Seeking to borrow the influence of some of New York's most noted chefs, Hoffmann-La Roche, the producer of diet drug Xenical, is paying well-known chefs to offer dishes with less than 30% fat and to promote "The Taste for Healthy Living," the pharmaceutical company's diet program, the New York Times reports.

Hoffman-La Roche Vice President of Medical Affairs Dr. Russell Ellison said, "We are here to help people make lifestyle changes. Xenical is not a magic pill -- it acts by helping you do better."

While the company is willing to pay chefs to tout Xenical directly, no chefs have accepted the offer due to fears of liability. Three New York chefs have agreed to participate in the program, but will promote only the diet, not the drug. They include Larry Forgione of An American Place, who will be forming a coalition of chefs and health professionals from 19 cities to embrace the company's fat-composition suggestions.

Others, however, like Michael Lomonaco of Windows on the World and Wild Blue, have balked at the alliance. "I didn't feel comfortable with creating a menu program that was commercially linked," he said (Burros, 6/9).