Archive-name: dieting-faq/part3

continued from part 2

-I've heard about several weight loss aids like herbal teas, "fat-burning"
pills, etc. Do any of these work?-

Some of the non-prescription drugs can temporarily cause your weight to
drop, but not because they're eliminating excess fat from your body. Most
over-the-counter "diet aids" contain stimulants, which hike up your central
nervous system and decrease your appetite, and/or mild diuretics which
cause you to eliminate fluids (by urination) more quickly than normal. The
stimulants can cause unpleasant side effects such as dizziness and nausea,
and the diuretics can make it difficult for you to get too far away from a
bathroom. And as soon as you go off the pills, your weight bounces right
back up to its previous level, making such nostrums useless for long-term
weight loss.

-What about prescription drugs (phentermine, fenfluramine)?-

There are prescription weight loss aids which show somewhat more promise
than the non-prescription nostrums. Fenfluramine (marketed as "Pondimin")
suppresses appetite by acting on the brain chemical serotonin. Phentermine
(marketed as "Ionamin") is an amphetamine-type stimulant and appetite
depressant. The two drugs are often used in combination with each other in
order to provide more effective weight control while minimizing side
effects; a study on the combined effects of the drugs is available at
http://www.weight.com/nongifphenfen.html. The newest addition to the
pharmacological weight-loss arsenal is Redux (dexfenfluramine), which is
essentially the active portion of fenfluramine and is used in smaller doses
than fenfluramine. Studies indicate that these drugs do cause weight loss
in many people, but they can also cause side effects: nervousness, dry
mouth, rapid or irregular heartbeat, etc., in the case of phentermine,
while fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine can cause dry mouth, sleep
disturbances, diarrhea, depression, etc., and have been associated with a
few cases of a serious condition known as pulmonary hypertension.
Participants in studies of these drugs gradually regained the weight they'd
lost when they stopped taking the medication.

Additional information on prescription drugs used in weight control can be
found at http://pharminfo.com/pubs/msb/obesity.html and
http://pharminfo.com/pubs/msb/seroton.html. There is also a newsgroup,
alt.support.diet.rx, which is devoted to the discussion of medications used
in weight control.

-Do I need to take a supplement (vitamin/mineral pill) while dieting?-

A balanced diet (see "Food Pyramid") which is low in fats, sugars, and
alcohol and is adequate in calories (no fewer than 1,200 cal/day for women,
1,400 cal/day for adolescent girls, 1,600 cal/day for men) may contain
sufficient vitamins and minerals to meet the FDA's recommended Daily Value.
However, not many of us meet those requirements every day, and some
physicians and researchers feel that the FDA's recommendations regarding
many vitamins and minerals are too low to promote optimal health. (The
recommended Daily Values are intended to prevent deficiency-related
diseases such as scurvy and pellagra; they do not necessarily reflect the
amount of a vitamin or mineral needed to sustain an adequate reserve
against illness or injury.) If you do decide to take a vitamin/mineral
supplement as insurance against an inadequate diet, you should look for a
brand which contains a variety of vitamins and minerals, and keep in mind
that excesses (amounts greater than 100% of the FDA's recommended Daily
Value) of certain vitamins and minerals, in particular Vitamin A and iron,
can be toxic.

-What is chromium? Can taking a chromium supplement help me lose or
maintain weight?-

Chromium is a nutrient which plays a factor in maintaining blood glucose
(sugar) levels. Chromium occurs naturally in the diet, and is found in
foods such as brewer's yeast, whole grains, liver, and shellfish.
Individuals whose diets consist mainly of processed foods may not have an
adequate intake of chromium; symptoms of chromium deficiency include weight
loss and impairment in the body's ability to maintain blood sugar levels.
Although there is no recommended daily allowance for chromium, a daily
intake of between 50 and 200 micrograms (g) is recommended by many
physicians and nutrition experts. Chromium is available in several forms,
including inorganic chromium, high-chromium yeast, chromium picolinate, and
chromium polynicotinate. Of these, chromium polynicotinate seems to be the
best absorbed. While chromium does seem to be of benefit in regulating
blood sugar in diabetics, its role in weight loss or maintenance for
non-diabetics is not yet clear. Some individuals who have made a conscious
effort to raise their chromium levels through diet changes or dietary
supplements have reported that chromium does seem to lessen their cravings
for sweets, but I am unaware of any formal studies that support this.
Additional information on chromium picolinate is available via WWW at
http://www.lifelines.com/libry1a.html.

EXERCISE

-I need to lose weight, but I really hate to exercise. Can I lose weight by
eating a low-calorie diet without exercising?-

It's possible; many dieters (especially women) avoid exercise at first and
rely on low-calorie diets for weight loss. However, these same dieters
often find that exercise can be the key to restarting weight loss that has
suddenly stopped (see the section on plateaus), and most people who
successfully maintain their new weights find that exercise is a necessary
component of a maintenance plan. Another benefit of exercise (especially
anaerobic exercises such as weight lifting--see section on "What is
anaerobic exercise?") is that it can increase the amount of muscle tissue
in your body--the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn.

-What are the most effective types of exercise for losing fat/weight?-

Those that cause your heart rate to increase to 65-80% of the suggested
maximum heart rate for your age group (which can be determined by
subtracting your age from 220), and which will keep your pulse at that rate
for at least 15-20 minutes continuously (i.e., "aerobic", or "oxygen-using"
exercises). Depending on your current fitness level and how hard you work,
many exercises, sports, or tasks can be aerobic in nature. You don't
necessarily have to jog or go bicycling; you can count walking, dancing, or
vigorous housework (e.g., vacuuming) as exercise so long as it causes your
heart rate to stay in that 65-80% range continuously for 15-20 minutes.
Note: While swimming qualifies as an aerobic exercise and does appear to
provide all the cardiovascular benefits of other aerobic exercises, it
appears to be less effective for weight loss than other exercises. Swimmers
tend to have higher fat levels than other athletes; this may be because fat
provides buoyancy and insulation against cool water temperatures.

-How hard do I need to exercise?-

Hard enough to get your heart beating fast, but not hard enough to exhaust
you; this is the pace at which your muscles burn fat most efficiently.
Exercising harder than this causes carbohydrates (sugars) to be burned, not
fat. (For a detailed, easy-to-read discussion on this subject, check out
The New Fit or Fat, by Covert Bailey.) There are several ways to tell
whether you're exercising at the proper intensity:

   * Heart rate*: Determine your maximum safe heart rate by subtracting
     your age from 220, then exercise hard enough to bring your heart rate
     to 65-80% of your maximum. For example, if you're thirty years old,
     your maximum heart rate is 190, and you should aim for a heart rate of
     123 to 152 while exercising. If you're not in great shape (just
     starting to exercise, recovering from a minor illness, etc.), you
     should aim for the lower end of your range. Taking your pulse during
     exercise can be tricky, since you'll usually need to stop jogging,
     dancing, or whatever, to accurately feel your pulse (at your wrist or
     at your carotid artery, which is located at the side of your neck just
     under the jaw). Stopping for too long, however, can cause your pulse
     to drop down out of your target range. Measure your pulse briefly
     (Covert Bailey recommends 6 seconds, other authorities recommend 10 or
     15 seconds), then multiply that figure by the correct amount (10, 6 or
     4) to determine your average pulse per minute. (* If your normal,
     resting heart rate isn't somewhere around 70-80 beats per minute, the
     "maximum safe heart rate" formula above may not be an accurate
     indicator of exertion for you; use the "talk test," explained below,
     instead.)
   * "Talk test": This method doesn't require that you stop exercising, but
     it can earn you some odd looks out on the jogging track. :) Try
     speaking out loud as you exercise--if you have enough breath to speak
     easily, without gasping, but not enough to sing, then you're doing
     just fine.
   * Getting warm or working up a sweat: the least precise of these
     methods. If you exercise in warm conditions, you should exercise hard
     enough to work up a light sweat. In cold conditions, it's sufficient
     to work hard enough to make yourself warm.

Keep in mind that as your fitness improves, you will have to work harder to
get your heart rate up, so keep checking your pulse (or using the talk
test) even if you've been exercising for some months.

-What is anaerobic exercise?-

Anaerobic exercise is activity which promotes the growth of muscle tissue,
as opposed to burning fat tissue, which is the point of aerobic exercise.
Anaerobic exercise involves pushing your muscles to the limits in order to
encourage them to grow to meet the demands that you put on them. Unlike
aerobic exercise, anaerobic exercise is short and intense. Weight lifting,
sit-ups, push-ups, chin-ups, and squats are all examples of anaerobic
exercises.

Anaerobic exercise does not cause weight loss; in fact, those who exercise
anaerobically on a regular basis may find themselves actually gaining some
weight due to the increase in muscle mass (even though their bodies are
becoming leaner and trimmer, since muscle is denser than fat). However,
anaerobic exercise is an important part in overall fitness precisely
because of that increase in muscle. Your muscles, after all, are what do
the work that burn calories, and the more muscle you have, the more
calories you burn.

-How often and how long do I need to exercise?-

In short, you should exercise aerobically as often as you can. 6 or 7 times
a week is not excessive, although if you work out this frequently, you
might wish to alternate exercises from day to day (e.g., walk or jog one
day, bike the next) to avoid stressing the same sets of muscles repeatedly.
Most authorities recommend a minimum of 20 minutes of aerobic exercise per
session, and at least 3 sessions per week. Ideally, you should also include
2 or 3 sessions of anaerobic exercise per week to increase strength and
build muscle mass. (You should always allow 2 to 3 days between anaerobic
workout sessions to permit your muscles to recover and to prevent injury.)

-How many calories do different types of exercise burn?-

For those who like tables, here's a table from The Family Fitness Handbook
by Bob Glover and Jack Shepherd, p. 185. These numbers are probably geared
towards those who are just starting to exercise; people who are already fit
may burn calories at much higher rates than those listed here.

                    Exercise                      ~Calories Burned/Minute

 Cross-country skiing                                     10-15

 Running                                                  10-12

 Handball/Squash/Racquetball (singles)                     8-11

 Handball/Squash/Racquetball (doubles)                     6- 8

 Canoeing/Rowing                                           7-11

 Swimming (crawl stroke)                                   8-10

 Biking                                                    5-10

 Jumping rope                                              7-10

 Tennis (singles)                                          7-10

 Tennis (doubles)                                          5- 7

 Ice and roller-skating                                    5-10

 Walking                                                   5- 7

 Dancing (rock/disco)                                      4- 6

 Dancing (square, western, polka)                          5- 8

 Dancing (aerobic class)                                   5- 8

If you're into numbers, this may look discouraging. Seen from a "input
equals output" standpoint, it appears that you'd need to run for nearly an
hour to burn off a 560-calorie Big Mac. The wonderful thing about exercise,
though, is that it raises your metabolic rate, even after you stop
exercising. The effects of exercise linger for some time after you stop
moving, and in time, regular exercise will cause your body to burn fat far
more efficiently than it did when you were inactive.

-Does "passive exercise" (e.g., toning tables) work?-

Toning tables may help relax tense muscles, but they certainly don't work
your muscles, which is what you must do to burn calories. Other gimmicks
such as jiggling belts, rollers that "knead" fatty areas, electrical muscle
stimulators, body wraps or suits, and the like, do not promote calorie
burning. Some of these devices (like body wraps or sweatsuits) do cause
fluid loss (sweating) which results in lower weight and body measurements,
but these losses are fleeting. A couple of glasses of water, and you're
right back where you started.

-I move around a lot during the day; I try to use stairs instead of
elevators, park my car on the far side of the parking lot, etc. Would I
qualify as a "moderately active" person?-

Not unless you really do move around a lot. According to physicians and
dietitians, a moderately active person is one who exercises at least 30 to
60 minutes per day, whether all at once or spread out through the day.
Every little bit of exercise that you get helps, but most of us do need to
include a regular exercise program in our daily routines to meet that 30-60
minute requirement.

MOTIVATION

-I've started a diet and exercise program, but I'm finding it really hard
to stay on track. Any suggestions?-

Eating tips:

   * Make sure that the eating plan you're following--whether it's a
     commercial plan like Weight Watchers or one you devised
     yourself--suits your needs and cravings. Do you need the control of
     weighing and measuring every bite that you eat, or do you need the
     freedom of eating whatever quantities of low-fat, nutritious foods
     that satisfy your hunger? Do you feel most in control if you eat 3
     meals a day, or if you "graze" on 5 or 6 small meals throughout the
     day? Do you need to ease into a new eating plan gradually, adapting to
     new low-fat, high-fiber foods week by week, or would you be more
     motivated by going "cold turkey" on junk foods? Do what works for you,
     which may not be at all the same thing that worked for your best
     friend, husband, etc.
   * Don't beat yourself up if you "fall off the wagon" and indulge (or
     even overindulge) in something you think you shouldn't have eaten. An
     episode of uncontrolled eating does not mean that you or your diet
     failed, just as a minor fender-bender doesn't mean that you or your
     car are totally unworthy of ever appearing in traffic again.
   * When it comes to improving your health, doing something, no matter how
     small, is always better than doing nothing. You may not be willing or
     able to adopt all of our suggestions regarding nutrition and exercise,
     but everybody can work some of these changes into their lives. Try
     switching from whole milk, regular mayonnaise and salad dressings to
     their nonfat counterparts. If you just can't live without meat, eat
     meat, but eat leaner cuts and smaller portions. If you can't exercise
     every day, at least take the stairs or walk around the block every
     once in a while. The more you can do the better, but even the smallest
     changes can improve your long-term health and your self-image.

Exercise tips:

   * Don't overdo it; start out gradually. The point is not to exhaust
     yourself.
   * Try a variety of different exercises: walking, biking (outdoors or
     stationary bike), skating/rollerblading, dancing (in a class, to a
     tape, or put on some peppy music and make up your own steps),
     trampolining, hiking, etc. Even if you don't find an activity you
     like, maybe you'll find one you can tolerate.
   * Try listening to music, books on tape, or motivational tapes while
     exercising; maybe you can distract yourself. (Be extremely cautious
     and alert when using personal stereos with headphones outdoors, since
     these devices may leave you unable to hear approaching cars, bicycles,
     etc.)
   * Consider the possibility of "double-density" exercises: combining
     exercise with other activities that you do enjoy, such as reading or
     watching TV while riding a stationary bicycle, or using walks to catch
     up on quality time with your significant other or your kids.
   * Every little bit of exercise helps, so work in some extra motion
     whenever you can. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park well
     away from buildings (if it's safe to do so), etc. Healthy people are
     active people; overweight people are good at finding ways to conserve
     their energy.
   * Try biking to work, school, etc. People commute up to 30 miles each
     way. This can be done in all weather that's passable by
     four-wheel-drive cars, day or night, and it's no less safe than in a
     car. Your exercise time is largely time you would have spent commuting
     anyway, and you save tons of money. [I strongly recommend John
     Forester's Effective Cycling for information on how to do this safely
     and comfortably.--kfl]
   * If your destination is 5 miles away or less, consider walking or
     jogging.
   * Stick with your exercise plan until it becomes a habit, one that
     you'll miss if you skip it too often. Probably very few people really
     enjoy brushing their teeth, but just as few would want to skip doing
     so for three or four days.

INFORMATION AVAILABLE VIA THE INTERNET

-Newsgroups-

The following newsgroups discuss nutrition, fitness, overweight, etc., and
may be of interest to those who read a.s.d.:

   * alt.food.fat-free: very low-fat (7-15% of calories from fat) food and
     cooking,  la McDougall/Ornish/Pritikin/Mirkin
   * alt.food.low-fat: low-fat (less than 30% calories from fat) eating
   * alt.support.big-folks: fat-acceptance with no dieting talk
   * alt.support.eating-disord: eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia, etc.)
   * alt.support.diet.rx: discussion of medications used in weight control
     (such as phentermine and fenfluramine)
   * alt.support.obesity (moderated): weight loss support/resources for
     persons 100 lb. or more overweight
   * misc.fitness.misc: physical fitness, exercise, body-building, etc.
   * misc.health.diabetes: diabetes and hypoglycemia
   * rec.* and rec.sport.*: various newsgroups on specific sports, e.g.,
     rec.running, rec.sport.rowing, etc.
   * rec.food.veg, rec.food.veg.cooking: vegetarianism and vegetarian
     cooking
   * sci.med.nutrition: nutrition and diet
   * soc.support.fat-acceptance: similar to alt.support.big-folks, but a
     little more focused

-Mailing lists-

   * CARBOHYDRATE ADDICT'S DIET: Nancy Milligan (npm@nmcs.com) has started
     a mailing list specifically for the discussion of the Carbohydrate
     Addict's Diet and other low, or modified, carbohydrate diets such as
     Dr. Atkins' diet. To subscribe to the list, send an e-mail message to
     listproc@eskimo.com, and put the command "subscribe lowcarb-list Your
     Name" (without the quotes) on a line by itself in the body of the
     message. Nancy also has a Web site, which includes the low-carb FAQ
     and recipes, at http://nmcs.com/lowcarb/. You may also use your WWW
     browser to join the mailing list by using the form at the same URL.
   * CLUB-100: Mark Mitcham's mailing list for persons 100 lb. (45 kg.) or
     more overweight. (alt.support.obesity grew out of this list, and
     messages from the newsgroup are echoed to the list.) For info on
     Club-100 (e.g., the charter, etc.), send an e-mail message to
     listserv@unm.edu and put the command "Info Club-100_Mail_List-L"
     (without the quotes) in the body of the message. To subscribe to the
     list, send an e-mail message to listserv@unm.edu, and put the command
     "Subscribe Club-100_Mail_List-L Firstname Lastname" (without the
     quotes) on a line by itself in the body of the message, where
     "Firstname Lastname" is replaced with your name. (If you wish to
     remain anonymous, you may use a pseudonym.)
   * FATFREE: Michelle Dick's mailing list for the discussion of extremely
     low-fat vegetarian eating. To subscribe, send e-mail to
     FATFREE-REQUEST@FATFREE.COM, and put the command "info" (without the
     quotes) in the subject line of the message.
   * FATLOSS: Scott Compton's Fatloss Support mailing list, which provides
     one-on-one information and support to those who wish to lose excess
     body fat. To subscribe to the list, send an e-mail message to
     majordomo@list.stanford.edu, and put the command "subscribe
     fatloss-support" (without the quotes) on a line by itself in the body
     of the message.
   * LOWCARB: Dean Esmay (esmay@syndicomm.com) runs a mailing list
     dedicated to the subject of low-carb dieting. Its emphasis is on diets
     like those of Michael & Mary Eades and Robert C. Atkins, with a lesser
     emphasis on related diets such as the Stillman diet, the Carbohydrate
     Addict's Diet, and even The Zone. Unlike Nancy Milligan's low-carb
     list, the goal is not to provide support but rather to encourage
     discussion among those already familiar with low carbohydrate dieting.
     To subscribe to the list, send an e-mail message to
     listserv@manual.com and put the command "subscribe lowcarb Firstname
     Lastname" (without the quotes) on a line by itself in the body of the
     message, where "Firstname Lastname" is replaced with your name.
   * NATURAL DIETING: Tony Miller's (computer.geek@worldnet.att.net) list
     is dedicated to "natural" weight loss and maintenance, i.e. weight
     loss through sensible diet and exercise, without the use of
     prescription or over-the-counter drugs, surgery, etc. To subscribe to
     the list, send an e-mail message to majordomo@joerock.mindport.net and
     put the command "subscribe natural-dieting" (without the quotes) on a
     line by itself in the body of the message.
   * WEIGHT WATCHERS: Michele Coleman (coleman@leland.stanford.edu or
     owner-ww-support@lists.stanford.edu) runs a Weight Watchers mailing
     list which is intended as a friendly place for people following the
     Weight Watchers plan to exchange support and suggestions. To subscribe
     to the list, send an e-mail message to majordomo@lists.stanford.edu,
     and put the command "subscribe ww-support yourname@someplace.com"
     (without the quotes) on a line by itself in the body of the message.
   * ZONE DIET: To subscribe the Zone diet mailing list, send an e-mail
     message to zone-request@tgv.com, and put the command "subscribe"
     (without the quotes) on a line by itself in the body of the message.

-World Wide Web sites-

NOTE: Some sites listed here are run by commercial organizations; inclusion
of a site does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation of their
product(s).

   * alt.support.obesity FAQ at http://www.unm.edu/~markm/aso/
   * alt.food.fat-free FAQ at
     ftp://ftp.fatfree.com/FAQ/alt-food-fat-free-faq
   * The American Heart Association's Web page on fad diets (such as the
     cabbage soup diet and the hot dog diet) at
     http://www.amhrt.org/pubs/phoney.html
   * The Center for Science in the Public Interest (the group that
     publicized the high levels of fat in Italian, Chinese, and Mexican
     restaurant foods and in movie theater popcorn) at
     http://www.cspinet.org
   * Chromium picolinate info at http://www.lifelines.com/libry1a.html
   * Fatfree Web site at http://www.fatfree.com/
   * Good Health Web (misc. health news, searchable health-related
     articles, etc.) at http://www.social.com/health/index.html
   * The Hacker's Diet (written by John Walker, a software engineer who
     lost--and kept off--a large amount of weight using common sense
     techniques; features Microsoft Excel worksheets to help you track your
     progress) at http://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/www/hackdiet.html
   * The Hardin Meta Directory of Internet Health Sources at
     http://www.arcade.uiowa.edu/hardin-www/md-nutr.html
   * Hopkins Technology (nutrition software publisher) Web site; features
     "Ask the Dietitian" at http://www.hoptechno.com/
   * Dr. Ben Krentzman's Web site on "The Science of Obesity and Weight
     Control" at http://www.loop.com/~bkrentzman/
   * Medical Science Bulletin on obesity (includes info on phentermine) at
     http://pharminfo.com/pubs/msb/obesity.html
   * Medical Sciences Bulletin on serotonin and eating disorders (includes
     info on fenfluramine) at http://pharminfo.com/pubs/msb/seroton.html
   * Nancy Milligan's low-carbohydrate diet (CAD, Atkins) Web page at
     http://nmcs.com/lowcarb/
   * NutriGenie's (nutrition software publisher) Web sites at
     http://users.aol.com/nutrisoft and
     http://pages.prodigy.com/CA/nutrigenie/
   * The Nutritional Analysis Tool, an online program presented by the
     College of Agriculture, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences at the
     University of Illinois for analyzing calories, fat, carbohydrates,
     fiber, and vitamin/mineral content of any food in the USDA Handbook
     #8, at http://www.ag.uiuc.edu/~food-lab/nat/ (it works best with
     browsers capable of displaying tables)
   * Lee Rodgers' low-carb Web page at http://www.lowcarb.org.
   * Stanford University School of Medicine's "Understanding Obesity and
     Weight Loss" Web site at

http://www-med.stanford.edu/MedSchool/DGIM/Teaching/Modules/obesity.html
   * Study on phentermine and fenfluramine used in combination:
     http://www.weight.com/nongifphenfen.html
   * TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) information at
     http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/ns/stoner/tops.html
   * Weight Watchers official Web site at http://www.weight-watchers.com

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND RECOMMENDED READING LIST

   * Abraham, Suzanne and Llewellyn-Jones, Derek, Eating Disorders: The
     Facts, Oxford University Press, New York, 1984 (ISBN 019261665X)
   * Bailey, Covert, The New Fit or Fat, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston,
     1991 (ISBN 0395585643)
   * Bailey, Covert, Fit or Fat Target Diet, Houghton Mifflin Company,
     Boston, 1984 (ISBN 0395510821)
   * Colvin, Robert H. and Olson, Susan C., Keeping It Off: Winning at
     Weight Loss, Simon and Schuster, New York, 1985 (ISBN 0671532944)
   * Forester, John, Effective Cycling, 6th edition, MIT Press, 1993 (ISBN
     0262560704)
   * Foreyt, John P. and Goodrick, G. Ken, Living Without Dieting, Warner
     Books, 1994 (ISBN 0446382698), available from Gurze Books (phone#
     800-756-7533) for US$10.99 + shipping/handling. The authors, who are
     Ph.D.'s associated with the Baylor College of Medicine and its
     Nutrition Research Clinic, discourage restrictive dieting and
     encourage slow weight loss through lifetime modifications in diet,
     exercise, and attitude.
   * Gershoff, Stanley W., Tufts University Guide to Total Nutrition,
     Harper & Row, New York, 1990 (ISBN 0060159189)
   * Glover, Bob and Shepherd, Jack, Family Fitness Handbook, Penguin
     Books, 1989 (ISBN 0140468633)
   * Heller, Rachel and Richard: The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet, The
     Carbohydrate Addict's Gram Counter, and The Carbohydrate Addict's
     Program for Success
   * Jonas, Steven and Aronson, Virginia, I-Don't-Eat (But-I-Can't-Lose)
     Weight Loss Program, Rawson Associates (Macmillian Publishing
     Company), New York, 1989 (ISBN 0892563435)
   * Lampert, Leslie, "Fat Like Me," Ladies' Home Journal, May 1993, pp.
     154-155, 214-215
   * "Losing Weight: What Works, What Doesn't," Consumer Reports, June
     1993, pp. 347-352
   * Morgan, Elizabeth, Complete Book of Cosmetic Surgery, Warner Books,
     New York, 1988 (ISBN 0446513709)
   * Moynahan, Paula A., M.D., Cosmetic Surgery for Women, Crown
     Publishers, New York, 1988 (ISBN 0517564297)
   * Netzer, Corrine T., Complete Book of Food Counts, Dell Publishing, New
     York, 1991 (ISBN 0440208548)
   * Nutrition Action Healthletter, published by the Center for Science in
     the Public Interest. 1-year subscription (10 issues) available for
     US$24 from CSPI, P.O. Box 96611, Washington, DC 20077-7216. This is
     the group that publicized the high levels of fat in Italian, Chinese,
     and Mexican restaurant foods, and in movie theater popcorn. Each
     newsletter is packed with the latest findings in nutrition research,
     reviews of (and recipes from) health-conscious cookbooks, and
     recommendations on the best and worst fast foods/prepared foods.
   * "Rating the Diets," Consumer Reports, June 1993, pp. 353-357.
   * Robertson, Laurel; Flinders, Carol and Godfrey, Bronwen, Laurel's
     Kitchen, Bantam Books, New York, 1976 (ISBN 0553225650)
   * Roth, Geneen, Feeding The Hungry Heart: The Experience of Compulsive
     Eating, Signet, NY, 1982 (ISBN 0451161319). In this book, Ms. Roth
     points out the reasons that people overeat, and the metaphor that
     eating is feeding a different sort of hunger: Love. Included are
     passages written by students in Ms. Roth's class, which teaches people
     to love themselves and thus break free from the destructive cycle of
     overeating.
   * Roth, Geneen, Breaking Free from Compulsive Eating, Signet, NY, 1984
     (ISBN 0451168348). As a followup to her previous book, Ms. Roth
     details her personal program for successful weight loss from an
     emotional standpoint. Although this selection does not discuss
     healthful eating, it is an excellent supplement to a nutrition book,
     because it examines the emotional issues involved in undertaking any
     weight loss program.
   * Roth, Geneen, When Food Is Love: Exploring The Relationship Between
     Eating And Intimacy, Dutton, NY, 1991 (ISBN 0525249672). Ms. Roth
     completes her theme in this last book by discussing the concept of
     replacing love with food. She points out that people often use food as
     a means of avoiding intimacy, and explores ways to heal "the hurting
     child."
   * Scanlon, Deralee and Strauss, Larry, Diets That Work (updated
     edition), Lowell House, Los Angeles, 1992 (ISBN 0929923715)
   * Silverstein, Alvin and Virginia, So You Think You're Fat?,
     Harper-Collins Publishers, New York, 1991 (ISBN 0060216417)
   * Stare, Fredrick J., Aronson, Virginia and Barrett, Stephen, Your Guide
     to Good Nutrition, Prometheus Books, Buffalo, New York, 1991 (ISBN
     0879756926)


