If you're one of the millions of North Americans who made it your resolution to start shedding pounds in the New Year, you know that there are hundreds of options available promising rapid results - a bewildering array of products and programs that claim they can help you lose weight easily and better yet, keep it off forever. While the weight-loss industry reaps $50 billion from consumers annually, the numbers of overweight and obese men, women and children continues to rise.

Dr. Valerie Taylor will give a free public lecture titled How we've dieted ourselves into obesity and what we can do to regain control0 to help navigate the perils of weight loss by encouraging a healthy relationship with food and the body -instead of an obsession with numbers.

Her talk, which takes place Wednesday, January 20 at 7 p.m. at The Hamilton Spectator Auditorium, will provide an overview of some of the reasons diets don't work and discuss ways to achieve a healthy body weight.

Taylor co-authored The Cognitive Behavioral Workbook for Weight Management with colleagues from the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences. The book will be available for purchase at the lecture and the authors will be happy to sign any copies.