“The Fat Blocker Diet” By Dr. Arnold Fox and Brenda Adderly, MHA, Harper Audio, Two cassettes, 3 hours, $18, Read by Adderly

The basis of this audio is chitosan, a natural fiber derived from the shells of shrimp and other crustaceans used to block fat absorption. It appears to have no side effects, but the authors cited too few studies to make this listener entirely comfortable with the idea. The diet and exercise aspects of the program, however, are very reasonable and offer several useful tips.

This is a case where you may be better off with the printed book, which offers charts and information for easy reference. The audio is too repetitive and narrated by a woman who never sounds completely at ease. Adderly over-enunciates to an annoying degree and reads in a studious monotone that may cause flashbacks to dreary school lectures.