Another weight loss story? It must be January

If imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, Subway and its young, folksy spokesman Jared Fogle must be overjoyed. The company's fast food rival Taco Bell has a new spokesmodel, Christine Dougherty, who purportedly lost 54 pounds over two years (results not typical) by eating from the chain's "Fresco" menu.

Bay area news radio station KCBS interviewed UC Berkeley nutrition specialist emeritus Joanne Ikeda to get her thoughts on Taco Bell's new advertising campaign. Ikeda said it's possible dieters could lose weight eating Taco Bell food, but not likely.

"If you make the right selections and you are limiting your calorie intake, you can indeed do that," Ikeda told reporter Patty Reising. "But do most people do it? No, they don't."

It may be called a "drive-thru diet," but Ikeda pointed out they don't have recommended menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

"That would be the kind of thing I'd be horrified at," she said.

Ikeda said that get-thin-quick schemes abound around the New Year, but there is really no substitute for healthy eating and exercise to lose weight.

More common sense information about weight loss is available from the UC Berkeley Center for Weight and Health.

(Image used under a Creative Commons license from Flickr user Scott Ableman.)

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