MODELS' SECRET DIET REVEALED: IT'S COTTON BALLS

MODELS' SECRET DIET REVEALED: IT'S COTTON BALLS

NEW YORK (Wireless Flash) -- Here's a diet plan that could make you lose your lunch: fill up on cotton balls. That's the secret pounds-off plan that some rail-thin runway models actually use, according to Patricia Marx, co-author of the new book "The Skinny: What Every Skinny Woman Knows About Dieting (And Won't Tell You)" (Dell). Marx says models usually soak the cotton balls in orange juice to make them more palatable, then swallow the suckers to make themselves feel full. Another odd weight loss plan involves stripping down to your birthday suit in front of a full-length mirror everytime you eat. The view of your flab supposedly discourages you from stuffing your face. There's also a bizarre weight-loss plan called "The Chewing Gum Diet:" You eat normal-sized meals for breakfast and lunch, but only chew gum for lunch. Marx says the crazy diets show just how nutty some people can get when it comes to losing weight.

CONTACT: Patricia Marx, ***1/2; Arrange thru Jodi Katel; NYC; (212) 353-3478