One important indicator of how healthy you are is whether you have a normal weight.  Unfortunately there has been very little progress in health sciences to help the average person lose or even control their weight.  As processed foods become more easily available to the masses, the problem is gaining global proportions, affecting even underdeveloped nations where just a few decades ago obesity was associated with wealth.

In the United States this problem has reached a critical stage.  Here are some astounding statistics from the American College of Sports and Medicine (ACSM):

• 50 million men and 60 million women ages 18-79 are overweight, including more than 12 million who are considered severely obese.
• One out of five children ages 5-17 is obese

The problem does not seem to be a result of lack of awareness.  Every day the media reminds us of how we need to lose weight.  The problem seems to be a matter of finding an effective way to deal with the problem so that the average person can lose the weight and maintain it once the desired level is achieved.  The media puts a tremendous emphasis on diets, particularly the fad diets that promise miraculous results in a short period of time.  From Atkins to South Beach, the book stores are full of solutions that have yet to prove effective in the long run for most people.

Yet, people seem to crave these fad diets just as much as they crave the foods that seem to contribute to their weight problem.  In a society that expects instant gratification, there is an overwhelming longing for a quick fix that you can get today.  Many people want to lose weight through diets that run counter to everything modern science knows about nutrition, such as the semi-starvation diet, the all-grapefruit diet, the high-protein / low-carb diet, the high-fat / low-carb diet, etc.  The reality is that most of these diets have shown to not only be ineffective for long-term weight loss, they can actually cause serious health problems.

At any given time approximately 20 million adults in the US are dieting to lose weight and another 20 million think they should be on a diet.  It is estimated that Americans spend more than $30 billion annually on diet books, products and services. 

“Dieting is a losing battle”

Unknown Author

However, contrary to popular belief, a sedentary lifestyle is as much of a contributor to the weight problem as the amount of food people eat.   The ACSM estimates that Americans eat 5-10% fewer calories than 20 years ago, yet weigh approximately 5 pounds more.

Several studies have shown that the key to a successful weight loss program is the combination of a sound nutrition regimen combined with exercise.  Therefore, in the next series of articles we will help you achieve success with your weight loss by providing you with a sound program based on these concepts.  We will include what to do before, during, and after the program to increase your chances of maintaining the weight loss you will achieve.

The next article will outline a series of steps you should take even before getting started on your weight loss program.  If you are serious about losing weight, be sure to come back to read the rest of this series which will run for the next few days.