Because so many of us today are firmly convinced that there is no God (the proof, of course, is the existence of cell phones, or something ... I can't remember ... they told me what the proof was, but I forget ... I'll check again and tell you), some concepts have rubbed off on everyone, atheists and believers alike. For instance, words strung into sentences and arranged into paragraphs are INFORMATION, or info, for short. No more and no less. Because this view is purely algebraic (some would call it scientific), it is taken as a matter of course, because science rules ... what would we do about science ... etc.

So you pick up a diet book or an exercise program and just start following it, more or less mechanically (algebraically). You leave out the spiritual aspect of the problem. It may do you some good in the beginning, and yet, before you know it, you find yourself bogged down by diminishing returns. So you move on to the next book, next program, next diet or diet pill, and so forth. Each year, more and more folks in the U.S. get classified as overweight, and more and more books and programs come out. The other side of the problem is that as folks seek nothing but "info," that is how most books today are, in fact, structured. (There are some notable exceptions, of course, such as Ricardo's dashing A Fat Girl's Ultimate Guide to Thinness and Happiness available at Mighty Niche Books; we’ll get to it later).

Your body, the most precious material possession you'll ever have, is in some measure a reflection of your spirit, and the weight problem is at least in part spiritual. Yes, overeating is one of the problems, but what causes overeating in the first place is suppression of the spirit: lack of interests, lack of passion, BOREDOM. Spiritual laziness prevents folks from getting hobbies, enjoying a passionate conversation (everyone wants to be nice to everyone else), an argument - anything. It is far easier to be seduced by colorful food ads: instant gratification.

Most overweight folks I know are often bored unless someone comes over to entertain them. They cannot entertain themselves, except with food. Now boredom is not an algebraic concept; it cannot be expressed in numbers. There are patterns one might find useful to consider, such as –

Very few avid readers are drug addicts.

Very few drug addicts are avid readers.

Very few opera buffs are thieves.

Very few thieves are opera buffs.

Few people who know how to entertain themselves are overweight.

That's the idea.

Ricardo’s humorous guide does not give you professional advice, nor does it prescribe a diet, nor an exercise program. Rather, it shows you how you can TEACH YOURSELF to channel your love of life and your body in such a way that you yourself will know EXACTLY what to do in order to get thin and stay that way, and enjoy every moment of the process. The instructions it contains are mostly spiritual pointers, easily grasped, readily appreciated, and very obviously beneficial.

That, too, is the idea.