In the weight loss industry, hunger is a dirty word, the villain that must be stopped in its tracks; however, it is this determination to eradicate hunger that has created the worst propaganda for diets. DIET has become a dirty word, associated with pain, starvation and all things "undo-able." But if we look at hunger more closely, we will see that villainy is only part of its heritage. Hunger is more like Edmund in "The Chronicles of Narnia." His cravings for Turkish Delights temporarily made him succumb to the wicked Witch until he broke through the cold inertia of her spell and re-created himself anew.

Hunger can be more appropriately viewed as an interim stage, part of a process of transformation. What we learn from our hunger is the key to long-term success in weight management.

There are different kinds of hunger; there is the real hunger for sustenance that comes after a hard day's work. This hunger is necessary for our survival as it tells our body that it needs to replace the energy that has been expended.

Then there is the hunger we feel when we are bored