Habits Not Diets: The Secret to Lifetime Weight Control

A realistic and exciting alternative to the classic "count calories and do sit-ups" approach to weight loss. Easy-to-use techniques help the reader modify eating behavior for life.

Obesity, chronic health problems, fatigue, excess stress, and an inadequate sex life are often the result of the sedentary American lifestyle. The remedies are all based on whole, unprocessed food, exercise, stress management, and attention to the spiritual aspect of life. The problems are interrelated, as are the solutions. All the titles here address improving lifestyle for better health; all agree there are no quick fixes to long-term problems. Fergusons's Habits Not Diets is an expansion of his original 1976 title. It offers a detailed behavior modification program lasting 21 weeks for a do-it-yourself approach to weight loss. It is upbeat and inspires confidence through use of many charts to track eating habits and exercise. Special chapters help cope with family participation and holidays. As a result of reading the book, this reviewer modified eating and exercise behaviors and lost weight. Strongly recommended. In Never Be Tired Again , Gardner and Beatty direct their emphasis to relieving fatigue. Once past the hype of their expensive spa program, they offer detailed and helpful nutritional information, including symptoms of deficiency and overdoses of all vitamins and minerals. To address spiritual well-being and stress management, they have provided helpful positive imagery exercises. Precise physical exercise programs in many sports, from skiing to yoga, and breath-control techniques complete the program. Lists of brand name foods and recipes are also provided. Highly recommended and helpful for improving basic health whether or not fatigue is a problem. Love, Sex & Nutrition addresses improving health with the goal of better sex and love life. Author of several other controversial health titles, Jensen is a clinical nutritionist and holistic doctor. He too calls for changes in diet and activity level through a "master feeding program" and exercises. This title appears to be based more on the author's opinions than factual information than the other titles. There are inaccuracies in the nutritional information and questionable claims, such as cure for fertility problems via a regimen of herbs, vitamins, and natural "medications." Sexist remarks and illustrations may offend. Disregard unless author has a strong following in the community. Lamb's The Weighting Game addresses weight control (loss and gain). Most of the book is directed toward how food is processed in the body. The main point is that it is harder for some people to effect weight change; there is not much advice on the topic. Of particular interest are special exercises to reduce "beer bellies." For diet book junkies only. Manahan's Eat for Health takes a hard look at caffeine, salt, sugar, fats, milk, and processed food and relates them to a myriad of chronic health problems and allergies in a very wide range--kidney stones, colic, canker sores, migraines, and cataracts among many others. Tables and charts compare name brand products for amounts of harmful substances. Strategies for reducing or eliminating the harmful substances and suggestions for alternatives are included. Essential reading and an outstanding selection.
- Karen Jackson, Susanna Wesley Sch., Tallahassee, Fla.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.