The popularity of coffee houses in many U.S. cities has definitely widened coffee consumption. It's also added calories to the diets of millions of Americans. What you may not realize is that while old-fashioned plain coffee has no calories or fat, many of the newer fancy coffee drinks can add up to 200 calories to every cup.

Here's how to enjoy coffee in your diet and keep the fat and calories to a minimum:

• Ask for low-fat or skim milk
• Skip the whipped cream
• Avoid sweet syrups
• Sweeten with artificial sweeteners

While consumers can request milk instead of cream and use artificial sweeteners instead of sugars and syrups, if you take the 16-oz. Strawberries and Creme Frappuccino as advertised, you could add as many as 580 calories and 17 grams of fat to your daily intake.

Finally, I've noticed that many of my friends and colleagues don't drink coffee because they appreciate its taste and aroma. What they are really enjoying is a high-calorie, high-fat, dessert-like beverage that is now widely available on many city street corners in America.