The more things about ourselves we want to "fix," the more tempting quick-fix promises become.

Call the toll-free number on your screen NOW! How often have you heard that and been tempted to follow orders and call? Why not? The juicer promises good health; the portable treadmill promises a better body; Victoria Principal promises beautiful skin.

We are all susceptible to some advertisements, especially those that answer our deepest desires. And sometimes the products we buy serve a simple purpose: They get us started on a program of discipline and regularity, they support our determination to fix something about ourselves that we think needs fixing.

As we get older, there seem to be more things to fix. We enter a high-maintenance era similar to that of an aging car. How much you invest in self-preservation, so to speak, depends a lot on how much you care about yourself. It's not just a matter of vanity. Unlike a car, you can't turn yourself in for a newer low-maintenance model.

The danger during this period, however, is that we will succumb to the glitter of almost any promise, ignoring simple, inexpensive solutions to our problems. For example, if losing weight is the issue, do you really need that expensive equipment? Walking doesn't cost anything, except the price of a decent pair of shoes. Using stairs instead of elevators and escalators is cheaper than buying a Stairmaster. A good body can be achieved by exercising at home with books or soup cans as your weights. And don't overlook the great exercise programs on TV. They're free!

Similarly, better skin is often the result of good diet, hormones, and cleanliness, not cosmetic miracles. Avoiding the sun like the plague also helps. And as for that magic juicer, how many such gadgets are gathering dust on the top shelf in your kitchen?

So the next time you get the urge to order one more expensive solution to a problem, stop, think...and convert that urge into a logical step toward a reasonable goal. By now you should know that there are no quick fixes—for anything.

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posted at 03:22:48 PM