Staying Thin: The Model's Health & Fitness Regimen

Maintaining that this program ""will work equally well for you whether you are in the modeling profession or not,'' Perkins (The Insider's Guide to Modeling) espouses calorie counting in tandem with ``the exercise or exercises of your choice'' for healthful weight loss. Though nutritionally sound, his presentation is marred by hackneyed assertions: ``Vegetables, in general, are very low in calories''; ``Boiling and baking are good alternatives to frying''; ``Most saturated fats . . . tend to increase blood cholesterol.'' Advice regarding the benefits of walking, running, aerobics, yoga, cycling and the like is also simplistic: ``If you do not know how to swim, it is recommended that you learn from a professional instructor.'' Perkins provides an attractive array of low-cal recipes, but Tahitian tuna calls for one-quarter cup of sugareven though that refined substance is branded ``our biggest enemy in the great diet war.'' Potential dieters won't be motivated by this cursory effort. Photos. Author tour. (September 1)