Diets--Doctors Prescribe Caution : Nutrition: Food experts are advising Americans to kick the diet habit and concentrate instead on their overall health.

It occurred to me one lunch hour, as I munched on carrot sticks and apple slices and talked to a colleague who was herself downing a frozen diet dinner, that each of us has devised a method for maintaining or losing weight--some healthy, some not. This is true despite the number of organized weight-reduction programs available to dieters today.

In a time when weight-loss information and pay-as-you-lose diet plans are being hawked in media and advertisements alike, there is still plenty of confusion, and far too many Americans--at least 25% of all adult women and 42% of all men--are still overweight, according to statistics from the Institute of Food Technologists.

The decision to diet is not a happy one. It usually follows a period of extreme self-condemnation and guilt--especially if it comes after a lengthy period of weight gain.

That’s why increasing numbers of physicians and other health-care professionals are discouraging clients from dieting and instead are emphasizing better health in general as the optimum goal. Still, consumers struggle with the diet dilemma.

Now a researcher has developed a questionnaire designed to come to the rescue of consumers weighted down in the sea of diet publicity.

Dr. Barbara Rolls, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Annette Warpeha, a registered dietitian, and Weight Watchers International have created a self-assessment survey of nearly 40 questions designed to help consumers “prioritize” their diet needs and see how important everyday issues are to choosing the right plan.

Called “WeightSmart,” the booklet explores five major categories for self-examination. Then, using a score format, it interprets the needs of the dieter based on personal traits, food attitudes, health and family history, life style and budget.

“WeightSmart” does not direct the consumer toward any of the plans it inquires about. Rather, it presents four of today’s most popular diet options and helps the reader fit into one of these categories:

* Doctor/hospital supervised liquid formula: For those with an eminent health risk who need careful medical supervision, nutrition education, exercise and help with maintainance. Persons in this category must be able to eliminate food from their life for at least three months. This program is usually quite costly.

* Balanced approach: A moderately priced approach for those desiring to manage food through behavioral change, improved nutrition education, self-image and exercise. It incorporates everyday foods and employs group support meetings as part of a life-time pattern of weight control.

* Do it yourself: With the help of some diet and nutrition books, the self-motivated dieter can usually be successful with this approach, if commitment is strong. Answers to questions in the brochure indicate that they typically don’t need support and already exercise regularly.

* Prepackaged food/supplements: An expensive option but the best solution for people with a strong desire for convenience and individualized counseling. The use of prepackaged, freeze-dried or frozen foods may set up a dependency and make maintainance difficult; this, according to “WeightSmart,” is one of the perils of this option.

The goal of “WeightSmart,” said Rolls, is to encourage long-term success as a motivational tool rather than a short-term, unrealistic ambition that typically winds up in failure.

“The figures on long-term success with diet are rather discouraging,” Rolls said in a recent interview, “perhaps it’s because people haven’t found a program that works for them and fits into their life style.

“The idea is to get people to find out about themselves. There are so many different weight-loss approaches . . . this will help people get through the maze. It brings up issues they may not have thought of before.”

For instance, the life-style section polls the reader about eating socially and whether or not cooking is important. Through this type of evaluation the consumer may discover how much eating with friends and eating in ethnic restaurants will be a factor in how they decide to restrict calories. This becomes important if eating is job-related or if family and friends constantly influence meal time, according to “WeightSmart.”

The health and family history questions focus on the past patterns of weight loss. The questions associate excess weight with family history, length of time overweight and whether or not allergies might interfere with a prepackaged meal program. How often one exercises also is addressed.

According to Rolls, many people have “unrealistic goals” when it comes to diet and weight loss--especially where goal weight, speed of loss and family history are concerned. “Some,” said Rolls, “may have to think more moderately.” “WeightSmart” will sort these people out.

Others still get caught up in all the hype from diet programs that promise phenomenal results in a very short period, said Rolls. But most people haven’t considered up front whether or not they are prepared to conform to some of the restrictions these programs require for success.

Although some people find it useful to have no food around them at all, Rolls said, they ultimately must resume eating in the “real world.” These people need to learn to incorporate fibrous foods and bulk to their diets to control hunger. “Losing weight on a monotonous diet doesn’t help people deal with learning,” she explained.

Other sections include budget, attitudes toward food and personal traits.

The bottom line, said Rolls, is that “Ads don’t tell you what to expect . . . everybody wants magic when it comes to weight loss but there are no magic foods. It all boils down to healthy foods and eating so you don’t think you’re on a diet for the rest of your life.”

With “WeightSmart,” said Rolls, consumers can “learn to look after themselves.”