The main reason to lose weight is for health, and not good looks. Many people forget about this and this is why we should remind some of those who forget about it, some real facts. Almost 112,000 deaths per year may be attributable to obesity because the risk of death rises with increasing weight. Furthermore, even moderate weight excess (10 to 20 pounds for a person of average height) increases the risk of death, particularly among adults ages 30 to 64.Moreover, people who suffer from this have a higher risk of excess death (they are more likely to die) from all causes, compared to people at a healthy weight. Obesity is now recognized as a major risk factor for coronary heart disease, which can lead to heart attack. The consequences of weight gain are serious for other health issues as well, actually. A weight gain of 11 to 18 pounds increases a person's risk of developing type 2 diabetes to twice that of people who have not gained weight. Over 80 percent of people with diabetes are overweight or obese. Overweight and obesity are associated with an increased risk for some types of cancer including endometrial (cancer of the lining of the uterus), colon, gall bladder, prostate, kidney and postmenopausal breast cancer. Moreover, women gaining more than 20 pounds from age 18 to midlife double their risk of postmenopausal breast cancer, compared to women whose weight remains stable. Obesity is associated with a higher prevalence of asthma. For every 2-pound increase in weight, the risk of developing arthritis increases by 9 to 13 percent. Symptoms of arthritis can improve with weight loss.

The rule of weight loss is easy: you must consistently burn off more calories than you take in. Any type of  diet can work as long as calorie intake is consistently reduced, every day. A diet that is balanced with small quantities of vegetables, fruit, grains and lean meat or fish is the healthiest. Exercise helps, but unless you are an athlete, you will have to cut calories as well. And remember, it’s OK to be hungry when losing weight. Once a goal is achieved, every day is for maintaining. If you go back to eating more and exercising less, the weight will go right back on.

The prevalence of obesity has now reached epidemic proportions for both men and women in many industrialized populations.¹ An extensive literature exists on the effectiveness of interventions to achieve and maintain weight loss, but information on the reasons why individuals elect to try and lose weight is more limited, particularly amongst men. Successful weight loss depends on many factors, however many dieters are most successful when they have access to continued support.² For that support to be effective it is important to understand the motivating factors behind an individual's desire to lose weight. A clearer understanding of the reasons motivating weight loss should help the development of strategies to combat the increasing incidence of overweight and obesity.

Aside from the health effects of obesity, it has been suggested⁹ that motivating factors, ultimately the reasons for an individual to want to lose weight, differ between those who are successful at weight loss and those who are not. Successful dieters were motivated by psychological factors relating to confidence rather than health and symptoms relief.⁹ The role of weight loss in improving self-esteem was also reported by a North American study of successful weight losers who were able to maintain their weight losses for at least 1 y.⁵

Given the epidemic of obesity, and the need to encourage weight management, this study provides information that will be of use to those encouraging the lay population to lose weight.