A book titled "The Cheater's Diet" at least rates a look, I reasoned. After all, who doesn't cheat - at least a little - while on a diet? And if this diet requires you to cheat regularly - and you still lose weight - then bring it on.

Bariatrician Paul Rivas, a physician who specializes in weight loss, explains that the diet mandates eating chocolate, wine, beer and pizza. In fact, eat anything you like - on weekends. And he knows that this diet works, because 15,000 of his patients have been on it successfully for the past 10 years.

He says that people who need to lose weight need a diet that does the following: Puts the joy back into eating.

Find out more about the Cheater's diet at http://www.stltoday.com.