BROADCASTS.com

In our media-obsessed culture, the emphasis on having a trim figure is constant and overwhelming. Almost all of us have been frustrated, at some point, by not being able to achieve the perfect (or, let\u2019s face it, just slightly improved) body, but nobody remains more stubbornly committed to winnowing away those extra pounds than Luke \u201cLB\u201d Burbank. Christy and Ann are ready to do a run-down of many (but certainly not all!) of the fad diets, kooky nutrition ideas, and far-out strategies he\u2019s employed over the years in an effort to build his beef castle. From extreme calorie restriction, to cheeseburgers and booze-ahol, to part-time veganism, he\u2019s willing to try just about anything, although his enthusiasm usually outpaces his preparation. Along the way, we remind ourselves that it\u2019s a \u201ccheat meal,\u201d not a \u201ccheat day,\u201d get annoyed by Bridget Jones\u2019s Diary, and wonder exactly what Luke was doing with those pickles. If you\u2019re interested in reading about the truth of dieting, why it doesn\u2019t actually work, and what you can realistically do to be happy with your body, here\u2019s the book Ann mentioned: Secrets from the Eating Lab, by Traci Mann, PH.D.