sae'll be back next week. thanks for watching. and stay tuned for "20/20," which starts right now. tonight on "20/20" -- the naked truth. summer sun. beach. bodies. and beauty. can you get ahead without it? >> look at this! >> how far would you go to look great? >> you're sewing a foreign object into somebody's mouth. >> the latest diet craze? or just crazy? the tongue patch. >> my tongue hurts talking about this. i think it's ridiculous. >> hold your tongue. and, what if you could look like hugh jackman, without having to get jacked? >> this could be you, right? >> wives us, this is for you. >> hey, baby. >> how to take your hubbies from flab to fab in just 60 minutes, with no exercise. extreme fakeover. plus, what if beauty

cost you your job? >> her only crime was looking too good. >> fired for being too tempting to her dentist boss. >> so, you're responsible for your boss that can't control himself. >> you're fired. >> too hot to work? tonight, we're letting you in on the naked truth. here's elizabeth vargas. >> good evening. david muir is off tonight. want more friends, more money, even more sex? then, research says be better looking. it is the naked truth of lookism, especially during these stripped down summer months. in fact, just this week, a new jersey judge ruled that some atlantic city casino waitresses could be legally fired for putting on weight. so, how to lose it? just take a look at the newest diet craze that might have you saying "hold your tongue." literally. here's cecilia vega.

>> reporter: from the surgical, think liposuction, stomach stapling and the lap-band, to scary, like the cotton ball diet. >> i've heard of people eating the cotton balls with the orange juice. and it makes you think you're full but you're not. >> reporter: to the downright disgusting. that's not a jar of noodles. it's the main ingredient in the tapeworm diet. >> everybody looks like they want to vomit right now. >> reporter: you dine out while the parasite dines in your digestive tract. there's seemingly no limit to the lengths people will go to lose it. and if you thought the story we brought you last year about the feeding tube diet was extreme? >> i'm down two dress sizes. >> reporter: well, wait until you see this. >> i'm determined to lose weight. i'm willing to do anything, at this point. i'm so desperate to lose weight. >> reporter: these two women are about to have a piece of hard plastic mesh sewn onto their tongues. it will inflict pain if they try

to eat any solid food. marlene beltran weighs 169 pounds because of her out-of-control appetite. >> i get, like, cravings. sometimes in the middle of the night, i'll just be, like, "oh, i want a brownie," or "i want ice cream." this time, i'm just really motivated and i am almost 21 and i do have plans, and i want to look my best and feel good. >> i love eating everything. >> reporter: lysander lanuza is 200 pounds of all-you-can-eat. >> american food, filipino food. korean. it's heaven. >> reporter: their goal is to each lose 20 pounds in one month. marlene wants to begin dating. lysander has a bikini and a deadline. >> in a month's time, i'll be going to hawaii and i'll be wearing this bikini and i'll -- hopefully, i'll be looking great. >> so, this is our patch. and we put it right on the interior portion of her tongue. >> reporter: it's called the tongue patch. cosmetic surgeon dr. nikolas chugay introduced the procedure in the u.s. four years ago after first seeing it done in latin america.

>> i thought, you know, this is a good way to help people lose weight quickly. our first stitch is already in. i am just going to put four knots on it. make sure it stays in there. >> he said the way it works was if you eat solid food, your tongue rolls back and it would cause pain. >> reporter: chugay says lysander is his 81st patient as he pioneers the process here, in what is arguably the plastic surgery capital of the country, southern california. but that's nothing compared to body-conscious venezuela. one clinic in caracas has stitched patches on more than 800 tongues. is the goal of the tongue patch so that your tongue hurts when you go to swallow food? >> it's a pattern interrupt. when patients want to swallow food, they realize, "hey, i cannot do that." that's why i have this patch here. so it reminds them. >> reporter: but you're sewing a

mouth.n object into dy's is that healthy? >> well, it's not unhealthy. okay, the surgery's all finished. wow! >> i can't feel my tongue. >> reporter: she'll be able to speak normally in a few hours when the anesthetic wears off. but all that greasy fried food she loves? forget it. it's a strict 800-calorie per day liquid diet of bad shakes and low cal beverages until the patch is removed in one month. how much weight are you guaranteed to lose with a tongue patch? >> i cannot say that you are guaranteed. but an average weight loss is anywhere from 18 to 20 pounds. in that one month's time. >> reporter: 18 to 20 pounds. at a cost of $2,000! seem hard to swallow? maybe. lysander is paying full price. but dr. chugay is doing marlene's procedure for free

because we are recording it. >> i was told that food gets stuck on the patch, too, so even if you want to cheat a little, you get caught. >> reporter: my tongue hurts talking about this with you. >> no, i'm not nervous about the pain or anything. i'm kind of excited. >> reporter: on the morning of her appointment, marlene is more concerned about organizing all the clothes she hopes to soon be able to wear. these are all jeans. let me see. >> they're still brand new. >> reporter: they have tags on. did you buy them thinking you were going to fit into these at some point? >> yeah. i did, and then once they didn't fit i was just, like, i'll lose weight. i'll fit into them. but that never happened. >> you ready? >> mm-hmm. >> all right, stick your tongue out for us. good. perfect. >> reporter: dr. chugay reminds her that as of now, she's on that same low calorie liquid diet. >> and three times a day, you start taking that, okay? >> mm-hmm. >> and no cheating. no twinkies. >> reporter: after only ten minutes, the patch is in place.

>> good girl! all done. >> reporter: what's it feel like? >> i can't talk! >> reporter: that seems pretty easy. it was quick. >> i can't feel it. >> reporter: you don't feel it? have you ever received any flak from colleagues in the medical community for this? >> no, i haven't. >> reporter: dr. chugay, meet dr. christine petti. >> i think it's ridiculous. >> reporter: and dr. rob huizenga. >> i think it's a barbaric procedure. >> reporter: she's also a plastic surgeon. >> i could never advise a procedure that would cause a patient pain. pain is not a good thing for anybody. >> reporter: better known as dr. h, he specializes in long-term weight loss, spending 14 seasons as an expert on "the biggest loser." >> this is so primitive an approach, you could hire somebody to hold a gun to your head and threaten to shoot you every time you eat. you could have somebody with a hammer hit you over the head

every time you threaten to have something to eat. >> reporter: would you do this on your own body? >> i would. >> reporter: you haven't done it on any of your family members, have you? >> well, so far, i have no volunteers. >> reporter: when we come back, what is it like living with a mesh patch stitched to your tongue? 30 days on america's most extreme diet. >> i want a burger really bad. a cheeseburger. >> will one of these women wish they have never done it. >> i just want a burger. >> and, will the weight come off? stay with us. the results may surprise you. if you're seeing spots before your eyes... it's time... for aveeno® positively radiant face moisturizer. [ female announcer ] only aveeno® has an active naturals total soy formula that instantly brightens skin. and helps reduce the look of brown spots in just 4 weeks. for healthy radiant skin. try it for a month. then go ahead and try to spot a spot. aveeno® positively radiant.

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"20/20" returns with the naked truth. >> reporter: they say no pain, no gain. but this is turning that phrase on its tongue? two overweight women who can't control their eating, going to extremes to lose weight fast. a stiff plastic patch stitched right to their tongues will inflict a sharp pain if they try to eat any solid food. >> how do you feel? >> i feel good. my tongue is still swollen so i can't talk.

it doesn't fit me anymore. >> reporter: lysander lanuza and marlene beltran each hope to drop 20 pounds in 30 days, after you get this tongue patch, you'll be able to wear these shorts? >> yeah. >> reporter: tracking the difficult diet in video diaries along the way. for lysander, day one brings an immediate challenge. >> this is what my mom cooked for breakfast, which i obviously can't eat. >> reporter: instead -- >> i'm actually doing my workout right now. >> reporter: she cheerfully begins the requisite 45-minute daily exercise routine. but lysander's social life is all about food, and day one brings another temptation. >> this is my first dinner out with my friends. >> reporter: she sips iced tea while her friends gorge on a buffet. >> yummy! >> today is father's day and this is what we have to serve at the table. >> barbecue. fish. i cannot eat any of that. this is all i can eat, diet

pepsi. >> reporter: so far so good. >> i've lost three pounds. >> reporter: but across town, marlene has a craving for just about everything. >> it's crazy because i don't like beans. never liked them, won't eat them. but today, just looking at my mom eat beans made my mouth water. >> reporter: by day five, this food junkie has a bad need for a fix. >> lately i've been craving an in-n-out burger, like, really bad. and i want a burger really bad. a cheeseburger. cheeseburger. i don't care if it's a bite. i just want a burger. >> reporter: somehow, marlene resists her cravings. lysander -- not so much. >> i tried, like, a piece of popcorn. we were at the movie theater. and it hurt. so, i'm like, forget it. >> reporter: the popcorn hurt? >> yeah. >> reporter: and are you thinking, yes, it's working, i don't want to eat. >> no, i'm like, [ bleep ], it does work. i can't eat. >> reporter: dr. nikolas chugay claims the miracle of the tongue patch is that it can act as a jump-start to lasting weight

loss. >> it's really a life-changing type of a pattern. and it takes about 30 days to change a habit. >> reporter: a small patch that can be life-changing. >> life-changing. exactly. >> if i could say one thing, it's that the whole concept that you jump-start is absurd. >> reporter: weight-loss expert dr. rob huizenga points to studies that show how most extreme dieters who lose weight rapidly eventually gain it all back -- and more. >> there's not one scintilla of hope or evidence that putting a patch on your tongue and -- and not being able to eat for a month is going to have any effect on you at one year or two years or three years. >> reporter: dr. chugay's son and partner, dr. paul chugay, did submit a study that claims 70% of their patients lost an average of 16 pounds and kept it off for eight months. but the american academy of cosmetic surgery won't publish it without more data. no matter. marlene is getting all the data she needs from her bathroom's

scale, as the pounds fall away. >> my double chin is not as bad as it used to be. my arms are a lot thinner. >> reporter: lysander is also watching pounds melt away. >> so far i've lost 15, 16 pounds. >> i'm getting a lot of attention from guys. which is nice. it's attention i'm not used to, so i'm still kind of adjusting to it. >> that doesn't hurt, does it? >> reporter: finally, liberation day. >> how does that feel? >> liberating. >> liberating, yes. now, that wasn't so bad, huh? >> didn't even feel it. >> reporter: the final tally? marlene loses 18 pounds. remember those skinny jeans she couldn't wear before? >> now they're kind of big on me. >> reporter: lysander loses 23 pounds. and that bikini she wouldn't dare try on before? aloha, lysander! >> once they take the patch off, we put them on the boot camp

diet. it's a strict diet for another month. and then i prepare them for the regular maintenance diet that they'll stay on for the rest of their lives. >> reporter: or not. as hard as it was to live with the tongue patch, it will be harder to keep the weight off without it. >> i was sad the patch was coming off, just because i felt the hard part began. like, now i'm on my own. >> i really don't want to go through that again. it was really hard for me. i agree to the fact that it is really an extreme measure of losing weight. >> reporter: you do think it's extreme? >> yes, i do. >> reporter: is it crazy? >> yes, i think it is. i mean, comparable to the other diets that i know, yes it is. >> reporter: clearly, lysander, who paid $2,000 for her tongue patch, is not nearly as happy as the person who got it for free -- marlene. >> it wasn't bad. >> reporter: look at you. you're smiling. >> like, i would do it again. like, it was fun.

the tongue patch is, like, kind of addicting. you lose the weight and you see the results fast so you want more. >> so, if you needed to lose the weight, would you undergo something as extreme and painful as the tongue patch? let us know on twitter, using #abc2020. next, fired for being too tempting to her dentist boss. >> this was a woman who did nothing to get herself fired except bring her breasts to work. >> so, is he happy when we try to track him down? ♪ ♪

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"20/20" returns with the naked truth.

>> when you go to the dentist, you want to know that he is focused on your teeth, not on his attractive young assistant. but in our next story, one dentist says he was so distracted by her beauty and the temptation she brought to his marriage that he fired her. and a court backed him up. here's paula faris. >> reporter: well, the cat's out of the bag. the beautiful get all the breaks. the pretty get all the perks. and the gorgeous get all the gigs. >> look at the waitresses. >> yeah? >> reporter: it really ticked off elaine in this classic "seinfeld" episode when she thought this diner would only hire well-endowed waitresses. >> you know what? that's discriminatory. >> reporter: turns out, it wasn't lookism -- it was nepotism. >> they are my daughters. >> oh! >> reporter: it wasn't so funny more recently, when teen clothing retailer abercrombie

and fitch ceo mike jeff riches caused a plus-sized controversy over comments that they only go after the attractive, all-american kid. and that's why they hire good-looking people in their stores. amid plummeting sales, abercrombie had to back track. but beauty bias can cut both ways. >> i'm melissa nelson. i was fired because my boss thought i was too attractive. >> reporter: which brings us to ft. dodge, eiowa, and their fields of opportunities. america's heartland, for some twisted matters of the heart. >> all she ever wanted to do was be a dental assistant. >> reporter: steve is melissa's high school sweetheart. they are married with two young children. >> she wanted to work for dr. knight's office, so she job shadowed there. she got a job there and just everything fell into place. she loved her job. >> reporter: 33-year-old melissa was the dental assistant for dr. james knight. by the dentist's side, eight hours a day for a decade. >> it was a fun working environment. >> reporter: how did you view

dr. knight? >> i viewed him as a father figure. as a -- as a dad. >> reporter: he was your mentor, right? >> very much so. >> reporter: how close did the two of you get? >> when we had both of our kids, his family came and visited in the hospital. >> reporter: melissa says it was all a gas, until the doc started pulling more than teeth. once he hit 50, she says, he was working out -- pumping iron and getting buff. >> he became more confident and more outgoing. >> reporter: do you think he was going through a mid-life crisis? >> that's the only thing i could come up with. >> reporter: the two had a friendly relationship. trading personal text messages during off-hours. but then, melissa says, it went from cordial to creepy. >> he would ask me about my personal life. he would ask me how often i would have sex. >> reporter: and melissa says when she answered and implied not that often, the dentist offered this artful analogy.

"that's like having a lamborghini in the garage and never driving it." and he warned his mentee -- "if you see my pants bulging, you'll know your clothes are too revealing." >> reporter: this was melissa's standard issue scrub suit uniform and occasionally, on humid days her lab coat was removed -- revealing her 5'1" frame and a simple crew neck t-shirt. >> oh, my god. i'm sorry. i'm a squirter, dale. >> reporter: it seemed to us strikingly similar to this scene from the movie, "horrible bosses." >> stop it. >> shalom. someone is circumcised. >> reporter: did you flirt with him? >> no. >> reporter: so there's no attraction. >> absolutely not. >> reporter: did you do anything to lead him on? >> never. >> reporter: you must've done something. >> i don't know what. i showed up for work everyday. >> reporter: melissa says she brushed off her boss's comments for six months, hoping they

would stop. but things came to a head when there was an exchange during non-business hours. the dentist's wife caught them texting each other while he was on vacation -- and made sure it would end. >> his wife came in with a purple folder, and just sat it on his desk and walked out without saying anything. >> reporter: thus began a day at this dentist's office with more discomfort than a string of scheduled root canals. talk about intervention. dr. knight even brought in his local pastor. >> i found out later that it was his minister from church. >> reporter: it's his pastor, it's you and it's your boss. >> yes. the three of us sitting in -- in the office. >> reporter: did you think, "what the heck is going on?" >> absolutely. i had no idea why i was in there. >> reporter: and in that purple folder? a pink slip. >> dr. knight said i couldn't work in the office, because he was becoming attracted to me, and not able to focus on his family and his family life.

>> reporter: what was your reaction to this? he can't control himself? >> i instantly broke down in tears. all i remember is just sitting there and not able to get up, telling him that i love my job. >> reporter: melissa's husband rushed to the dentist's office. >> i said, "what's going on? is there a mistake?" he said, "i've got feelings for your wife and it's affecting my family." and he felt the best option to save his marriage was to terminate missy. he saw her as a threat. he told me several times that, he said, "i want you to know, steve, that your wife has done nothing wrong." >> reporter: when he said he didn't feel like he could control himself, and that an affair might start down the road, what was your reaction? >> i'm like, that's absurd. why would those thoughts even cross his mind? this is my wife. why is he thinking of her as an object? and it infuriated me. >> reporter: and the news also infuriated some in this close-knit reserved town of 25,000 people. we met ruth and jerry hancock at the local malt shop, netties.

>> i have just never, ever seen her do anything inappropriate myself. >> then all of a sudden we find this attraction as being a reason, to let her go. i don't think that's justified. >> reporter: after the firing, they found a new dentist. now, dr. knight offered melissa a month's severance for ten years of stellar work. but melissa vowed to fight tooth and nail. >> the good news for the court is this might be the easiest case that you have all year. >> reporter: when we come back, how melissa decided to retaliate in a court of law. >> this was a woman who did nothing to get herself fired, except, you know, bring her breasts to work. >> reporter: the dentist's surprising defense. and as an orthodontist might say, brace yourself. because you may not believe where else she took her case. >> open up and say meliss-ahhhhh. >> reporter: stay with us.

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"20/20" returns with the naked truth. >> reporter: ever thought you could be too good-looking for your own good? 33-year-old melissa nelson didn't either. but she was fired from her job as a dental assistant, with a month's severance, after ten years, simply because the 54-year-old dentist she worked for found her irresistibly attractive and a threat to his marriage. >> i'm sure you remember the song "i'm too sexy."

well, it seems it's actually to be too sexy for your job. >> reporter: what was life like when you were working with him? >> it was good. i was home with my kids every night. we had just bought some land and i made the first payment and lost my job two days later. >> i've read lots of comments of people who say, good for him, at least he was honest. a lot of men would have just slept with her. >> reporter: this is melissa's attorney. >> i can assure you there is about a snowball's chance in hell that would have happened. >> reporter: seeking damages and lost pay, melissa took her cause to the iowa district court in august 2010 and filed a gender discrimination suit against dr. james knight -- but the judge dismissed the case before trial. >> i was hurt, i think more than anything, i was hurt. >> reporter: dr. knight declined our repeated requests for an interview, but his attorney told abc news, "she was not terminated because of her

gender, but to preserve the best interest of his marriage." >> we had admission after admission after admission from the defendant himself that her sex played a part in his decision. >> reporter: so in december, melissa appealed to the iowa supreme court. >> we are not allowed to discriminate against someone because of who god made them. having breasts is pretty close connected to being a woman. >> reporter: but the seven justices ruled that although the one month's severance was rather ungenerous, terminating an employee is okay, "simply because the boss views the employee as an irresistible attraction." especially since the wife felt her marriage was threatened. so, you're responsible for your boss, who can't control himself. >> that's kind of what the supreme court has led us to believe. >> i don't think the law is out of touch, i mean this guy is a jerk. but being a jerk is not illegal. >> reporter: this is a senior

fellow and constitution in institutional studiestudies. >> you can fire someone for being tall, for being short, for cheering for the wrong team, for wearing the wrong color. >> reporter: but you cannot be fired if you're part of a protected class, such as gender, race or religion. still, shapiro says, melissa's case is not about gender. he's a man, she's a woman. he's attracted to her. how is it not a gender issue? that their relationship was >> she was fired because he felt that their relationship was affecting his marriage. >> reporter: all he has to do was control himself. how hard could that be? >> well, he feared that if he kept her on, then he might start harassing her. >> reporter: he might start harassing her? he said, "how often do you have orgasms?" and, "if you see a bulge in my pants, it's because your clothes are too tight." >> well, it's inappropriate, but she didn't complain. >> reporter: the court agreed. but in the court of public opinion, the ruling surprised -- and stung. >> her only crime was looking too good. >> bosses can legally fire any

employee they see as an irresistible attraction. >> if a man is saying that a woman is so irresistible, that he's afraid he will sexually offend against her, what does that say about women in the military? what does that say about, about equality in any workplace? >> reporter: rekha basu wrote a scathing column for iowa's "des moines register," calling the seven male justices' decision embarrassing. >> i think a female justice working through her own first-hand experience and perspective would have had a different take on it. >> reporter: melissa filed yet another appeal, and, in a surprise just last month, perhaps because of the public outcry -- >> can i just say -- >> a little november cane in mr. happy. >> reporter: the high court agreed to reconsider their earlier ruling. a rare occurrence. but the same seven judges came up with the same ruling and clarified that you can be fired, "because the boss's spouse views the relationship as a threat to her marriage."

melissa is out of legal options. she thinks it's laughable a jury of her peers will never get to decide if she was wronged, so natural naturalryly, she brought her case to comedy central. >> if melissa wants to clean teeth, she shouldn't have the to worry about her boss's dirty mind. that's why i invited her to give me an oral exam in hollywood, where women are never objectified. >> reporter: this is the standard issue scrub suit and lab coat she wore to work but this is the outfit she wore on "tosh.o." >> open up and say meliss-ahhhhh. >> good for her. i think it was her way of saying how ridiculous these allegations about her were. >> reporter: he called you the best dental assistant he ever had. why haven't you got back into the industry? >> i think my biggest fear is trusting someone. trusting somebody that i have to work that close to. i wouldn't want to be hurt

again. >> reporter: today, the former dental assistant, who by day, was earning a good salary with benefits, has lost her livelihood. now scraping by on tips. she's waiting tables at a sports bar by night. >> it's not an easy job. very demanding. always on your feet. >> reporter: but she's lost something else. even more important to her. precious time with her children. what is life like now? >> i tuck them in two nights a week. that's it. >> reporter: do you ever see dr. knight around town? >> no. i see his lawyer. he comes and eats at the restaurant that i work at. and i can either pick my head up and go with it or i can walk away with my tail between my legs. and i'm not going to let that happen. >> so, was the dentist

courageous for protecting his marriage or does he deserve a kick in the teeth for what he did? let us know your thoughts by using #abc2020. we'll be right back. next -- want to turn the man in your life into hugh jackman? without them having to exercise? >> got some work to do. >> we put our fitness fakeover to the test. light us, camera -- baby oil.

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don't hate him because he's gorgeous. hugh jackman. we know he works out like crazy and suffers for months at a time to get into shape to play wolverine. but does it have to be that hard for everybody? well, yes. unless you know the tricks of the trade. so, we put them to the test. could nothing but some baby oil, a razor and a very good photographer turn your fat into fit? and with this, we would like to

welcome our new nutrition and wellness editor to. >> translator: "20/20." >> nice, perfect. >> reporter: go on ladies, feast your eyes on him -- hugh jackman! fitness icon. box-office superstar. and this month's "men's fitness" magazine cover model. >> hey, baby. >> reporter: we know you've probably wondered what it would be like to wake up next to the boy from down under. >> looking good! >> reporter: our thought, "why can't my husband have hugh's rock hard aussie abs?" while you were dreaming, consider this. to become this summer's ultimate sex-symbol "wolverine," jackman put on 25 pounds of lean muscle, ate all-natural foods for six months and scarfed down 6,000 calories a day. >> look over your shoulder to the right. yeah, that's perfect. >> it's definitely a lot of diet, a lot of training. >> reporter: fitness model ryan hughes says getting amazing abs and broad shoulders requires

hours in the gym. but warns there's a whole weight loss industry out there that claims you can go from flab to fab in no time. >> you're always going to have people trying to take shortcuts, but the bottom line is, to get real results, you need to put in the time. >> reporter: okay. maybe some of those amazing weight loss ads are legit. but andrew dixon says, buyer beware. the los angeles-based trainer set out to prove how easy it is for the pumped up weight loss industry to fake us out with the too good to be true before and after foechl toes. >> i just took a photo, let my gut hang out, shaved my chest, shaved my beard, got the lighting optimal. >> reporter: six pack abs in less than 60 minutes? i decided to put his tactics to the test. this week, i hit the streets of new york with my good friend, hugh, in tow. searching for a few good men willing to take part in an instant fitness fakeover. with just lights, cameras and a whole lot of attitude. think we could get you on the next cover of "men's fitness?"

>> probably not. >> reporter: at first, we strike out. your shirt says "just do it." i'm just saying. even this 23-year-old with a solid six pack wouldn't play ball. let's see what you got. all right, thanks. next time. but then we saw him, as if by fate. you want me to put you on the cover of men's fitness. you think you're up for it? wolverine wannabe casey braxton. could we convince 33-year-old casey to let his inner jackman claw himself out? >> i don't know about the abs, though. i like to eat too much. but i think we could do it. >> reporter: and so, casey was in. sorry spidey. it's just not your weekend. 18-year-old hitch from new jersey -- think this could be you? >> yeah, sure. >> reporter: on board, too. still, i wanted to clinch this. so we head downtown to where we are all but certain to find some

fat content in the trendy meat packing district. so, i spotted a friend. he's having brunch. i'm going to see if he's game for this? hey! kurt walters from brooklyn was enjoying his eggs benedict until i showed up. the whole idea is, we're going to give you a little tan, maybe oil you up, get you appropriate man-scaping. and we're going to make you look 25 pounds thinner. what the viewers don't know is that he's 50. so, to recap. three guys, ready to strip down -- >> take it off! >> reporter: trim up and take part in "20/20's" first ever ultimate fitness fakeover. blocks away we've arranged to take those ever important before photos. casey, aka "wolverine," arrived first and with a little prompting, the shirt was off, his gut glaring. full length shot. next up, mitch, who quickly lost his smile and suddenly, we lost ours, too. is that a farmer's tan he's sporting?

sideways. finally, 50-year-old kurt, a self-proclaimed artist by day, silver fox by night. that''s perfect. he was going to need more than a coat of paint to make himself camera ready. >> are we going to keep the mask on? >> yes. >> reporter: upstair us, the "men's fitness" dream team. a stylist, a groomer, the photo director. and sticking with andrew dixon's edict, we gave them just 60 minutes to snap those six packs. >> you have two brothers? >> this will be quite a harassment deal for me. >> reporter: there were lots of touchdowns. >> you know i only do this when i got a date. >> reporter: cleanups and plenty of last minute situps. then, it was time for the big reveal. an hour ago, casey was thrilling tourists in times square for tips. would all that man-scaping make him a sexy super hero or our first fakeover zero?

remember, this was the before. and now, here's the after. >> like the retired super hero comes back, ready to save the world. >> reporter: 18-year-old mitch is up next. we'll see. this fall, mitch will be a college freshman. >> yeah, that's good. >> reporter: and now it looks like he may just be the next big man on campus. you look really great. surprising. >> quite the deal. >> reporter: okay, our final fakeover candidate. keep in mind, kurt, not so buff before. and remember, he's 50. and here is his ageless after. >> i'm kind of in shock. >> they had fun with it, which was the intention. and they look good. >> reporter: you've done over 200 covers. what do you think is most important? >> personality. confiden

confidence, being a celebrity. >> reporter: that will get you on the cover? >> it helps. next -- move over, charlie's angels. there are some new angels in town. >> angels -- >> yes, melissa? >> but who are they going after this time? >> i feel my hands going for

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even better over time! for the tough ones? this one's tougher. garnier targeted line smoother. and the food you love is serving up tons of prizes, like huge amounts of cash. ♪ ea sports madden nfl 25 video games... ♪ plus brand new fiat 500s... ♪ so grab a tray. we're serving up more monopoly fun at mcdonald's. "20/20" continues with the naked truth. here's chris connelly. >> reporter: seaside marina del rey, every a magnet for l.a.'s affluent. ready to dress up and raise a glass on an evening out. no surprise that mingling with

the well-heeled is a high-heeled gaggle of gorgeous young women, for whom this gathering of the wealthy is a target-rich environment. but they aren't looking for a hot car or home in the hills, they're after these rich guys' wallets. not to do well, but to do good. >> make sure it's a winner. >> there's christina at the front. kristen at the board. lindsay, too. >> three for 200. >> reporter: and this is a benefit for charity, so they're in sell mode. >> so, this is only a third of the items that are out right now. >> reporter: while rocking their je ne sais quoi, getting once reluctant donors to hand over their precious credit cards and give til it hurts so good. do they really get these attendees to dig a little deeper? oh, yeah.

what, in particular, led you to make such a generous donation a moment ago? >> i'm a sucker for a pretty face. >> reporter: a trio of crusading glamour goddesses fighting for what's right. remind you of anything? but these aren't "charlie's angels." they're the charity angels. accelerated-fundraising sirens for hire, putting to work their iqs, their tlc and their lbds. >> i don't think the approach would be quite the same if we came in some overalls and a hard hat. but it could, i mean, it might be a cute look. >> $50,000! >> reporter: prying open like oysters those bountiful billfolds and putting the ahhhh in not-for-profit. >> thank you so much. as you can see, all the charity angels are beautiful on the exterior. but they are far more beautiful on the interior than you could ever possibly imagine. >> reporter: they're beautiful, they're brilliant and they work for her. >> angels. >> yes, melissa. >> you're going to the beverly hills hotel to raise money for the children's hospital of los angeles. >> reporter: model turned philanthropic powerhouse mellisa nielsen. in ten years, she's guided her

charity angels concept to a $10 million gross, while amping up many benefits' bottom lines. by what percentage can you increase what they would normally make at a fundraiser? >> 60 to 100%. >> reporter: not 10%, not 20%, but 60%. >> yes, 60% to 100%. >> reporter: so, how'd you like this knowledge that she brought? melissa pays each of her angels a flat rate of $30 an hour. she rocks 150 benefits a year. >> please, please, open your wallets. >> you don't right away ask them for their money. i want to get to know them. >> reporter: are you looking at that person like you are looking at me now. i feel my hand going for my wallet as you speak. >> give me your wallet. i'll spend your money. >> reporter: ah, but don't girl i didn't note you could get down like that independent women with booth babes.

those, so do you come with that car? convention center cutie pies who are ogled but not heard. >> no. we don't -- i don't ever want to be in that light. >> reporter: not everyone has gotten the memo, like on the golf course. >> she doesn't have the to do anything but stand there and look as gorgeous as she is and she knows i melt to jelly. >> reporter: appreciative banter comes with their asking for money mission. but while all angels have wings, they also have, whoa, tiger, limits. >> that might cost you a little bit more. >> reporter: what if they ask for a phone number? >> absolutely not. we don't date our clients. >> reporter: a hug? >> i hug everyone. >> you don't have to ask. we just, we smile, we hug. >> reporter: somebody asking for a little kiss? >> no. >> unless it's a sweet old lady. >> yeah. >> if we should sell out this evening -- >> reporter: her company's not paid on commission, yet no one

closes out a benefit like melissa does. >> 5,000. thank you, sir. >> reporter: $43,000 on the evening. more than twice the 20 grand initially hoped for. another win. >> angels, i just called to tell you how proud i am of you. it was a tough assignment. you handled yourselves very well. >> reporter: and how am i possibly going to say no to you or one of your angels? >> you don't. we will find you.