The misery of the detox

January is a miserable month and yet so many make it even more miserable by trying to give up some of life's great pleasures – such as alcohol. Three weeks in, how's it going?

America’s healthy debate on food

Amanda Marcotte: Culture warriors try to cast anti-obesity advice as bossy elitism, but the bottom line is we all know we have a big problem

My waistline for a horse

Dominic Prince was knocking on 50 and drastically overweight. He decided to combine dieting with his dream of being a jockey – but it would mean abandoning his family

I want to feel like a new man

At 48, Stuart Jeffries found himself balding, stooping and paunchy. It would be too easy just to surrender to the fleece. He had to up his game

Your prescription for 2011 is…

… be slightly overweight, don't exercise too much and stop peeling your fruit and veg. Dr Tom Smith on seven simple steps to better health

Try it – don’t diet

Arabella Weir: These hard-won diet tips are simple: sit firmly on guilt and self-doubt, and set your own limits