chemicals that determine how animals -- and presumably people -- get fat.

They said they had confirmed that neuropeptide Y, a hormone that stimulates appetite, counteracts leptin, which signals how much fat there is in the body.

Leptin binds to specially coded receptors in brain cells, causing them to decrease production of neuropeptide Y.

Experiments have already shown that genetically engineered mice injected with leptin stop eating and lose weight.

Other experiments have shown that the amount of leptin in the blood of people corresponds to how much body fat they have.

But no one had directly checked whether leptin acted immediately on nueropeptide Y.

A drug that approximates the effects of leptin, or even directly stimulates it, is eagerly sought by pharmaceutical companies racing to find effective "fat pills''.

*** Mystery rock and roll concerts. Free parties at swanky resorts. Talking beer cans and canoe races through city streets.

It's all part of selling suds in Canada as brewing giants Molson Breweries and Labatt Brewing Co. Ltd. use outrageous promotions and high-profile sports to lure young beer drinkers during the hottest months of the year.

Underlying the traditional summer frenzy is a bitter rivalry between the two big Toronto-based brewers which together control over 90 percent of Canada's C$10 billion ($7.3 billion) beer market.

Molson and Labatt spend millions of dollars on marketing aimed mostly at young image-conscious consumers who are not wedded to a particular brand yet.

"It's the busiest time of year and the advertising gets wild and crazy,'' Alan Middleton, a ma rketing lecturer at York University, said in a telephone interview.

This summer Molson is hosting a series of Blind Date concerts to promote its flagship beer, Molson Canadian.

Molson, Canada's biggest brewer, got the idea from a surprise gig by the Rolling Stones at a small Toronto club two years ago. Contest winners are invited to a local venue and don't know who is performing until the band walks on stage.

Metallica, Soundgarden and Lenny Kravitz have played this summer and up to 10 more concerts are planned across Canada.

Last summer Molson invaded the tiny Arctic community of Tuktoyaktuk for a major concert headlined by Metallica and Hole. The Red Hot Chili Peppers are scheduled to play at this year's event.

*** When a reduced-calorie candy bar tastes good, it's something to shout about.

Before we start yelling about Hershey's Sweet Escapes bars, however, we should take a closer look.

The candy bars come in three varieties: caramel and peanut butter crispy bar, triple chocolate wafer bar, and chocolate toffee crisp bar.

The calories range from 150 to 190 per bar, and the fat content comes in at 5 to 8 grams.

While the packages boast "33 percent'' and "50 percent less fat than the average of the leading chocolate candy brands,'' the bars weigh only 1.4 ounces, about a third less than a regular Snickers bar.

Weight aside, the calorie and fat contents are a tad below many candy bars, but some regular bars, 3 Musketeers for instance, have less.

The bars taste chocolaty, rich and fully satisfying, however. We can at least shout about that.

Sweet Escapes are sold in 1.4-ounce bars and in stand-up pouches with nine snack-size bars. A 5.9-ounce pouch cost me $1.99.

*** Barilla entered American markets with a line of pasta sauces about a year ago.

Now the Italian company has introduced a bevy of dry pastas as well.

The company's ad campaign boasts that the pasta doesn't stick together and that the cooking water stays clear. From our experience, the ads are correct.

The pasta cooks up nicely, whether it is used cold in a salad or hot with sauce.

And to top the new pasta, why not try another newcomer, Ragu spicy red pepper pasta sauce.

The name is a little misleading because the predominant ingredient, and the predominant taste, is tomato, not sweet red pepper.

However, the flavour is good, and it is spicy, thanks to crushed red pepper.

Some tasters found the spice heavy-handed, but I liked it. I saw the 28-ounce jar priced at $2.19 and $2.29.

*** If you spot fresh pineapples that are gold in colour, don't pass them by thinking they're overripe. They may be Del Monte Gold pineapples. A new variety, the gold pineapple is higher in sugar than other pineapples and is gold-colored inside and out.

The pineapple also is square-shouldered and more plump than the traditional fruit.

The gold pineapple I tried was juicy and very sweet. Another taster noted it was so sweet it almost didn't taste like pineapple. They're worth a try, even if the price is $3.49 to $3.99 each.

*** Several month s ago Grey Poupon expanded into the salad dressing market. The mustard company is launching products in three additional areas: specialty oils, vinegars and cooking wines.

Fostering an upscale image are sleek bottles with fine-art labels.

I bought the extra-virgin olive oil in a pretty green rectangular bottle with Van Gogh's Olive Pickers, St. Remy on the label.