Obesity is one of the major problems of the developed world today. It is not simply a matter of being too fatthose who are severely overweight are prone to a tremendous range of other health problems such as back pain and coronary heart disease. In "Realistic Weight Control, " Jan de Vries clearly and sensibly explains why these problems occur and how best to avoid them. Moreover, in view of the overwhelming variety of slimming methods on the market, each claiming to be better than the last, he points out the dangers to health caused by following an inappropriate diet."