Bizarre bazaar

Man bra, fat burning lip balm and FiveFingers footwear... yes, all of these are real and they sell like hot pancakes

Man bras big seller in Japan

A bra made especially for men is taking Japan by storm.
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Mail order underwear company Wishroom' had started selling the unusual underwear last year. Unsure of its reception, at first they only produced 160 bras as a start. These sold out immediately, prompting the company to order 5,000 more.

According to Masayuki Tsuchiya, president of Wishroom, the company decided to create the male bra after receiving a number of enquiries from people looking for just such a product. In Japan men who wear bras are known as "Bra-o", which means "Bra men".

One author has even produced a book in which they interviewed around 100 men who like to wear bras, most of whom are white collar businessmen in their 40s and 50s.

Wishroom's bras are made out of a silky material in a choice of white, pink and black and retail for around u00a320.
In terms of cupsize they are all an 'A' with a chest size ranging from between 80 cm and 95 cm.

According to Mr Tsuchiya, office workers in their 30s and 40s are Wishroom's main clients. They're not interested in cross-dressing or in making their pectoral muscles look bigger. They simply find that wearing a bra makes them feel "more calm, relaxed and revived". "Japanese salaried men have a lot of stress, and the bras seem to relieve that," comments Tsuchiya.

Another, more surprising market, is in their 50s and 60s who, it turns out, are also partial to the calming effects of a bra.

"They were the generation we had been told were 'manly' they led Japan in the postwar period," explains Tsuchiya, speculating that they may now be reacting against this stereotype.

LA gets fat burning lip balm

A Los Angeles-based company has produced a new lip balm that it claims boost energy, suppress hunger and burn fat.

'Burner Balm' contains a trio of natural ingredients that reduce appetite: Hoodia Extract, Chromium Picolinate and Natural Caffeine, which also restores alertness.

Natural Green Tea Extract has also been added for increased energy and metabolism.

The balm was the brainchild of Dr Allan Kurtz in direct response to complaints made by his patients in regards to weight gain and lack of energy.

In practice for 25 years, Kurtz realised that he preferred preventative medicine rather than treating patients battling diseases resulting from obesity.

"Oral gratification is the biggest challenge to weight loss so I decided to develop a product that mocks that gratification, and Burner Balm was born," says Dr Kurtz.

According to its manufacturers, Pacific Shore Holdings, the $5.99 Burner Balm is a healthy alternative to energy drinks or energy shots, which can be loaded with chemicals and sugars.

And in addition to its weight loss and energy increasing properties the balm also provides a protective barrier from the harsh elements, locking in moisture on the lips, while preventing them from drying out and becoming chapped.

It contains essential fatty acids, Shea Butter and Safflower Oil, as well as SPF 15 & 30. One of the key fat burning components is Chromium Picolinate, an ingredient that dieticians know well.

Chromium is a mineral that humans require in trace amounts and it is found in small quantities in foods such as processed meats and cheese.
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It has been credited with helping the body process carbohydrates and fats and is marketed as a weight-loss aid for dieters and a muscle-building aid for bodybuilders and athletes.

PSH is currently on the look out for a new face, with the hottest and sexiest lips, to represent its new product.
As such it has launched a worldwide search that recently saw a host of models, actors, athletes descend on Santa Monica beach in the hope of becoming the 'lips' of Burner Balm.

Funky footwear allows you to walk barefoot in Britain

Forget Crocs, the funkiest footwear to own this summer is a pair of Vibram FiveFingers.
These bizarre shoes look just like a pair of feet and are contoured to fit snugly over each toe just like a pair of gloves for your feet.

The sole is designed to follow the contour and shape of a foot, allowing it to move naturally. According to their creators the unusual footwear has numerous benefits from improved balance and agility to better posture and the easing of back pain.

In fact the shoes, which cost from u00a3116 a pair, are apparently so comfortable that wearing them feels just like walking barefoot.

Their creation is the result of a growing body of research suggests that barefoot-style running is more efficient and better for your body.