traditional diets

And mother Russia is in trouble. After a new report indicated Russian men and women have gained four pounds over the past 10 years, officials have asked citizens to go on a diet.

MediterrAsian is a site that has been around since 2004. It showcases the best aspects of both a Mediterranean style of eating along with traditional Asian dietary habits.

Ric Watson and Trudy Thelander (who created the site) recently published a book - The Mediterrasian Way.

It's both a cookbook and diet book.

One reviewer called it the "dieting war of the worlds". Following the successes of Guiliano's French Women Don't Get Fat comes another book about a particular country's eating habits. The French book is very popular in the US - although the title doesn't quite ring true - French obesity statistics are similar to what the US was 10 years ago.

French Women Don't Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano has become quite popular recently (even Time magazine have an article on it). The title isn't factually accurate, as 10% of French women are considered obese (compared with 33% of Americans). But hey, diet books are all about eye-catching titles and clever marketing.

The book looks at the difference between lifestyle, and comes up with some of the same old basic advice - eat less, exercise more.