Off with the fat, in with the fit

An American teacher of English, who spent a semester in Hunan, discovers a surefire method to lose weight in what she calls the 'China Diet'. Diane Nottle reports.

Want to lose weight? I've discovered the ideal diet. You eat all you want, feel completely satisfied, and still shed kilograms. There's just one catch, the very first step. You have to move to China. I stumbled into "the China Diet" last year when I spent a semester teaching English in Hunan province. In less than five months, I dropped nearly 7 kg effortlessly.

Genetically predisposed to being more stocky than sylphlike, I've been weight-conscious most of my life. When I signed on for Hunan, the first thing everyone said was, "Oh, the food will be fabulous!"