The Search for the Right Books for Dieting

Posted by : Alan Bracken | Tuesday, May 11, 2010 | Published in

The main superstores will have many books on dieting and weight loss and there is no end to the queue that is standing on that side of the aisle. People will browse virtually anything on the market in the hope that they can find that miracle cure that will enable them to maintain a sensible weight in the long term. They will ignore all the wisdom that tells us that many of the theories that are found in those books do not work and are just a pretext for fleecing the public. It is a pity that the consumer protection function has not yet really penetrated this side of the business to ensure that the public is protected from such unscrupulous traders. On the other hand we have to think of the writing industry as an informative source of advice for those that would like to control their weight and get a grip on their overall heath.

In searching for the right dieting books one has to consider the credentials of the person that is writing the book. Although it does not follow that only intellectuals can give advice about weight loss, there has to be an element of peer review before a book can be accepted within the context of the general dieting industry. If the person is merely writing an opinion piece then they should make it very clear at the outset so that there is no ambiguity about where they are going and the impact of the book on the people that would like to control their weight. I personally tend to go for the books that are written by people who are qualified in that field because on balance they tend to have better sources of information for the public in general.

It must also be understood that writing a book is a complicated process if one is churning out the books as if they are going out of fashion then something might be wrong with the quality of those books. One should be writing books once in a while to ensure that there is no problem with the research and development of the themes that they are going to espouse in the book. Those that fail this fundamental test should not be allowed to publish dieting and weight loss books or to make money from them. It is not unusual to see someone that writes so many books but does not have the intellectual capacity to see them through.