Ask 100 people what the biggest health problem is in the western developed countries today. More likely than not, the answers you receive

will be heart disease, cancer and even AIDS. While there is no question that these "popular diseases" are important health problems which do

account for a significant percentage of deaths year after year, the most widespread threat to our health today is being overweight, or even obese.

This dreadful disease is actually our most damaging health problem-so much so that as many as eighty million adult Americans alone have to deal

with it every day. What's more, the number of overweight children and teenagers is rising at an alarming rate.

Being overweight may seem to be a rather unimposing health condition, more of an inconvenience than a disease. Don't be fooled. In fact,

being overweight is often a double edged sword. In addition to the physical, psychological and emotional problems directly related to

excessive weight, the potential for stress, heart disease, stroke and several types of cancers is significantly higher when we weigh too  much.

Ironically, just as the number of diet companies, diet methods and products increases, so does the number of overweight Americans. Stop and

think about it. Newspapers and magazines are flooded with ads related to weight loss. Weight-loss companies are familiar television advertisers

and if you've ever ordered a weight-loss product through the mail, you may well have been shocked by the number and variety of follow-up offers

you later received. A reasonable person might well wonder why the population of overweight Americans continues to rise when so many "diet

miracles" are so abundantly available. Pills, powders, shakes, frozen meals and more are there for the taking. One would think that if any of

these truly delivered what was promised, the problem would be declining rather than growing.

Over the last two or three decades, we have been bombarded with all kinds of so-called new diet fads and programs "guaranteed to make you lose

weight." We have been told that we can eat all we want and lose weight, that we can lose weight without having to exercise, that calories don't

count and that fat is the culprit. The claims go on and on. "Dream away" programs even let us lose weight while we sleep.

Quite simply, we are becoming more obese as a population because we are consuming more calories, even as we are using less and less of them due

to our more sedentary lifestyle.

To lose weight and maintain the loss for the long-term, we must learn not to overeat and to be reasonably consistent with some form of enjoyable

exercise. We must burn at least the number of calories that we consume.  If we don't, the calories are stored as body fat, which of course

contributes to the development of the diseases listed above. The use of supplements and natural weight-loss products can help in some cases,

considerably. But again, there is no magic bullet. Remember that after water, the largest single substance that makes up our bodies is protein

and that it is probably the single most important dietary ingredient.  Make sure your eating plan contains adequate amounts. Be more concerned

with the quality of fat you consume than with the amount. Above all else, be consistent.

Modern mentality is one of convenience. Most of us will eat just about anything, as long as it tastes OK and is easy to prepare or consume. In

our disposable society, we eat prepackaged foods from drive-thru windows. When it comes to dieting, our approach is simple: "How short a time must

I diet to lose x-number of pounds or kilos before I can go back to my old eating habits?" Most people view weight-loss as a short-term project

rather than as a lifelong commitment to health and nutrition. This mentality, coupled with a lifestyle of overeating and under-exercising,

creates an environment with a potential to limit not only the length of a healthy life but, even more importantly, the quality of that life.

Not until a personal commitment is made to change the habits that make us overweight in the first place can we begin to see the positive changes

that good eating and exercising create. Only from that point on will the potential for success on any weight-loss program become realistic. Then,

day by day, we can move closer and closer to the goals we have set-our most important motivation to continue. One day at a time, we can be

successful in controlling our weight.

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SUPER WEIGHT-LOSS TIPS

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To lose weight in a healthy way, we must control caloric intake and increase the amount of calories burned with some form of exercise.

Regardless of the eating plan component of your weight-loss program, the following tips will help you accomplish your goals of healthy weight-loss

and weight maintenance:

1 Drink two quarts of water each day. This helps control your appetite.  Sometimes a feeling of hunger is actually thirst. Additionally, water is

necessary to carry away the breakdown by products of fat.

2 Carry a little sport bottle at all times. If you feel hungry, take a drink. This works great, for example, when you're at your desk or

computer as it helps to curb your appetite.

3 Use small plates and eating utensils. You will feel that you have eaten more, because the portions will look bigger. This will reinforce

your mental perception of eating a "full plate."

4 Slow down your eating pace every way you can. For instance, if you are right-handed, eat with your left and vice versa. Put your fork down

after each bite and don't pick it up until you have completely swallowed the last bite.

5 Chew every bite at least thirty times. Your food will taste better and you will be much more satisfied. Don't swallow until all the flavor is

gone from of each bite.

6 Brush your teeth after every meal. You will be less tempted to eat if you do. Brush and floss after your evening meal; many people agree this

helps avoid late-night cravings for snacks.

7 Both sodas and juices are loaded with calories that are simple carbohydrates. These trigger insulin production and hunger and are

pretty much "empty calories," lacking other important nutrients such as protein. Drink water instead.

8 Pay attention to when and what you are eating. Ask yourself: "Do I really want to eat this?" Never eat on the run-wait until you arrive.

Otherwise, your body won't even realize you have eaten.

9 Don't keep junk food snacks around the house. Eat healthy snacks like carrots, celery. Avoid eating lots of fruit, which are

high in carbohydrates; reasonable quantities are ok.

10 Eat lots of fiber. Fiber is great for helping you feel full as well as helping to cleanse your digestive track. The natural cleansing helps

improve both your energy level and overall feeling of wellness.

Before going to a restaurant or party, think about what you will eat.  When you get there, remember your plan. Alcoholic beverages can add lots

of calories. Drink a glass of skim milk or some healthy snacks before you leave.

12 Don't get discouraged when you plateau. Realize this up front.  Plateauing is healthy and necessary. During these times, focus on

drinking more water and a little extra walking each day. Remember the three laws of success in dieting: "Consistency, consistency and

consistency."

13 Use visualization. Picture yourself as you would like to be and focus on that picture as often as possible. Find an old photo that you like of

yourself when you were thinner. Have copies made and put one in your purse or wallet, on the refrigerator door, at your desk, on the bathroom

mirror and anywhere you can think of to help you visualize your new, thinner self.

14 Above all-WRITE IT DOWN. Keep an eating diary. Carry a piece of paper folded up or an index card in your pocket, purse or wallet and

write down everything you eat during the day. Look up the foods in a reference book at home in the evening and add up the calories actually

consumed. This is a great learning tool. You don't have to do this all the time, but it's good to do during the early stages and when you