If sitting is the new smoking, as one researcher recently put it, what can we do about it? Few of us can afford to quit work, where we sit eight or 10 hours a day, cold turkey.Is there any time of year that is more full of possibility than a new year?
Apparently not, if you’re in the business of publishing diet books.
My desk is in danger of collapsing under the weight of the latest releases.
How, I wonder, does the aspiring diet author distinguish himself in this competitive field?
I cannot vouch for the science in any of these books (full disclosure: neither time nor desire allowed me to read them all). A few that caught my eye:
•“The Physique 57 Solution: The Groundbreaking 2-week Plan for a Lean, Beautiful Body,” by Tanya Becker and Jennifer Maanavi. This one gets its name from the authors’ conviction that 57-minute workouts, along with “an effective eating plan,” are the path to glory. Kelly Ripa claims in the accompanying press materials that after following this plan, her “butt is higher.”
•“The Petite Advantage Diet,” by Jim Karas, is “the specialized plan for women 5’4” and under.” It promises to help petite women “create a sexy curvaceous look that taller women only wish they could have.”
•“Eat Your Way to Sexy: Reignite Your Passion, Look Ten Years Younger and Feel Happier Than Ever,” by Elizabeth Somer. What a title! What sweep!
•“Bread Is the Devil: Win the Weight Loss Battle by Taking Control of Your Diet Demons,” by Heather Bauer and Kathy Matthews. Much as I love the title of this book, what’s even better is the cover image: a slice of bread with a horned devil burned into it.
