SIX WEEKS TO HEALTH

A new study says that "basic changes in diet and exercise can lead to a dramatic drop in a person's risk for chronic illnesses like diabetes, cancer and heart disease in as little as six weeks." Appearing in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, the study "also explains that participants experienced significant reductions in body fat, cholesterol levels and blood pressure as they adopted a diet emphasizing unrefined 'food-as-grown' -- like grains, legumes and fresh fruits and vegetables -- and implemented a 30-minute-a-day cardiovascular exercise program." Really. Food as grown, eh? Guess that rules out meat for all but the hardiest steak tartare fans.