PULSE SUPERSIZED CRITIQUE.

Byline: Mariko Thompson

By now, everyone has heard the news that Americans are fat to a dangerous, ridiculous degree. More than 60 percent of Americans are overweight. The already creaking health care system is about to be crushed by the wave of type 2 diabetes and other medical conditions wrought by plus poundage. We know the ``why'' - too much junk food, not enough exercise. Pasadena author Greg Critser gives us the ``how.'' ``Fat Land'' (Houghton Mifflin; $13), now out in paperback, dissects the cultural and socioeconomic underpinnings of the American obesity epidemic. His biting commentary targets the agricultural policies that gave birth to a cost-slashing sweetener known as high-fructose corn syrup and the evil genius behind fast-food restaurant supersizing. He even manages to work J.Lo into the book, examining the media's obsession with her so-called big butt. Signs that our culture of fatness may have reached its nadir include movements to ban soft drinks in public schools. But it's going to be a long trip on the treadmill before Americans give up their crown as the fattest people in the world.

From 204 to 129 - she lost it

As a teenager, Becky Canino enjoyed all the staples of Cuban cuisine, including fluffy white rice and caramelized fried bananas. But she paid the price for high-fat, high-calorie meals once she started having children. The Shadow Hills (La Canada) resident ballooned up to 204 pounds.

Then three years ago, Canino received some frightening news. She had pseudotumor cerebri, a rare disorder that tends to strike overweight women in their childbearing years. The condition, which mimics a brain tumor, causes migraines and can result in blindness from pressure to the optic nerve.

``That's what did it, the thought that I could go blind,'' she says. ``I wouldn't be able to see my three precious boys who I love very much.''

On the low-carb Lindora program, the 39-year-old slimmed down to 129 pounds. Her story is one of eight featured in the Jan. 12 issue of People magazine. She also will be featured in the Discovery Health Channel show ``I Lost It!'' in February.

A stay-at-home mom, Canino has enjoyed doing magazine and television interviews. But she takes her moment in the sun in stride - her younger sister is actress Eva Mendes.

Over the years, Canino tried various weight-loss methods. She did Jenny Craig after her first pregnancy and got down to 115 pounds. Her second pregnancy took her back up to 184 pounds, and this time she had more trouble losing weight. Taking fen-phen helped, but the diet pill was yanked from the market in 1997 for causing heart valve problems.

For her latest weight-loss attempt, Canino turned to Lindora. She completed two 10-week sessions and also started working out at Curves for Women, which offers a 30-minute cardio and weights routine. On the Lindora program, Canino learned to cook healthy dishes at home and make better choices when eating out.

``I don't really think of it as a diet,'' she says. ``They showed me how to eat healthy. It helps when you have someone supporting you.''

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) no caption (book: ``Fat Land'')

(2) A weight-related disorder caused Becky Canino to take action.