FOOT NOTES

In this week’s footnotes:

Many people make New Year’s resolutions every year. And some of those resolutions are the same year after year--lose weight, make more money, travel more, have more fun, get closer to your a) child, b) parent, c) significant other.

While some goals are too personal to call for any general advice, here are a few ideas for one golden oldie: losing weight.

* So you want to shave off those few extra pounds. You could go it alone, but going solo got you where you are today. You could try Ultra Slim Fast or appetite suppressants. If you need more help, there’s always Weight Watchers (800) 651-6000, Jenny Craig (800) 815-3669, or Overeaters Anonymous (San Fernando Valley office) (818) 342-2222.

* Wouldn’t it be great if just paying money for a diet book could automatically burn the pounds for you! Nearly 100 books are now on the market offering advice on weight control. These include “Dieting with the Duchess” by Sarah Ferguson, the woman the British tabloids dubbed the “Duchess of Pork.” Also, “Dieting for Dummies,” a title obviously aimed at people with other self-esteem problems unrelated to the ones they have about their weight; “Think Slim, Be Slim,” a 21-day plan for mental dieting by Elsye Birkinshaw; and “Sun Signs Dieting: Learning to Be Thin with Astrology” by Jeanie Innis.

* The general trend in diets these days seems to be returning to high-protein, low-carbohydrate regimens. Among this year’s best-selling diet books are “Protein Power” by Michael R. Eades, $6.99; “Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution,” $6.99; “Sugar Busters!: Cut Sugar to Trim Fat” by H. Leighton Steward, $23.77; and “The Zone” by Barry Sears, $25.