A recent study conducted by Dr. Rebecca Johnson of the University of Missouri at Columbia and published in Self magazine showed that people who want to lose weight should head for their local animal shelter and volunteer to walk the dogs there. (This suggestion was second on the list of three elements: the first was the common-sense advice to focus on healthful foods — high-fiber grains, fruits, and vegetables, for example; and the final item was to get more than six hours of sleep per night.)