"People need to be aware of the difference between a weight-loss challenge and a fad diet at the office, " she says.

WSJ: Office Weight-Loss Contests Rise, Saboteurs and All

She said she didn't think she would have been able to do it without our help and support and, because she had not done this through a fad diet, she has a much better chance of staying at that weight.

BBC: Image of Tony Blair rowing

Keep in mind, however, that in children it's sometimes hard to tell what's an eating disorder and what's simply a whim, a new fad, or experimentation with a vegetarian diet or other eating styles.

CNN: Eating disorders

This dieting system has real staying power, as fad diet after fad diet (like the low-carb Atkins) attracts a swarm of acolytes--only to leave them disillusioned a few years later.

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