By Julie Reade
According to recent data, obesity is on the rise. In fact, it has grown enough to be called an epidemic! In years past, it was something rare and always occurred in adults. That is not the case anymore. This debilitating condition is affecting the young and old alike. It is not uncommon to see elementary school students who have

trouble running in gym class or high school student who is having trouble finding clothing that is stylish and big enough to fit them. This unhealthy trend affects male and female equally and doesn't seem to have a racial preference. Something obviously needs to be done. But what should be done? Several solutions have been brought to the table in hopes that one will work.

Exercise is also a good place to start. It just makes sense that if you use up more calories that you need, you will lose weight. Walking programs are emerging. Company incentive programs are starting. Some larger companies even pay for gym memberships to entice people to exercise and get physically fit. For woman who feel uncomfortable exercising with men around, new gyms have opened that are "women only."

If you are looking to lose weight, you needn't look further than your local grocery store to find the latest diet on a magazine cover. For a time, the grapefruit diet was thought to be the way to shed the pounds. From there, we've had Atkins and several off-shoots of that type of diet. Some people try being vegetarian. Others go gluten-free. Each diet is based on a certain principle. Each can produce varied success. The problem with most "diets" is that you can't stay on them forever. And usually once you go back to your usual eating pattern, the weight comes back.

Another way that many, many people try to lose weight is with diet pills, both over-the-counter and prescription. The problem with diet pills is twofold. First, they have so many side effects that taking them long term and relatively impossible. Second, since the pills didn't address the real problem of calories in vs. calories out, once you stop taking them, you will gain all of the weight back. If there was truly a diet pill that worked long term, everyone who know about it. There are no miracles.