Break the Weight Loss Barrier

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), July, 1998 by Wayne M. Barrett

by Jim Meschino and Barry Simon / Prentice Hall, 1998, pp. 278, $19.95

Reviewed by WAYNE M. BARRETT Associate Editor, USA Today

*** A lifestyle change often is spurred by a disturbing moment that makes crystal clear that there is a problem which needs attention. For me, it was the news that two family members, while shopping in a flea market, came across a treasure trove of Russian hockey jerseys. Alas, they didn't buy me any since the vendor only had the sizes large and extra-large. At the time, nothing less than a double-XL would fit over my mass of flesh.

Break The Weight Loss Barrier is not just about losing weight, however. It's a lifetime plan for proper diet and exercise. The authors, a nutritionist (James Meschino) and a psychiatrist (Barry Simon), make a convincing case. Theirs is a wellness plan not merely designed to help readers drop potentially dangerous pounds and feel better about themselves, but to fend off life-crippling diseases as well.

The latter function makes for fascinating reading. It's frightening to learn what foods promote which diseases, but also comforting to hear about those foods that provide the needed nutrients to stave off these illnesses.

To understand and master the mindset of weight loss, though, is why I read this book. Here again, the authors provide the afflicted with any number of effective techniques--from rewording inner conversations to visualization to breathing exercises--that will help them stay away from the donut shop and the refrigerator. (Personally, my weakness was the daily 2 a.m. raid on the snack drawer. In a matter of minutes, cakes, pies, cookies, and up to a quart of milk could disappear, empty wrappers and a pile of crumbs attesting to my gluttony the next morning.)

Three encouraging facts were the clinching argument for me. First, the amount of fat cells in the body, while varying from person to person, is finite. People don't get more as they get fatter; the size of the cells is the determining factor, and that can be controlled. Second, this is not a lifetime sentence of starvation. The book provides pages upon pages of charts, tables, and recipes. No thinking required: just do what it says. Third, the recommended exercise regime requires only 30 minutes a day and is aerobic in nature. In other words, a half-hour walk in the park at lunchtime will suffice.

Finally, don't be misled: altering one's lifestyle is not a snap. Determination and backbone are necessary. When I feel myself weakening, I follow the authors' advice, which is to interrupt my inner conversation and repeat my chosen mantra. In this case, it's the old Go-Go's tune: "You Can't Stop The World, Why Let It Stop You?" Good advice.