Obesity rates in the US are going through the roof. All kinds of major health issues are a direct result of obesity, from diabetes to circulatory problems such as strokes and heart attacks. Even knee and back problems can be caused by obesity, due to the excess wear and tear. (Here's a simple workout for your bad back.) The food industry is partially to blame-their marketing has gotten us addicted to huge portions of fatty, sugary nutrition-deprived garbage. And let's not forget about the effect on appearance and self-esteem, both of which are negatively impacted by obesity. Weight-loss is, therefore, critical to regain the energy and attractiveness that comes with good health. Unfortunately, most of us are simply too busy or lacking in will power to join the gym or maintain a regular workout routine. So what to do to ensure weight-loss?

The key is to make a few minor lifestyle changes. Changing what you eat you can lower your body mass index, or BMI, which is the percentage of fat on your body. Weight-loss also requires an efficient diet. Simply put, an efficient diet is one in which your calorie consumption equals only what the body needs, and nothing more. One way to do this is to cut out the fast food and any other garbage in your diet. These empty calories are of little value to the body, as they have no nutritional value, and in fact they do a lot of damage to the body, in the form of animal fats and cancer-causing free radicals. So what really happens is that you eat food that makes you fat, then, because your body got no value from that food, it's still hungry-then you have to eat even more! So if you're serious about weight loss, drop the fast food/junk food diet killer-and fast! By making this simple change in what you eat you will begin to take off the weight. The rate of weight-loss is up to your body's metabolism and, of course, exercise will help-but this simple start is bound to leave you feeling better. The weight-loss from a diet often does not work because people eventually go back to their regular eating habits. You really need to make the decision to quit junk food-like the alcoholic that decides to quit drinking. It's really no different. You need to focus on a making a lifestyle change and eat differently. This is especially important for those of us over thirty. As we age our metabolism slows down and and weight-loss gets much more difficult. You must break your love affair with French fries and doughnuts and ice-cream and hamburgers or the calories and fat will continue to mount. Weight-loss simply doesn't happen like it did in your twenties so if at all possible, start early on and keep it off.

Your next step in achieving permanent weight-loss is to start looking at labels. You want to look out for high fructose corn syrup and cut it out of your diet completely. The body doesn't now deal with this unnatural chemical well and it pretty much turns right into fat. And studies show it also causes diabetes.

Drink plenty of water. This is one of the most overlooked weight-loss causes. If you drink 10 glasses of water a day you will be flushing out excess fats and be continually keeping your body in a state of de-toxification. By drinking a glass of water before your meal it can also fill you up so that you do not eat as much once you sit down to eat.

'If it's white, it ain't right!' This is white sugar, white bread, and white rice-bad carbohydrates, and it ain't right because all of the nutritional value has been stripped from them. Replace all of these with their brown counterparts and with lots of organic nuts, fruits and vegetables. (But make sure they're organic, as you can see here in this article on pesticides in our fruits.) White foods are quickly converted into fat, especially if you don't maintain an active lifestyle. Watch the white food intake and watch your weight drop. This does not mean completely ignoring carbohydrates. It merely means eating the right ones.

These are just a few weight loss tips that you will need to stay focused on as you work to reduce your weight. Remember, weight loss requires a commitment to a new lifestyle. You CAN do it! Weight loss can take many months (in fact, it works better that way), so work to make a positive lifestyle change and you will see progress. Look at it this way, don't try and lose weight. Don't try and diet. Make a commitment to a healthy lifestyle and the weight loss will naturally happen.