One diet agency at least confirmed that repeat customers comprise at least half of its clientele. THIS IS NOT A MARK OF SUCCESS. If there was a diet that worked (and I don't know of one) – you'd go on it, you'd lose weight. Job done. In fact we know that this NEVER happens. We undereat, we lose 10 pounds, we overeat, we gain 12 pounds. This is the stark reality for 95% of overweight people.

Dieting is big business. And everybody wants a slice. Due to our absolute refusal to accept the truth we are succoured into each new tantalising offering. We buy into it with our hopes and dreams inspired by a notion that we will be healthier, sexier, more shapely, more energetic and happier. The quest for the perfect body is for sale everywhere. And the advertising is powerful, tempting…and outrageously misleading. Don't think that the word 'natural' or 'herbal' equates with safety just because it occurs in nature or comes from plants. After all, many plants are poisonous!

Although herbal weight loss products are advertised as 'natural', they aren't necessarily natural to the human body. In the same way the label 'scientifically proven' or 'medically endorsed' doesn't mean the product actually works. There is no magic bullet. Pills and capsules promise to burn, block or flush fat from your body – with the reassurance of a money-back guarantee. Oh really? A quick internet search of real life case studies will reveal that you have as much chance of getting your money back as having the product do what it claims. The result of this brainwashing is the current epidemic of obesity, diabetes, cancer and heart disease in the Western world.

Nothing is more important than your health. Don't put your healthcare on hold until you have more time. You may not get it. It's when you are in the throes of a hectic career that taking care of yourself is more important than ever. Several years ago some of the richest people in the world were surveyed and asked: If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be...what would you do differently? The #1 answer was: I would take better care of myself. I would eat better, exercise more, and have less stress.

The mechanics of weight loss are strikingly simple.....less energy in...more energy out. Eat less, move more. Just commit to endless practice with your daily routine until you hit on a formula that works for you. Easy, you'd think. And it can be if you remember this: If you can't do what you did to shed the pounds for the rest of your life, then you can't maintain the weight loss.