The Secrets of Why French Women Don’t Get Fat, In Stores May 2nd

NEW YORK, April 4 /PRNewswire/ — DK Publishing today announces the forthcoming publication of a book by renowned dietician Michel Montignac, titled THE FRENCH DIET: The Secrets of Why French Women Don’t Get Fat (May 2, 2005; $20.00, 192 pp; hardcover). The book is a solution to reader demand for more specific information on precisely what to eat, when, and how, in order to reap the benefits of the French diet and lifestyle.

The author of more than 20 books which have sold a combined several million copies worldwide, Michel Montignac’s work is now being released for the first time by an American publisher with a 100,000-copy first printing due in bookstores on May 2, 2005. With THE FRENCH DIET, Americans who have read about the benefits of the French lifestyle will now have access to the practical, day-to-day advice, scientific theory, and recipes behind this internationally recognized diet pioneer’s method.

The French have the lowest average body weight per capita in the Western world, and yet they eat famously well. Montignac explains in THE FRENCH DIET that this not only has to do with which foods the French intuitively choose to eat, but their quality, freshness, and most importantly, the way that they are combined. Although the book is based on the concept of glycemic index (GI), which other diet books discuss, THE FRENCH DIET breakthrough is in examining the net GI values of combined foods eaten as a meal — what Montignac calls the "glycemic outcome." This approach focuses on balanced, selective eating, not restriction or deprivation — and the resulting delicious menus easily motivate long-term maintenance. For example, Montignac notes in THE FRENCH DIET that you can have a glass of wine before your dinner — but that it’s better to first eat a small chunk of hard cheese — so that the resulting insulin response is lowered, minimizing the metabolic reaction that leads to weight gain.

While other diets focus on the "can’ts" and the "don’ts", THE FRENCH DIET encourages readers to savor eating and to discover new flavors, tastes and textures in addition to the ones they already know and love. This positive approach will prove a welcome reprieve to readers who’ve suffered through the predictable backsliding of food-restricting diet plans. Montignac writes, "you can maintain a slim figure and still enjoy artfully prepared, delicious gourmet fare in your own kitchen every day."

Already a phenomenon for years in Europe, Montignac’s dieting methods have been helpful to millions of people around the world (including a celebrity following among devotees including singers, actors, and fashion designers) who have achieved impressive and long-lasting results and reduced their risk of developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes — all without depriving themselves of the foods they enjoy. The recipes included in THE FRENCH DIET will accommodate the most sophisticated palate with decadent-seeming selections such as foie gras canapes, poached oysters, entrecote steak Bordeaux-style, lobster Martinique, a variety of cheeses, and even chocolate mousse! "Respect your body’s pace and work with it and you will achieve all of your weight-loss and maintenance goals," the author reassures us. "Here is a new appreciation of French food and a little taste of how it can not only help you lose weight but enjoy life to the fullest."

In THE FRENCH DIET, readers will learn:

* The scientifically supported metabolic theory behind the diet’s weight-

loss and maintenance phases

* A range of classic French recipes for people who love cooking and

eating good, fresh food

* The secrets of optimizing what you eat

* Clever tactics for social eating the French way

* Why low-calorie diets don’t work

* How it’s possible to enjoy chocolate and drink wine and still lose

weight

* Fail-safe strategies for quickly getting back on track after a lapse in

following the program

* Specific advice for women who have difficulty losing weight due to

hormonal imbalances

* How to convert bad, destructive eating habits into life-enhancing good

ones

Written for a range of readers, from those who dine out frequently, to yo-yo dieters, to those who don’t want to give up wine or "the good life" but who do want to lose weight, THE FRENCH DIET reveals the secret to living, eating, and looking like the French with this delicious, deprivation-free diet.

About the author:

World-renowned diet author and scientist Michel Montignac was born in southern France. Excess weight put on over years of fattening business lunches while working for a large pharmaceutical firm led him to study nutrition. After years of rigorous study of metabolism, Montignac developed a unique diet plan, which enabled him to lose 35 pounds in 3 months. Through his ground-breaking work (corroborated by research conducted at Harvard University), he developed his diet, based on the glycemic index, into THE FRENCH DIET. Montignac self-published his first book, Eat Yourself Slim, which went on to become an international bestseller. He has since published over 20 books that are available in 42 countries and in 25 languages.

THE FRENCH DIET:

The Secrets of Why French Women Don’t Get Fat

By Michel Montignac

Publication date: May 2, 2005

ISBN: 075661578X

Format: 6" X 9", Hardcover

Pages: 192

Price: $20.00

For additional information about THE FRENCH DIET or to arrange an interview with Michel Montignac, who will be touring the U.S. this May, please contact Cathy Melnicki Sears at 646-674-4050 or cathy.sears@dk.com.

DK Publishing

CONTACT: Cathy Melnicki Sears of DK Publishing, +1-646-674-4050,cathy.sears@dk.com

Web site: http://www.dk.com/