Have you struggled with your weight at any point in your life? Are you healthy and eating well, but still not achieving the svelte physique you’ve always wanted? If so, “Survival of the Thinnest: How to Use Your Genetic Script to Stay Thin Without Dieting” should be atop your must-read list. This is a book that not only provides a new perspective on dieting and exercise, but may actually work for a number of its readers. Typically skeptical of bestsellers that promise quick weight-loss results and a new approach to old problems, I began this book with a somewhat raised eyebrow.

However, the most interesting difference between this book and others promising an end to yo-yo dieting and food obsession is Hariton’s highly simplistic approach, at times bordering on common sense. His inspiration for the book came when several of his friends complained that they could not reclaim the thin physiques they had in their youth. He felt he had personally found a way to stay thin and decided to share his findings with the world.

Though many of the tips in the book are far from revolutionary, Hariton’s advice is sound and his suggestions make sense. He advises readers to exercise at their target heart rate [.65 to .85 x (220 - reader’s age)] for at least 30 minutes each and every day; not four or five times a week, but every day, a tenet Hariton is adamant about throughout the book. He claims that working out any less gives the body an inadequate metabolic jolt, resulting in less than favorable results. He also outlines the types of exercises he considers most effective and discusses fad dieting, weight training and nutrition extensively. According to Hariton, the overall goal of a 30-minute fitness commitment is to train the body to use its most efficient energy source — fat. With enough consistent activity, the body uses fat more readily and over time becomes thin.

Not only does Hariton offer insight into why the body retains fat, he also shares responses to some of the most common excuses people use for not exercising. And by the end of the book, the reader is left with a sense of inspiration and a willingness to see if Hariton’s method really works.

On the downside, Hariton may lack some of the credentials to make his method as convincing or believable as something written by a doctor or scientist. But there is also something to be said for the power of research and the importance of using personal experience to address a common issue like weight-loss, clearly one that is at the forefront of many Americans’ minds.

If nothing else, the message in “Survival of the Thinnest” is clear: get active, change your body and mind from the inside out and work with, not against, your genetic script. It may seem easy enough, but Hariton’s approach is best suited for people who have a tendency toward healthy eating, already have a relatively healthy lifestyle and are anxious to embark on a straightforward journey toward better fitness and well-being.