Alexandra Moss

America's ever-expanding waistline: We see it, hear about it, and worry about it But can anything be done about it? People today work harder and take better care of their health than any previous generation. So how could two-thirds of us fail to measure up when it comes to eating right and exercising? HBO and the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences have joined together to bring you the nation's foremost experts and definitive research on weight and weight loss. The Weight of the Nation explains how we got to this unhealthy place and how we can get to a healthy weight by overcoming the forces that drive us to eat too much and move too little. The Weight of the Nation answers crucial questions about yo-yo dieting, how metabolism functions, why stress affects weight, and how to keep weight off forever. Based on the rich research behind HBO's documentary series, The Weight of the Nation is the only book that tells it like it is: losing weight is hard, keeping it off is even harder, and there's no quick fix. Weight loss takes a lot of work and a lifetime commitment, but thousands have done it and this book will show you how.

With the end of the school year looming, the girls are warming up for summer and a big summer performance that marks the end of the year. Planning for the show brings lots of excitement and even more pressure. All the girls are feeling it, but Ellie notices that Grace does not seem to be performing well. In fact, she is dealing with the stress in a way that could be very dangerous. Can Ellie rally Grace s friends and family in time to save Grace from making a terrible mistake?"

The girls' first summer term is here, and Ellie Brown and friends can't wait to kick up their heels again. They are even more excited when they learn that two former RBS students, now world-famous dancers, will be filming a documentary at the school Everyone is thrilled for the opportunity to meet the dancers and star on film--except Kate. Ellie doesn't understand why Kate seems so distressed. When the girls learn why, the truth is shocking--and teaches them that true friendship prevails even when circumstances are not as they seemed.