Shut Up, Dieters: It's Not Working, and You're Boring

But more than 60% don't enjoy eating in front of partners

(NEWSER) - Women think about food a lot—as in, more than they think about sex. A recent survey shows that while 25% of women think about food every half-hour, only 10% think about sex that often. When it comes to men, 5% think about sex once a minute and 36% find their minds wandering to it every 30 minutes. But even though women are thinking about food, they're probably not enjoying it: 25% say they're always concerned about their weight, the Daily Mail reports. More»

Don't feed them pureed meals: study

(NEWSER) - Babies may face a lower risk of obesity if they feed themselves finger food when they're first learning to eat solids, a study suggests. Researchers found that babies who were spoon-fed pureed food developed more of a propensity for sweets than did their finger-fed counterparts; the kids who munched finger food, in a process known as "baby-led weaning," showed more interest in carbs like pasta and rice, AFP reports. More»

Well, the good carbs, at least

(NEWSER) - Eggs are bad for you; eggs are good for you. Drink lots of milk; avoid dairy. Who can keep up with diet recommendations these days? Case in point: Carbohydrates, which became quite unpopular thanks to the Atkins diet, are making a comeback. New weight loss plans focus on enjoying what you eat—including carbs—rather than restricting yourself, Reuters reports. More»

Focus, routine, exercise...and also just running around a lot

(NEWSER) - Rotund chefs like Mario Batali and Paula Deen have given way to a crop of stick-thin kitchen wizards who clearly know a thing or two about how to stay slim while being surrounded by food. The Daily Beast gets the skinny from the skinny culinary elite, and won't take "high metabolism" for an answer:

• Taste: Chefs taste their food, the operative word being "taste." Anyhow, one says, "it's possible to work an entire shift and not eat anything, since we're running around all the time." Which leads us to:
• Exercise: Whether its just a byproduct of a busy day, or a concerted gym effort, you've got to burn the calories you put in.

Watch for these signs during that idle holiday chit chat

(NEWSER) - Pretty soon, you’ll probably be drowning in polite holiday chit chat with rarely seen acquaintances, and odds are some of those conversations will be really dull. How can you ensure you’re not the one being boring? Slate breaks down some surefire clues:

• Repeated, perfunctory responses: If they’re saying things like “Oh really? Wow. No kidding,” they’re probably not interested
• Simple questions: The more interested someone is, the more complicated their questions will usually be.