Everyone wants to live longer as well as look and feel better.

However, few people devote the necessary time and energy required to keep themselves and their body in tip-top shape -- for example getting regular exercise and eating a well balanced diet.

As a result there are tons of products on the market that prey on the wishful thinking of thousands, promising to help them do everything from sleep sounder, feel better, lose weight faster and live longer.

These promises can lure people, eager to protect their health, to spend hundreds, even thousands, of their hard-earned money on the useless products.

And a single news headline trumpeting the benefits of a certain food (like oats or red wine) or supplements (like beta carotene and anti-oxidants) can send hordes of people rushing to the store in search of the latest scientific breakthrough.

Mellanie Barnum, of Nutrition Services, said the misinformation surrounding the health/nutritional field was spiralling out of control. It has become so important an issue that the department has started working on a new pamphlet to help guide the public around the minefield.

"We are working on a new pamphlet on this issue so we can get this information out to the public,'' she said At the moment, Bermuda has no local agency devoted to investigating outrageous health claims.

The Consumer Affairs Bureau handles general complaints regarding products -- but they do not have legal authority to take action. However, new consumer protection legislation aimed at rectifying the situation is reportedly in the works.

In the meantime, locals can address their concerns regarding `health products' to Nutrition Services.

"If they call us, we will try to research the product for them,'' explained Ms Barnum. "But it may take a while.

"There are so many products that come into Bermuda that make all sorts of claims, but there is no scientific research to back them up.'' Scientists warn the public to remember that there are few, if any, real `scientific breakthroughs' since science is evolutionary, not revolutionary.

"Individual testimony is great, but it has to be proven scientifically over time,'' Ms Barnum insisted. "If you take these things you have to know answers to questions like `do they have a time limit' or `will you have to take these things for a life time'.

"For example, a few years ago Tryptophn had to be pulled off the shelf.

Tryptophn occurs naturally in nature and it was supposed to help people sleep.

Then they discovered that people were dying from it because they were taking it over long periods of time. They had to halt it from being available over the counter.

"That's why the Food and Drug Administration says products have to be proven `generally regarded as safe' over a period of time,'' she added. "We want the public to be aware of this.'' Experts urge consumers to be sceptical regarding products that: Claim to be quick, painless and effortless; Claim to have special, secret, foreign, ancient or natural ingredients; Claim to be effective for a number of conditions; Rely on personal stories of success rather than scientific documentation or data; and Claim that the medical community or government agencies refuse to acknowledge the effectiveness of the cure, treatment or product.

"These bullet points are very clear,'' Ms Barnum noted. "If people follow these they should be OK. We as consumers have to be aware that there are certain things to look out for.'' The cautionary approach should also be extended to evaluating new research that makes headlines.

Experts point out that the media can only devote a small amount of time and space to discussing new research.

Ms Barnum urged anyone who thinks that some new research may apply to them to take the time to further investigate the findings and speak to their doctor.

"You have to be careful of the research that has been done,'' she explained.

"For example, the research could be sponsored by a company that has a vested interest in the outcome. The new research that claims that eggs are not as high in cholesterol as once believed was sponsored by the egg board. And the difference in the cholesterol levels is not that significant, so basically eggs still have a lot of cholesterol.'' Ms Barnum added: "Basically if anything sounds too good to be true -- then it probably is.''