I watched Ann Widdecombe present a programme criticising the Diet Industry on ITV1 tonight

There's more information about it here: http://www.itv.com/PressCentre/AnnWiddecombeVersustheDietIndustry/Ep1/default.html

Ann Widdecombe is a good presenter for this sort of programme. Her main message was that "Diets Don't Work!" I think and hope that it will do some good. It highlighted the harmful role that so many of the glossy magazines do with their emphasis on dieting and on celebrity tips for losing weight and on photos of celebrities with extremely slim bodies, very unlike most people.

I was particularly impressed by the success of a woman psychologist who worked with a small group of teenage girls to raise their confidence and self-esteem so that they no longer felt that they had to lose weight in order to be liked. Her work was very worthwhile and the girls were clearly happier and no longer obsessed with diet nonsense.

Ms Widdecombe's visit to America and to Hollywood showed people whose obsession to be ultra-slim was so great that many resort to hugely expensive, ridiculously extensive weight reduction surgery, which she herself was offered and sensibly refused, not being a gullible fool.

The experts on the programme were wisely against the daft and often dangerous diets. Sadly, not one of them gave the best advice of all for losing excess weight safely and reliably, namely avoiding salt and salty food. - And Ann Widdecombe own advice for losing weight: "the best way to shift the pounds and stay slim is to eat less and move more" is not correct. - Very, very few people lose weight by doing that, and are often harmed by trying it.

To lose weight safely and rapidly, you need to give up dieting and low calorie/low fat junk altogether! - You can eat more food, more calories and still lose excess weight provided that overall your salt/sodium intake is lower. And faster still if you eat plenty of fruit and unsalted vegetables, i.e. potassium-rich food.

Yes, although it contains no calories, salt is fattening! - because it causes fluid retention - but only if you are sensitive to salt... - Read more:

Lose weight, reduce your risk of most cancers, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease, heart attack, vascular dementia, osteopenia, osteoporosis, hypercholesterolaemia, depression, liver and kidney problems, and improve your health in many other ways without drugs or expense by eating less salt! - Try it! - You will feel so much better!

Read my Mensa article on Obesity and the Salt Connection

And see Sodium in foods and

amitriptyline

prescribed steroids and HRT

See advice for pregnant mothers

Associated health conditions

and FAT RETENTION