It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) conducts the world’s largest telephone survey to track health risks in the United States. According to this survey over 36% of Americans were actively trying to lose weight in 1998 and that number increased to 38% in 2000. California is, of course, in the lead on this. In 1998 38% of Californians were losing weight and by 2000 over 44% of us were on a diet. Nearly 60% of respondents were trying to keep from gaining weight.

A google search on “diet” brings up 92,500,000 sites and over 200 sponsored links. According to Marketdata Enterprises the diet industry revenue was over $30 billion dollars in 1990. This figure includes money spent on diet centers and programs, group and individual weight-loss, diet camps, prepackaged foods; over-the-counter and prescription diet drugs; weight-loss books and magazines; and physicians, nurses, nutritionists, and other health professionals specializing in weight-loss (total 1990 revenue - $8 billion); commercial and residential exercise clubs with weight-loss programs (total 1990 revenue - $8 billion); and sugar-free, fat-free, and reduced calorie ("lite") food products, imitation fats and sugar substitutes (total 1990 revenue - $14 billion).

Of course this number is going up. Forbes estimated that Americans spent $46 billion dollars in 2004. In spite of all this money being spent a government review found that two-thirds of American dieters regained all the weight they had lost with a year, and 97% had gained it all back within five years.

In real down-to-earth numbers, here is what Forbes estimated it costs to follow 10 different diet plans:

The problem is that diets don’t work! That’s why there are so many of them and why every year more-and-more Americans are spending a fortune to go on one. This is why it must become a lifestyle change, or you are better off staying exactly the way you are now.

OK, here comes the meat and potatoes of what we are going to do. I will be providing you answers and research in an inverted pyramid style. First I will give you the ultimate answer. Then over the course of the next several months I will explain to why you are doing what you are doing. Click here for the answer.

My blog

Lifestyle
Lifestyle part 2
Lifes Plan

The first choice
More Easy choices

Holy Grail of weight loss - maintenance