256 EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS IN REVIEW

Almost every nutritionist and educator is faced with the task of producing news­letters, brochures, factsheets or some type of communication piece. Unfortunately, most of us have little training in this area of product development. Thus, we need a practical manual on how to produce quality print materials.

Print That Works is a wonderful book that contains a wealth of information to help both the novice and the professional improve their print materials. The book is written in a well-organized, readable manner. The author's research on the de­velopment and effectiveness of print ma­terials, many of them health and nutri­tion oriented, and her hands-on experience add enormous value to the information presented in the book. To prove this point, a quick perusal of the book immediately gave me five new ideas to try in the development of my next nutrition table tents.

Writing educational materials isn't easy for most professionals. Desktop publish­ing aids are helpful, but professionals still need to understand what constitutes a quality piece of printed material and how to achieve it. Print That Works teaches the novice how to develop, write, design, produce and distribute quality print ma­terials. The author gives expert advice on writing more readable pieces, devel­oping a good design, utilizing desktop publishing aids and preparing for print­ing. The book helps remove the fear of each of these tasks by giving step-by-step instructions and motivating the reader to try new approaches.

Print That Works includes hundreds of black-and-white photographic exam­ples of excellent graphic designs. The chapters on "Tapping Your Creativity" and "What's Good Design?" are partic­ularly informative. The author reassures the reader that there are thousands of good designs available and that there is no need to start from scratch. The author notes, however, that one shouldn't steal other people's designs but, instead, be inspired by them and use that inspiration to create a new work of art. Adler en­courages the professional to look at stim-

ulating examples of graphic designs in hooks of art history such as Graphics An­nual or in magazines such as Communi­cation Arts Annual and Print's Regional Design Annual.

The book can be used a number of different ways. It can be skimmed, like a magazine, with chapters of interest ex­plored for greater detail. It can be used as a quick reference, through the use of the 80 sidebars that give practical tips. For more in-depth information, the twenty-five chapters provide detailed in­formation on topics such as design, writ­ing skills, and paper and ink tips. The hook can also be used to gain ideas on how to give your printed material the competitive edge.

This book is invaluable in today's mar­ket, where budgets are shrinking but the need to disseminate information is in­creasing. We all need to produce the best educational materials possible. Print That Works should be in the library of anyone who is producing printed material.

v. Star Campbell, M.S., M.Ed., RD., Instructor in Nutrition, Penn State Nutrition Center, University Park, PA 16802.

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CONSUMER/PROFESSIONAL Fat City, 1990. From Bullfrog Films, Oley, PA 19547, V2" VHS videocassette, 28 minutes, purchase price $150.00, rental price $50.00.

Are genetics to blame for the high prevalence of obesity in the United States, as well as in other developed countries? This is one of the questions addressed in Fat City, a documentary-style video that discusses some of the most recent ad­vances in research on the mechanisms of and reasons for the high prevalence of obesity in our society.

Fat City begins by exploring the his­tory and current lifestyle of the Pima In­dians, a population in which obesity is rampant. The narrator of the film, Roger Bingham, speculates that there may be a "thrifty gene" in this population, which in the past, enabled these desert-dwell­ing individuals to gain weight in times of plenty so that they could endure times when there was little to eat. A discussion follows of several other factors that may be causes of obesity. These include: the presence of a "fat gene" in some individ­uals that predisposes them to becoming obese; the increased ability of some in­dividuals to convert dietary fat to body

fat; and the increased production of li­poprotein lipase (an enzyme that trans­ports fat from the bloodstream to fat cells for storage) in individuals that have just lost weight, thus making it harder for these individuals to keep off lost weight.

The video also explains metabolic rate, including a concise, clear definition and an explanation of how it is affected by weight loss and gain. A visual demon­stration of a running engine is used ef­fectively to explain this biological proc­ess. In relation to metabolic rate, the controversial "set point" theory is also defined and discussed. A brief exami­nation of the brain's biochemistry in re­lation to weight gain is given, as well as information on some of the current re­search on pharmaceuticals being devel­oped to aid in weight loss. The conclud­ing remarks of this final segment of the video are that behavior modification, in terms of controlling calories in and cal­ories out, is still the most effective mean of losing weight.

Fat City is extremely well-done. The technical quality of the film is excellent and the testimonials proVided by well­chosen endocrinologists, biochemists and other researchers provide credibility to the information presented. The video is recommended for junior high school stu­dents up to adults. The film could be used in a variety of courses, including home economics, health, biology and life sciences, in addition to nutrition. Sug­gestions for further reading are provided at the end of the Videotape, and a teach­er's guide is included. This film is highly recommended as an up-to-date resource for those interested in the theories and research behind obesity.

Sarah Collins, M.S., RD., Reviews Editor, Journal of Nutrition Education and Kip Koso, Graduate Student, Pennsylvania State University, 417 E. Calder Way, University Park, PA 16801.

PROFESSIONAL Healthy Dividends: A Plan for Balancing Your Fat Budget, 1990. From the Na­tional Dairy Council, Rosemont, IL 60018-4233. Program includes: V2" VHS videocassette (10 minutes; $20.00), lead­er's guide (22 pp.; $3.00) and consumer's booklet (15 pp.; $.50), Contact your local Dairy Council to place an order.

Fat budgeting, as introduced in this video package, is a simple method that can help viewers manage fat intake for life. An individual's fat budget is calcu­lated, based on the 30% calories from fat recommendation of the American Heart Association and the National Cholesterol Education Program. From a chart pro­vided in the consumer's booklet, the par­ticipants can determine how many grams