“Waffles for breakfast. Ham and avocado wrap for lunch. Stir-fried rice for dinner. Blueberry-vanilla custard for dessert. Sounds like a day of bliss for non-calorie counters.

Actually, it’s a typical day’s menu from The Reality Diet (Avery, $24.95), a new book by Dr. Steven Schnur, CEO of South Florida Cardiology Associates in Miami Beach. Its 200-plus recipes cover an eight-week period — though you can stick with the plan the rest of your life.”

“Drinking coffee, especially when it is decaffeinated, may be associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, according to a report in the June 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.”

“Pedometers (step counters) are becoming increasingly popular with those trying to lose weight. However, a new study concludes that how much, or little, you pay for a pedometer may affect the big payoff when it comes to your health. According to a report published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, "cheap" pedometers are inaccurate and should not be used for public health measures.”

“A new study has found a link between obesity/overweight in children and migraines. A child who suffers from migraines is also 36% more likely to be obese or overweight, say researchers at the New England Center for Headache in Stamford, Conn, USA. Several studies in the past have identified a link between migraine and overweight in adults, this is the first one to show an association in children.”

“What if the next burger you ate was created in a warm, nutrient-enriched soup swirling within a bioreactor?”

“New guidelines on obesity may have a negative effect on children in the United States if they are instated. In addition, the financial links between the organization promoting the proposals and the pharmaceutical industry are raising concerns. Leading international health writer Ray Moynihan says an expert committee of the American Medical Association has ‘tentatively decided’ to reclassify obesity definitions. The fear is healthy children would be classified as overweight or obese — and therefore eligible for treatment with obesity drugs.”

“Controls on junk food advertising could be extended to websites, text messaging, computer games, cinemas and posters under radical plans being drawn up by the government, the Guardian has learned. Ministers fear that plans to clamp down solely on TV advertising would be undermined without a more ambitious approach and are putting together a range of measures to tackle the problem.”

“In a study of more than 125,000 people, one cup of coffee a day cut the risk of alcoholic cirrhosis by 20 percent. Four cups a day reduced the risk by 80 percent. The coffee effect held true for women and men of various ethnic backgrounds.”

“Dark soy sauce, widely used in Asia, may prove to be more effective than red wine and vitamin C in combating human cell damage, researchers in Singapore said.”

“Fat is a neurobiological issue. The brains of overweight people have more receptors for the neurotransmitter serotonin than those of people of normal weight, suggesting that being overweight may be down to more than just eating habits and may have an origin in brain chemistry.”