Eric Oliver starts the acknowledgments of his new book, Fat Politics: The Real Story Behind America's Obesity Epidemic, with a distinctive first sentence: "This was not the book I intended to write."

CONFUSED by this week's news that a low-fat diet may not help prevent cancer and heart disease after all?

Last week, Dr. Barry Sears, creator of the Zone Diet, offered a surprisingly simple solution to the financial dilemma that the medical insurance industry faces: Reduce silent inflammation (the cause of many chronic diseases) using the combination of the Zone Diet and high-dose fish oil.

Dr. Barry Sears, creator of The Zone Diet, (http://www.drsears.com) refutes a study that says women who follow the low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet that the US government recommends lose weight. A close look at the study indicates that women who followed the diet actually gain fat.

CHICAGO -- Eating less fat late in life failed to lower the risk of cancer and heart disease among older women, disappointing news for those who expected greater benefits from a healthy diet.