By Neal Barnard, M.D., Author of Foods That Fight Pain

WASHINGTON—People everywhere think that their genetic make-up is impossible to change. If they are born with blue eyes, they stay with blue eyes. If they are born heavy, then they live heavy forever. And, even if they want to change their weight, the process is usually either painful or expensive, right? Wrong.

In his latest book, best-selling author and internationally known lecturer Neal D. Barnard, M.D., is back with groundbreaking news that proves the genes people wish most to change—those in control of our weight and body type—are highly susceptible to nutritional and environmental influence. So changing them to our advantage is within our grasp. In Turn Off the Fat Genes: The Revolutionary Guide to Taking Charge of the Genes That Control Your Weight (Harmony Books, February 2001), Dr. Barnard, author of Foods That Fight Pain and Food for Life, reveals—through food, easy exercises, and other simple strategies—how to suppress the fat genes in our bodies and, in turn, boost our thin genes.

Turn Off the Fat Genes is the first and only book that translates the amazing, groundbreaking findings of genetic research on weight and weight gain into an extremely easy and strikingly effective way to lose weight in three weeks while stabilizing your appetite. How does it work? In this program, Dr. Barnard stresses the importance of understanding and controlling five key gene groups—the taste genes, the appetite-taming hormone, the fat-storing genes, the fat-burning genes, and the exercise genes.

Turn Off the Fat Genes shows how these genes work and how to manipulate their messages, simply and safely, using a three-week, gene-control program. And, to make this plan even easier, Turn Off the Fat Genes comes complete with simple menus and more than 150 recipes.

Yes, the fact that some of us crave chocolate and hate broccoli is, believe it or not, genetically determined. But, according to Dr. Barnard, this trait and many others can be dramatically changed if you stick to this program. In short, this new revolutionary guide has the ability to change lives, and body images, forever.

Early praise for Turn Off the Fat Genes:

"In this book, Dr. Barnard describes how your unique genetic blueprint affects your tastes and appetite, builds enzymes that store fat, and sets how quickly you burn it. When you eat this way, you may feel better and look better. You can lose weight and gain health." — Dean Ornish, M.D., president, Preventive Medicine Research Institute, Sausalito, California (from the Foreword)

"No one knows more about healthy diets than Dr. Neal Barnard. I personally follow his recommendations faithfully. By revealing the effects of fat genes, Dr. Barnard provides the most up-to-date information on scientifically based yet remarkably easy ways to slim down and maintain the best of health." — Henry J. Heimlich, M.D., The Heimlich Institute at Deaconess Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio

"Losing weight is not an issue of fashion or vanity. It’s essential for our heart, our longevity, and our overall health. The dietary approach Dr. Barnard recommends is medically sound, healthy, and effective for weight loss. Achieving and maintaining ideal body weight and avoiding tobacco is the best insurance policy we can purchase." — William C. Roberts, M.D., medical director, Baylor Cardiovascular Institute, Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, and editor, American Journal of Cardiology

"Turn Off the Fat Genes shows how to use the remarkable ability you have to overcome a tendency toward gaining weight. Taste genes, appetite genes, fat-building and fat-burning genes, and even exercise genes—learning how they work and how foods alter their actions gives you a tremendous advantage. — John A. McDougall, M.D., St. Helena Hospital, Deer Park, California

Founded in 1985, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a nonprofit health organization that promotes preventive medicine, conducts clinical research,and encourages higher standards for ethics and effectiveness in research.