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'Frontline' and dieting bottom line
"Frontline: Diet Wars" 9 tonight Channel 9

Back in the "Leave it to Beaver" days when Steve Talbot played Gilbert on the show, every child was pushed to be a member of the "clean plate club."

These days, San Francisco journalist Talbot is weighing in on issues surrounding losing pounds in America in a fascinating documentary.

"Diet Wars" looks at the billion-dollar industry that has sprung up around Americans' obsession with weight loss. Talbot checks out an array of programs from Atkins to Weight Watchers.

So where does he want to discuss the documentary? At the tantalizing Slanted Door located smack in the middle of San Francisco's Ferry Building, which boasts a collection of shops filled with mouth-watering fresh baked breads, exotic treats and sugary confections.

Thanks, Talbot.

Talbot's as bubbly as a freshly corked bottle of champagne, filled with fun stories about his days on the "Leave it to Beaver" set, being the son of prolific actor Lyle Talbot (Joe Randolph on "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet") and his

transition from child actor to respected "Frontline" journalist.

"There were some days when we would leave the house in the morning and my mom was taking me to the set of 'Beaver' and Dad was in the station wagon going to 'Ozzie and Harriet,'" Talbot says with his trademark grin. "Now that's a strange way to grow up. But it all seemed so normal to us."

In the documentary, Talbot uses clips of himself as Gilbert to look back on a time in American history when people seemed to eat healthier foods.

"Really, I don't think it was very healthy. My mom packed my bologna and cheese sandwich -- at least she used whole wheat bread -- with an apple and a little carton of milk every day at lunch," Talbot says. "But the point was we didn't do a lot of in-between-meal snacking and the portions were small in comparison to what we eat today."

And, Talbot says, children in particular were much more active.

"You were encouraged to go out and play all day," Talbot says. "You didn't sit at home playing video games, watching TV and sitting at a computer. You were playing with your friends."

Talbot says he was a little surprised when he was chosen to be the correspondent for the documentary, because he primarily writes and produces his own documentaries and seldom appears on camera any more.

He began his career at KQED-Channel 9 more than 25 years ago, eventually going to work for "Frontline" producing documentaries. His easy demeanor belies the fact that he's been a hard-hitting investigative reporter.

In fact, it's probably his delightful, benign attitude that allows him to get so much out of his subjects. Talbot has reported, written and produced more than 30 documentaries, including the Peabody Award winner "Broken Arrow" (1980), an investigation of nuclear weapons accidents, and "The Best Campaign Money Can Buy" (1992), which won a duPont award from Columbia University.

Currently, Talbot is the series editor for "Frontline World," an international news magazine airing on PBS. The offices for that production are based at UC Berkeley's school of journalism.

So, why the call for the correspondent gig?

"Well," says Talbot with a laugh, "I think I fit his criteria for a diet subject."

Talbot doesn't look like a man in need of a diet, yet when we watch Talbot visit his doctor in the documentary, he gets the news that he's already considered overweight by the body mass index and is heading straight for the obesity blocks on the chart.

"I was surprised," Talbot admits.

So he investigated various diets in the program, visiting a Weight Watchers group, the Pritikin Longevity Center and checking out the low-carb Atkins diet and the popular South Beach Diet.

"We discovered that all diets are gimmicks, and that in the short term they all work," Talbot says. "So they are good to jump start your weight loss program. But in the long run, you have to choose something in which you lower the number of calories you take in, exercise more and make the change to something that fits into your lifestyle."

So which one did Talbot follow to accomplish his 10-15 pound weight loss, which is shown at the end of the tonight's episode?

"I call it the 'Frontline' diet," jokes Talbot. "There were cameras on me the whole time. The crew and producer told me they were going to be supportive. Well, pretty soon the cameramen were saying things like, 'Well, if cheese is allowed on the diet, the cheese CAKE should be fine ...'"

In the end, Talbot says he discovered what every doctor will tell you about how to lose weight: Exercise and eat less.

"It's all about smaller portions, no snacking between meals and being more active," Talbot says. "It's not exciting, it doesn't sell a lot of diet books, but it works."

Interesting. I am definitely going to tape this one.

I'm with him on being active, ditching junk and smaller portions, but the research does show that 4-6 'meals' (grazing) is better for insulin levels and fat-loss than 'three squares'.

Thanks for the heads up, I will watch this tonight.

But isn't that research on meals looking at typical carb laden ones? I used to have to eat ever couple of hours on my LF diet because I was hungry all the time!

I agree fridayeyes... I do so much better with more smaller meals!! If I don't I can tell I get just a bit shaky!! even on a lc diet!!

So I don't think just eating 3 square meals a day and excersize is the answer...I did this and gained 30 lbs!! so I don't think this is right for everyone!!

I watched the show, and it was interesting.

Personally, I do better if I'm not snacking. The mini-meal concept for me meant more time thinking about and dealing with food, which for me translated into eating more.

I think he really had a point in that it really doesn't matter what particular plan you follow, it has to be something you can stay with and you have to get off the couch!
It isn't as effortless as a lot of the books would tell you, and I think the over inflated promises lead to greater disappointment and a higher drop-out rate.

I watched it too, and was struck by a few things. One, that a guy who is 5'11" is supposed to weigh 172 lbs? That seems awfully thin, and the doctor was telling him he was almost obese.
Second, Dr. Ornish is a real jerk.

I thought it was very interesting how that one reporter was about crucified for going against the grain and questioning the food pyramid.

Third, I kept thinking how crappy I'd feel if I was one of the people filmed jiggling down the street.

I agree with Potatofree, I do better not snacking also

I watched the show, and found it pretty fair and balanced.
Also, Dean Ornish IS a jerk.
I was also shocked with how low the BMI is, how draconian the categories.
I was glad I watched it.

I also enjoyed the program. It was fair and well-balanced. I do wish they would have spoken with the Drs. Eades, Jonny Bowden or someone else in the low-carb field other than just focusing on the Dr. Atkins... personal preference I guess.

I agree that Dr. Ornish is a jerk, and the Pritikin spokesperson was so ill-informed that I could not take him all that serious.

I don't take BMI charts all that seriously because it does not take muscle weight into account nor does it consider frame size. My DH is 5'9 but has the largest frame imagineable; he'd be skin and bones at 165.

On the other hand my husband is 6'2" and 170--he's thin but far from emaciated looking (he's in a few of my gallery pics).

I didn't watch the show. How was Ornish being a jerk?

I watched and taped this show last night and I watched the tape again this morning as I had my coffee. I thought they did a really good job with this one! I really enjoyed watching it.

Another point that is so important that I am glad they brought up was how the young population (ages 13 on up) are showing signs of diabetes and heart disease already and what kind of health and lifespan are they going to have?? A good point and I am glad they brought this up

I was disappointed by the show. It's intellectual laziness to say that all diets work well in the short term. The problem is that the focus was on obesity as the problem and losing weight as the solution, when obesity is only a symptom of metabolic syndrome. I'm waiting for someone to do a show on the devastating consequences of insulin resistance. Then the Ornishes and Pritikins of the world will get their comeuppance.