Nutrition

Food hijacked Dr. David Kessler’s brain.

Not apples or carrots. The scientist who once led the government’s attack on addictive cigarettes can’t wander through part of San Francisco without craving a local shop’s chocolate-covered pretzels. Stop at one cookie? Rarely.

Susan Voisin's Jackson dining room may now be her office, photography studio and in-house props storage facility, but the focus remains on food.

Not all food. Just what fits in the scope of her vegan diet - a personal and increasingly professional pursuit.

Beyoncé Knowles has reported losing 20 pounds on the Master Cleanse diet — a plan that involves eating no food but drinking a mixture of fresh lemon juice, organic maple syrup, cayenne pepper and water — for her role in Dreamgirls.

Low-fat, low-carb or high-protein? The kind of diet doesn’t matter, scientists say. All that really counts is cutting calories and sticking with it, according to a federal study that followed people for two years.

However, participants had trouble staying with a single approach that long and the weight loss was modest for most.

As the world grapples with rising obesity, millions have turned to popular diets like Atkins, Zone and Ornish that tout the benefits of one nutrient over another.