Ask Tufts Experts

The milk I buy does not say “homogenized” on the label, but other brands do. Is homogenized milk better for you? Should I be concerned?

Only whole milk and cream require homogenization, not skim and low-fat varieties. The process simply involves breaking up fat globules and distributing them evenly.

Every New Year’s I start a diet to lose weight, and every year I go off it within days. What’s wrong with me?

Nothing. It’s most likely the lack of a clear-cut plan that is failing, not you. Do you work out specifics for eating fewer high-calorie foods and more lower-calorie options? Some people, for instance, make a pact with themselves to eat two pieces of fruit every day and take it slowly from there. Others make plans for fitting in some exercise, if not every day then at least several times a week. Still others work out how they’ll deal with high-calorie temptations.

This January, instead of, say, going hungry for a few days and then giving up because you can’t live like that, make a list of things you’ll do to insure that you eat fewer calories—or burn more. You may not actually start the diet until later in the month, or even until February, because you may want to try on some changes “for size” and then adapt them as necessary. That’s okay. What’s several more weeks for something you’ve wanted to achieve for years, if the extra time really allows you to get off to the right start this time?

Take heart. Research shows that most people make New Year’s resolutions several years in a row before they “stick.”