When on a Diet, Group Support Is Invaluable

Re: “For Lasting Weight Loss, Little Things Can Mean a Lot” (July 10), as a 50-something woman who spent far too many years engaged in battle with the yo-yo style of weight loss, I am well aware of what it takes to reduce one’s size and to maintain that shape. Fifteen years ago, I lost 100 pounds and have learned that calories do count, along with exercise and--what the article did not mention--the importance of group support.

In my case, I went into the weight room of the Hollywood Y, where the men (in those days it was all men) didn’t understand why I didn’t want to simply tone up, since their goal was to acquire the proportions that defined my shape. In this instance, I had found a culture where large was the ideal, and that, along with daily exercise and huge portions of vegetables, helped me to find a lifestyle I have been able to maintain.

Whether it’s a gym class or a group like Weight Watchers, the effect of having people whose goals are the same and where the group’s energy is larger than the individual parts are an essential part of gaining control over those pesky pounds.

--RUTH KRAMER ZIONY

Los Angeles