Putting a New Face on an Old Nutrition Story : Books: Many people still believe dieting is unpleasant. To combat this negative idea, health books are now advising choosing better habits instead of diets.

Obsessed with your weight? You’re not alone. According to a study by Market Facts Inc., and commissioned by Weight Watchers International, at least 62% of all Americans consider themselves overweight. At least seven out of 10 said they have made a conscious effort to lose weight at some time.

Yet despite the wealth of diet information available to today’s consumer in the form of books, diet centers and advertisements, a large number of people still believe dieting can be expensive and unpleasant, according to the query. This, consumers claim, forces them to eliminate favorite foods in favor of bland, tasteless ones.

Reflecting this problematic situation, nutrition book titles have begun to change during recent months. While last year’s covers encouraged us to make peace with food, eat traditional foods which are the best medicine, lower the risk for heart disease and avoid eating our hearts out, diet and nutrition book authors of today have begun to focus on the healing properties of foods. They advise us to choose better habits instead of diets to maintain a healthy life style.

Here is a look at two such releases.

“Habits Not Diets: The Secret to Lifetime Weight Control,” by James M. Ferguson, MD. (Bull Publishing Company: $12.95, soft cover, 332 pp., not illustrated) is an updated version of a previously published work. It is a dieters’ workbook that focuses on the importance of habit awareness in the weight-loss game.

Based on a behavior-modification program, the text encourages the reader to change eating and exercise habits, attitudes and thoughts. These, the author says, “have helped you become overweight or have sabotaged your success in the past.”

It starts with an evaluation of self beginning with a weight-in. This is followed by lessons, homework and a reward system, which is built into the program, to keep interest and motivation up, according to the author.

There is a food diary, which health professionals say is the key to weight loss, since it points out to dieters problem areas that need to be changed. These graphs-styled pages feature time tables for each day of the week with questions such as “minutes spent eating,” “meal vs. snack,” “degree of hunger,” and “comment” spaces provided.

The “Home Decalorization” section looks at the environment the dieter lives and eats in. It encourages the dieter to rearrange the environment to produce changes in behavior rather than trying to increase will power and recommending dieters resist food temptation. The homework assignment for this section, for example, requires the reader to remove all food from inappropriate storage places throughout the house.

Other chapters include: Cue Elimination, Being Active--Fitness Versus Fatness, Maintenance--Keys for Survival, Stress--the Soft Underbelly of Fat, Snacks, Cues and Holidays-- How To Celebrate, and It’s Time To Eat Out--How To Do It.

A most recent addition to the group of books comes from Beverly Hills. Entitled “Choosing not Cheating” by Midge Elias (Humanics Limited: $12.95, soft cover, 192 pp., not illustrated), it recommends that we eat for pleasure and is based on seven basic principles:

* Never go on a diet, since anything you have to go “on” is something you will eventually have to go “off.” Instead, adopt a livable lifetime plan that is healthy but allows social freedom.

* Make exercise an integral part of your life. Select an appropriate aerobic exercise, one that can be executed four to seven times each week for weight maintenance, physical and mental health.

* While food is a source of great pleasure, it is primarily for nourishment. Our bodies have changed very little since primitive times, but our foods and life styles have changed considerably. In order to maintain vibrant health, be sure to get the proper nutrients.

* Rely on your body’s own internal cues. Learn to differentiate between physiological and emotional hunger.

* Adopt the 80% to 20% way of life. Allow for festive times within the framework of a healthy eating style and learn to be flexible.

* Never waste calories. Don’t spend calories on foods of lesser value. Always consider, “Is it really worth it?”

* Study people who are naturally slim. Don’t spend time complaining about being overweight. Follow patterns of successful people.

Following this outline of principles, the author presents specifics on how each can be implemented. There is some discussion of the difference between fat and calories and the importance of knowing how each affects body weight. There are menu suggestions, snack ideas and the usual list of foods to choose and to avoid.

But what is different here is the inclusion of various scenarios--how individuals handle eating throughout daily living. Stories range from people who eat out with clients, to those who work at home, to those who are meal skippers.

Getting adequate water during the day and eating breakfast are emphasized. Plus, there is a lengthy chapter devoted to exercise: why it’s important and how to plan a program based on life style needs and personal preferences.

The “Fake It Til You Make It” chapter is particularly helpful. Unlike most diet books which encourage the reader to adopt new principles that will help them make change, this section tells the reader that it’s OK to act out the feelings until they become part of one’s life style. It’s a light-hearted look at the role food can and should play in daily living, rather than something that ought to be feared.