One thing that makes no sense to me is the anti-carb craze that's invading everything including the fast food places which seems ironic. The fast feeders will serve you mountains of trans-fats but now it's whooooah on the carbs.
High quality, complex carbs in the form of brown rice, whole wheat bread (not the enriched kind), sweet potatos and other vegetables that are low glycemic are still the best way to go.
Managing portion sizes is also something that at least in the U.S. we struggle with. Eat frequently and go with smaller sizes. Have an apple instead of a snickers bar. Drink water instead of a soda and of course turn off the television once in a while and the pounds will start to disappear :-)
http://www.bodyforlife.com/ - I'm not a fanatic about Bill Phillips and his supplments, etc but the nutrition information is sound.