With the New Year kicked off, many people are probably contending with resolutions to live healthier in 2011, particularly when it comes to losing weight. Now, a University of Colorado pilot program is researching the potential for yet another reason to shave off the pounds, as it explores the link between reducing breast cancer and weight loss. The university is seeking 200 women in four cities who have survived breast cancer to see if dieting helps reduce chances of the cancer recurring, writes The Denver Post. “One thing we’re studying is whether the support-group culture makes a big difference” in patients’ success with healthy initiatives, such as eating properly and exercising, says Rebecca Sedjo, a research professor at the Colorado School of Public Health’s cancer center.

Meanwhile, Fox 31 explores a diet trend fueled by two-ounce bottles of HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin), which are popular at the Ascent Health Center in Denver. “I’ve never felt better. I know what it feels like when you don’t feel good about yourself, and knowing how I felt before I lost the weight and knowing how I feel now, it’s like night and day,” says Kim Genereaux, a patient who lost 35 pounds in 35 days on the diet of oral drops and strict calorie control, which is supported by Dr. Julie Marchiol, who owns the center and sells the product. She calls HCG a drastic measure for people who have to re-train themselves to eat healthy, limiting their calories every day. But critics say dieters aren’t consuming enough daily calories, decrying the lack of an exercise requirement and the diet’s potential side effects, such as blood clots, depression, and dizziness.