intimidating. It's good for the kids to get specific examples so they know when they're being bullied and also so they know if they are being a bully themselves. I know that my son has fallen on both sides of the spectrum. He used to go to an after-school program where one kid in particular bullied him mercilessly. On the other hand, I've seen him interact with kids on sports teams and at the park and he can be a bit of a bully himself by being bossy and demanding -- but he doesn't realize it until I point it out so he can learn. I think that's the case for most kids when they're young. Sometimes they're bullied and sometimes they become the bully themselves. It's a natural part of learning how to behave socially. And it's up to teachers and parents to help kids learn and to make sure things don't get out of control. But sometimes, like in the case of Billy Wolfe, they do get out of control.

Bethany recently wrote about the case on ParentDish. Billy is a 16-year-old that's been dealing with extreme bullying since he was 12. He's been beaten up (they even have video of it), he's received mean phone calls, and there's even a Facebook site titled "Everyone that hates Billy Wolfe." His parents are finally fed up with the situation and they're suing one of the kids that has been bullying him and they may decide to sue the school district as well.

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Lisa Marie Presley is one celebrity who is not putting up with media reports pegging her as fat. In fact, she's suing British newspaper the Daily Mail for suggesting she has an unhealthy appetite and is gaining weight like her father Elvis did.

It's not appetite plaguing Presley. It's pregnancy. Yep, the 40-year-old singer is pregnant. That's why her waistline is expanding.

Presley is none too happy to be announcing her news in this fashion and on this MySpace Celebrity blog, she writes with fervor about sharing her happy news amidst a media attack.

Will Presley win this lawsuit? It's a possibility, says Mark Stephens, a leading London media law expert who says "for an observation that would not be actionable in the USA, she will undoubtedly be recovering damages in London."

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When you're a young child going to the dentist, it can be scary. Not everyone feels comfortable sitting in that big chair with a huge light hovering over his or her head. But when someone is an adult and still gets chills when thinking about a supposedly trustworthy dentist working on their mouth, something is wrong.

That describes the feeling of one person who fell victim to a crook who just so happened to work on teeth too. Dentists are fantastic, but like in any job, some are out for money (and not your well-being). Take this guy who was profiled by ABC News as an example. He put a lot of people in unnecessary pain and now serves time in jail for it -- not to mention a slew of lawsuits from ex-patients.

Phantom billing is another way to subtly charge someone's insurance for services never actually performed. It can drive huge amounts of money and max out your benefits if left unchecked. While this is certainly not an epidemic, it goes without saying that you should stay keen. Some people may not have to worry about this issue, as they see the same professional year in and year out. But be wary of sudden surgeries or get a second opinion if insurance won't cover certain expenses. However, if you have a family doctor that you already entrust your dental care with, no need to worry!

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In Connecticut, a physician was fined $10,000 and reprimanded recently for using his own process for treating Lyme Disease. Although patients raved about it, the state medical establishment did not.

Dr. Charles Ray Jones prescribed antibiotics for two young children after just a phone consultation and months before he actually examined the children.

In addition, Dr. Jones failed medical standards by rejecting test results that found both children to not have Lyme Disease. Jones insisted that long-term antibiotic courses are the best remedy for Lyme Disease infections. He's reportedly treated 10,000 patients with the condition.

Do you think Dr. Jones breached ethics be prescribing medicine without performing an actual exam?

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Good news for those of us whose inboxes are bombarded with endless spam offering the ultimate weight-loss solution (read: everyone with an email address), here's been a small victory in the form of this lawsuit. A judge has issues a restraining order against a Nevada-based neutraceuticals company that's been making false or unsubstantiated weight-loss claims against it's products, which include ones containing Hoodia Gordini, via Email spam. Apparently, the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) logged over 85,000 Emails from the defendant, Sili Neutraceuticals LLC and owner Brian McDaid, doing business as Kaycon Ltd.

What do you think about this ruling -- should freedom of speech prevail or should we be working harder to shut down all scammers and spammers?

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Keira Knightley has won her lawsuit against the British newspaper "The Daily Mail" for running a picture of the actress alongside the story headline "If Pictures Like This One of Keira Carried a Health Warning, My Darling Daughter Might Have Lived." Knightley's lawyers say the reason she chose to pursue this was because the article made it seem that she was somehow personally responsible for the death of the 19 yr old girl featured, who had lost a battle with anorexia. Knightley contends that she does not have an eating disorder, and that her weight as an adult has never fluctuated by more than a few pounds.

The court awarded Knightley £3,000 ($5,965) and she plans to donate it along with £3,000 of her own to BEAT, a charity that helps people with eating and mental disorders.

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I must say, one of the things I'm most thankful for in this world of media and agendas is the "truth in advertising" concept. Now it's true that companies put all kinds of spins and catch phrases on their products, but it's nice to know that ultimately what they literally say on the label must be true.

Case in point: Quaker has agreed (albeit after threat of lawsuit) to re-word some of the claims on its oatmeal packages to eliminate "exaggerated health claims." No worries, oatmeal is still a very heatlhy food. But it's not necessarily magical in its abilities to fight cholesterol and other conditions, so the label will no longer imply that it is.

Now I'm not saying food and nutrition labeling is perfect, in fact it's far from it. But I do take some solace in the fact that at least it's supposed to be.

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