Are the rumors true? Could grapefruit -- touted for years as a weight loss wonder -- actually work?

Possibly. In one 12-week study, obese people who ate half a grapefruit before each of three daily meals shed more pounds than their counterparts did.

Show Me the Grapefruit
In the study, whole grapefruit also took a bite out of insulin resistance in folks with metabolic syndrome -- a constellation of conditions that can raise the risk for several serious health problems, including diabetes. Find out if you could be at risk for metabolic syndrome.

Go Whole
Although grapefruit juice and grapefruit capsules also may have pound-shedding potential, whole fruit was clearly the winner in the study -- probably because the whole fruit has appetite-controlling fiber as well. The scent of grapefruit may help you, too. Here's why.

Combine Your Efforts
Exercise and a calorie-controlled diet remain the true cornerstones of weight loss, but if grapefruit helps, great! However, if you're taking medications of any kind, talk to your doctor before adding grapefruit to the mix; it interacts with several meds. Try these other fat-blasting tips, too:

• Walk with me. Walking has the highest stick-to-it rate of any exercise. And a walking buddy can help even more. Here's a video that can help you walk off pounds right in your own living room.
• Be sane. Fad diets, like the famous but extreme 600-calories-or-so-a-day grapefruit diet, may help some people lose weight temporarily, but most gain it all back in the long run. Here's a sensible weight loss plan that really works long term.
• Get a grip. Do you eat when you're bored? Stressed? Sad? Find out what's behind emotional eating and what you can do to curb it.

The effects of grapefruit on weight and insulin resistance: relationship to the metabolic syndrome. Fujioka, K. et al., Journal of Medicinal Food 2006 Spring;9(1):49-54.