As of 2008, the majority of the American population is either overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Overweight people face an unpleasant stigma, making weight loss a highly desirable goal. Nevertheless, the overall trend points to weight gain, not weight loss. This is because achieving and maintaining weight loss can be extremely challenging.
Diet Industry
As of 2010, the diet industry was a $59 billion market, according to CNBC. This number continues to grow. In spite of all of the money spent on diet aids and other products, however, people continue to get struggle with their weight. It is apparent that weight loss is quite difficult, as otherwise this market wouldn't exist and everyone would be thin. If you want to lose weight, take a pass on weight loss supplements and expensive diet plans so that your wallet doesn't slim down instead of you.
Fad Diets
Many people make repeated weight loss attempts yet meet with failure, which can lead to the sort of desperation that makes a person consider subsisting on cabbage soup for weeks on end. Take a look at the weight loss books that are for sale and you will see a wide variety of diets from which to choose, many of which encourage eliminating entire food groups -- the hallmark of a fad diet. Despite the wide variety of eating plans that are available, most overweight people haven't successfully lost the extra weight. It is too difficult for most people to stick to a restrictive diet for enough time to lose a significant amount of weight. People who undertake such diets often lose a few pounds, only to discontinue the eating plan and regain the weight.
Sedentary Lifestyle
Despite a nationwide problem with obesity, most Americans lead a fairly sedentary lifestyle. This contributes to the difficulty that many people have losing weight. While exercise and diet can help you to lose weight, if you spend much of your day sitting at a desk at work and later, watching television at home, weight loss will be an uphill struggle. Look around at people who do manual labor for a living -- you'll rarely see a person who is significantly overweight. Losing weight requires a change in lifestyle that few people are willing or able to commit to.
Solutions
Losing weight may be difficult, but it doesn't have to be impossible. To get rid of your extra pounds and keep them off, you must be committed to making significant changes to your way of life. The National Weight Control Registry, which tracks the habits of people who have kept a significant amount of weight off for five years, offers clues to successful weight loss. Ninety-eight percent of people on the registry changed their diet, while 94 percent increased their level of physical activity. Sixty-two percent watch less than 10 hours of television each week, which points to an active lifestyle. Implement one new habit at a time and develop strategies to help you stay on your diet when the going gets tough. Take a slow, steady approach to weight loss, and you may be one of the people who finds success.
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