The Calcium Key, the Revolutionary Diet Discovery That Will Help You Lose Weight Faster, by Michael Zemel and Bill Gottlieb. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley; 2004. 262 pp.

On the basis of his extensive research bridging the link between dietary calcium and weight loss, Michael Zemel introduces The Calcium Key, the Revolutionary Diet Discovery That Will Help You Lose Weight Faster. Although simple research and basic principles and guidelines of healthy nutrition are included in the book, it reads more like a "how to" diet book rather than an informative report of the major findings associating high dietary calcium intake and weight loss as found in Zemel's research. As Zemel describes, the book is "scientifically unique" among diet books as the plan has been studied in original clinical research trials and shown significant beneficial results while most other books are not supported by research.

The book includes 7 chapters divided into 3 parts. Part I describes the proposed mechanisms between calcium and its assistance in weight and fat loss on a calorie-restricted diet, as well as published results from clinical trials. In addition, personal narratives about weight loss success stories on "The Calcium Key Weight-Loss Plan" are integrated throughout the book. The stories portray this plan as quite effortless but fail to describe how exactly the followers lost weight. The book opens with a story that describes a woman who lost almost 50 pounds, and when she was asked if she was on a diet, responded, "No, I'm just eating right and drinking a lot more milk!!"

Part II, the majority of the book, teaches readers about general weight loss, including calorie counting, benefits of gradual weight loss, and other pointers. One chapter explains how to get started on the diet by figuring out personal daily calorie estimates to allow for weight loss and how to budget foods using an exchange-based diet. Readers are instructed to use a food diary to keep track of all foods and portion sizes consumed. Exchange lists similar to the diabetic exchanges are found in this chapter for reference. The last section of Part II has sample meal plans based on specific calorie allowance for 28 days each as well as a few holiday and restaurant meal plans. Adequate servings of dairy are found in each sample plan to meet the 1200 to 1300 mg/d calcium requirement as shown to be beneficial in the research studies. Sixty high-calcium recipes are provided in the sample meal plans with the recipe ingredients and preparation instructions.

Part III is a brief summation of the other possible health benefits to following this diet plan, such as prevention from developing osteoporosis, colon cancer, and hypertension.

Written as though the author is talking to the reader, this book feels more personal than other weight loss books and it is fairly easy to understand the scientific details. In general, the sample menus and recipes in this book are simply healthy diets. They are rich in fruits, vegetables, grains, and low fat meats and dairy products; thus, outlining a healthy varied diet that dietitians advise patients to follow for weight loss and maintenance.

For those weight watchers looking for a concise review of information about this current innovative topic and ways to include an adequate amount of dairy in their calorie-restricted diets, this book is a useful tool. However, without further guidance from a registered dietitian, readers may find it difficult to fully understand and follow the diet correctly without direct teaching about exchange-based diets and portion sizes.