We've been following a number of medical fads on the Lycos search logs this year. We've also noted numerous times that searches for items mentioned on the Howard Stern show quickly rise. Put those two together and you have the current phenomenon called Trim Spa.

Trim Spa, a nutritional supplement that allegedly aids weight loss, has been around for a while. But it got a nice bit of free advertising on September 12 when Anna Nicole Smith appeared on the Howard Stern show. Smith, of course, is known for being pleasantly plump, and that gave Stern lackey Crazy Cabbie a chance to shill for Trim Spa.

Cabbie has been doing commercials for Trim Spa on Stern's flagship station, WXRK New York, for a while. He claims that he's lost over 100 pounds using the product. But it took just a few minutes of discussion on Stern -- syndicated nationwide -- to bump searches for Trim Spa 400 percent in one week. This week, Trim Spa searches settled back down somewhat but they are still triple what they were just a month ago.

The company's website even features before and after pictures of Crazy Cabbie. The "before" picture of a shirtless Cabbie is not recommended for small children or those with heart problems.

Like the alleged sexual stimulant Enzyte, Trim Spa is an herbal mixture of questionable medical validity. Trim Spa's creators claim that the product includes an acid called glucosamine that lets the body store more food as energy, instead of storing it as fat. That's part of a blend of 21 specialized herbs that purportedly enhance the body's metabolic process.

One of those herbs, we know, is ephedra. Ephedra is a controversial stimulant that's often referred to as "herbal ecstacy." Some say it helps in weight loss, but doctors note that it has a legacy of creating medical problems. This article at Lycos Health says "ephedra's potential risks seem to outweigh its proven benefits for most people." Trim Spa says the chemical is fine, though it also offers an ephedra-free version of its product.