Monday, Jun. 23, 2008

Time to slim down and size up summer diets

Forget about mojitos, barbecues and fireworks displays -- what summer means to many is an end to hiding a winter-long Cinnabun binge under a baggy sweater.

Then there's the daunting prospect of trying to pedal for more than five minutes -- without stopping for a cheese tasting -- on next week's visit to Napa after months of going through your Netflix queue. Or the dreaded swimsuit purchase you have to make before a July vacation.

Don't you just love summer?

We asked Jo Ann Hattner who teaches at the Stanford University School of Medicine and author of "Help! My Underwear is Shrinking!" to scrutinize three popular regimens: Jenny Craig, which has used celebrity endorsements by the likes of Valerie Bertinelli, Kirstie Alley and Queen Latifah; the Hollywood Cookie Diet, a fad diet that received a plug in an episode of the NBC series "Lipstick Jungle"; and a plan based on the food and exercise recommendations of the Department of Agriculture (USDA), the people who brought you the food pyramid.