Choose How to Lose

A diet book has always appeared on the New York Times bestseller list. Apart from the Dr Atkins Diet Revolution and The South Beach Diet that have sold more than 20 million copies each worldwide,books by lesser-known authors in the weight sphere routinely make the million copy mark. In India too,in the years to come,this is going to be a lucrative industry staple. But,so far,there are too few authors coming up with revolutionary,out-of-the-box ideas on diets,where the results are tangible,essential to creating a blockbuster book. Gimmicky advice,that doesn’t convert into losing flab,will only get you so far.

The best get-fit book to emerge out of India is undoubtedly Rujuta Diwekar’s Don’t Lose Your Mind,Lose Your Weight,published in 2009. It came out at a point when the Atkin’s and South Beach concept of the low-carbohydrate approach was losing steam,maybe because it’s been around too long or because of its long-term ill effects. Diwekar makes more sense,even if what she suggests is highly impractical: eat every two hours (tough,if you have a regular job) and no packaged food whatsoever. But she even encourages you to indulge once in a while,a very realistic way to tackle weight. Most importantly,it’s very readable,with humorous accounts of her clients and work life.

Diwekar’s book has sold over 1.5 lakh copies,and,since then,she has written another called Women and the Weight Loss Tamasha that has also sold over 50,000 copies,possibly because of its strong Indian context. It has chapters devoted to post-marriage weight gain,bound to strike a chord with young women. Another yoga instructor,Payal Gidwani,came up with From XL to XS,that didn’t make much of an impact. Still,Indian books on weight loss are here to stay,despite the fact that no one is saying anything that hasn’t been said before.

Since there’s little substantial research into our food habits,these books are more common sense than cutting-edge. They work because to read someone familiar with Indian food habits and lifestyle is more reassuring than reading a foreign author with a different food palate.

Weight issues are a great equaliser. Almost every adult I know is either watching their food intake with a hawk’s eye,joining a gym or trying to cut back. New research suggests that if you add cayenne pepper or pureed veggies to your meal,it acts like a natural appetite suppressant. Who knows? Those of us who don’t have Baba Ramdev’s will to fast,will keep reading.

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