STAYING THIN: The Doctor's Guide to Permanent Weight Control

Though these maintenance tips for those who have already dieted successfully are not as extreme as Linn's actual dieting ploys (in The Last Chance Diet, 1976, a liquid protein fast), they're pretty thin material for a book in themselves. Linn pontificates endlessly (and unoriginally) on the causes of constant weight re-gain: fear of sexuality and love, need to be pacified, ingrained habit, etc. But he keeps assuring us, cheerfully enough, that it's all in our compulsive little heads; and he seems to think we can combat it with lists (e.g., ""of all the situations, away from home, that have caused you to pig out in the past""); changes in environmental cues (unscrew the refrigerator light bulb to discourage midnight snacks); and gradual weaning away from habit--changing the place and kind of snacks, say. Most serious lifetime dieters will be able to find a useful behavioral suggestion here or there; but for a strong, full program, The Last Best Diet Book, by Joyce A. Bockar (p. 544), is a better bet.