Drawing upon her rich experience of life, Prudence (Prudie to her friends) responds to questions about manners, personal relations, politics, and other subjects. Please send your questions for publication to Prudence@slate.com. Queries should not exceed 200 words in length. Please indicate how you wish your letter to be signed, preferably including your location.

Dear Prudie,

Do you know anything about the Zone diet? I seem to recall there was some controversy surrounding it, but I can't remember what. My friend is seeing a nutritionist who has him following the basic premise of the Zone. I am curious as well as confused. Any info, Prudie, would be gratefully appreciated.

--Andrea,New York

Dear And,

Prudie is not a fan of diets. She prefers low-fat foods and smaller portions. The trouble with diets is that they are demanding, boring, and most often do not offer lasting results. The trick is to retrain oneself in terms of how one eats and to reach a new set point in one's weight.

For a fast start, Prudie does approve of diets, however trendy, and spas where the right foods are chosen for you. This is just to permit shedding a few initial pounds to provide motivation and hope, along with the feeling that one is able to achieve success.

Prudie knows people who swear by the Zone, and others who swear at it. The real problem with any prescribed diet is lack of balance, and the fact that feeling deprived leads to chocolate cake. Perhaps a reliable approach is the one the late Jacqueline Onassis is said to have used. She ate whatever she felt like--and left half of it on the plate.

--Prudie, trimly

Dear Prudie,