Is your diet making you fat? (Your Body).

Bazaar separates fat from fiction when it comes to the latest news about weight loss, craving control and forbidden foods.

The scene: Dinner with your girlfriends. The Atkins devotee orders a hamburger (no bun, please"), the Perricone diet disciple orders salmon and Ms. Weight Watchers mentally calculates the number of points in the chicken paillard. You all agree that the bread basket must be removed from the table but what you don't agree upon is which diet is best. So what does work? Here, Bazaar answers your most pressing questions to help you understand what's safe and effective.

Why do I have uncontrollable cravings?

Research suggests that certain foods--mainly those containing fat and sugar-may affect your brain chemistry in a manner similar to certain addictive drugs. The culprits appear to wreak havoc by muting brain signals that would normally tell you to stop eating because you're full. The mechanism that says "That's enough tiramisu" may be turned off, causing you to crave more of the fattening and sugary stuff. A vicious cycle is born.

What does this mean for you? For starters, trying to curb a craving by having "just a little" key lime pie may actually be a bad idea. For some people it may trigger a further craving-your blood sugar may soar after a few bites, then plummet, making you want (some say need) more of the same. The secret to avoiding this trap? Know yourself. "Everyone has their own unique eating print similar to a fingerprint," says Stephen Gullo, Ph.D.…