Not Another Diet Book: A Right-Brain Program for Successful Weight Management

Psychologist Sommer (The Facts Behind Your Figure) maintains that ""the implications of both the subconscious mind and the right brain for the control of eating behavior have been severely neglected.'' Offering the ``split-brain'' theory (the left side is the conscious, logical aspect of the brain while the right side is intuitive and emotional), she proposes that dieters tap the subconscious right side of the brain to relearn healthy eating habits. She claims that 10 minutes daily of ``reflective relearning,'' focusing initially on recommended subjects (``Think of the color red . . . let it fill the base of your spine''), will unlock buried attitudes towards food and effect a ``behavioral change.'' This program as well as the stale advice proferred for the remainder of the day (``Never shop when you are hungry''; ``All fried foods . . . are fattening''; ``Increased physical activity can be fun'') and lack of a tangible program (``Think consciously''; ``Become aware'') won't enlighten anyone searching for a way to slim down. (February)