Kimmer Identity Revealed - with Pictures
Although "Kimmer" has stated that she did not wish her identity to be known, and that she uses many pen names, it turns out that her real name is Heidi Kimberly Diaz. After a lot of fact-checking, I am satisfied that this is the case. In addition, a private detective was hired by Heidi's ex-partner to take photos, and someone who reportedly knows her has come forward as well. It has been shown that Heidi/Kimmer is not the person in the "after" photos which she has circulated. This is one of the photos of Heidi taken by the PI. It is clear that Heidi did not "lose 200 pounds and keep it off for over five years" as she has claimed.More Accusations
There have been recent reports that money was collected from the Kimkins site for Heidi's foster children, but that according to authorities she has not had foster children for several years. She also may have been involved in other scams.Lawsuit in the Works
It has recently been revealed that a class-action lawsuit may be pursued against Kimkins. If you are interested, write to kimkinslawsuit@yahoo.com.Closing Thoughts
I think in some ways we're all looking for a miracle, and any of us can be susceptible to getting caught up in something that looks like it will deliver. But when it comes to your health -- stop, investigate, get more opinions, and pay attention to the signals your body is sending. And listen to people with experience, such as these brave folks who have stepped forward to try to prevent others from walking into a potentially dangerous situation:From Christin, ex-Kimkins Public Relations Director, speaking to current Kimkins members:
"It breaks my heart that these people who used to be my friends have now labeled me as an outsider; a "hater." [...]Doesn’t it seem odd that [Kimmer] would not provide me with the medical proof that I asked for? And I asked not only as a concerned friend, but as the Public Relations representative in order that I might represent what I believed in wholeheartedly. But I was given nothing to stand on. [...] I understand. I was just as disillusioned as you are trying not to be...maybe even more so. I was on the cover of a magazine telling the world of a program which I had assumed to be safe!"
From Becky, Ex-Kimkins Admin, telling her Kimkins story:
"I couldn't help noticing a growing minority who were NOT doing well at all. [...] For many, their moods were poorer, their energy was down, and their weight loss was stalling more and more. Some complained of weakness and dizziness, even fainting. A few reported losing wads of hair. At least one posted that she had to be hospitalized. I saw many more signs of eating disordered thinking and behaviors."
"I had always been leery of laxative abuse but “Kimmer” asserted quite vociferously that there was new research showing that laxative dependency was a myth. I’m really not stupid. I swear. I went to college, I graduated from law school. Yet still I bought into this crap. So here I am taking laxatives on a daily basis and barely eating. Doing whatever I could to make sure the number on the scale dropped everyday. After all, it must drop everyday. If it doesn’t, then you are doing something wrong."
"I began losing hair at an alarming rate. Now I know hair loss is not uncommon with a large weight loss but it really is at epidemic levels among kimkins members. Along with the hair loss and dizziness, the burst of energy I had in the beginning completely disappeared. I was lethargic and listless with a short attention span and mood swings. I would wake up in the middle of the night with my heart racing. I think now that was due to dehydration and mineral loss."
"I don’t necessarily blame “Kimmer” for my stumbling into eating disordered behavior because I made a decision to join the site and go on a diet. Anyone can take any diet and go to extremes. But when I joined kimkins, I did not realize that I was joining a site where eating disordered behavior was encouraged, welcomed, and even celebrated."
From Linda, formerly eating disordered, who found those behaviors triggered by Kimkins:
"I was very, very sick for the last 2 weeks. But I didn't care. I couldn't get out of bed. But I didn't care. I was in such the [anorexia] mind set. I loved it. I felt like I could fly. Is that weird? I must have been slowly dying. I have been a cross-country runner for 20 years, sometimes running 15-20 miles at a time (not counting marathons). While doing kimkins, I could barely run 5 minutes without feeling like I was going to pass out. But I didn't care. I was high. It was a high even better than runners high. I was on top of the world because I wasn't hungry."
From KCRita on the Kimkins Survivors blog:
"My hair fell out. I was SNATT all the time. I experienced leg cramps on almost a daily basis–some so bad I nearly ended up calling 911. I could go days without eating, and I was proud of it (not sure I could call those days KK, tho) Hey, I was THIN! And at my age, that was Amazing! I did not care that I wasn’t giving my body the nutrition it needed to thrive–I was wearing size 4’s for the first time in my life."
Want Still MORE Kimkins Information? The Kimkins Exposed blog contains up-to-the-minute developments. And here is the site with the Private Investigator pics and other info.
October 4, 2007: Further Developments on the Kimkins Story and An Open Message from Me to Kimkins Members on our Low Carb Diets Forum
December 2, 2007 - Further developments, including more television video, and a confession from Heidi Diaz
