Newswise — Dr. Amy Joy Lanou, University of North Carolina Asheville Assistant Professor of Health and Wellness, recently served as an expert reviewer for the manuscript "Skinny Bitch," which has become a New York Times Paperback Advice Best Seller.

Lanou vetted the book for content. She holds a doctorate in human nutrition from Cornell University. Lanou's areas of specialization include vegan and vegetarian nutrition, body weight regulation, and youth nutrition and bone health. Lanou, who joined the UNC Asheville faculty in 2005, also serves as senior nutrition scientist for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

"Skinny Bitch," the tongue-in-cheek book by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin, promotes a healthful vegan diet. It rose to the number one spot after Victoria Beckham was photographed carrying the book. The authors' follow-up cookbook, "Skinny Bitch in the Kitch," is also in the top five among paperback advice best sellers.