According to the CDC, obesity is the leading health threat facing America. In the United States, more than a third of adults and 16% of children are obese. Obesity rates have increased exponentially over the past 40 years across all socioeconomic groups, resulting in health care costs estimated at $117 billion. There is a push across the country to get Americans healthy. The weight loss industry is a $40-50 billion industry and offers many avenues for shedding those unwanted pounds. Whether it's a fad diet, weight loss surgery, a support program or the good old diet and exercise; The path to weight loss and health is achievable with hard work and determination. Of the many ways to lose weight, fad diets can be the most dangerous. These diets rely on gimmicks to lure dieters and promise quick results with little effort. Some fad diets promote a specific food to do the trick. The grapefruit and cabbage soup diets are two examples of these types of diets. Everyone uses a particular food as the cornerstone of diet success. Each severely restricts the consumption of other foods. Other fad diets are the Atkins diet, the chocolate diet, the 3-day diet and the 3-hour diet. These diets require eating specific foods and eating at specific times to lose weight. Fad diets promise quick results, but these results are difficult to maintain over time. The dieter often regains the lost weight and, in some cases, adds a few extra pounds. The restrictive nature of these diets can lead to vitamin deficiencies and other health problems. So dieters should research them carefully and talk to a doctor before starting any of these programs. Bariatric surgery is another method of losing weight. The Realize© Band, the Gastric bypass and the LAP-Band ® a...... middle of paper ......and ballet stretch are all new types of physical exercises. A walk in the middle of the day or after dinner will increase your heart rate and put you on the path to a healthier lifestyle. There are many ways to lose weight and adopt a healthy lifestyle. There are many resources dedicated to helping overweight people find the right program and successfully lose weight. Get informed and be active for better health. Works Cited Oz, Mehmet C. and Michael F. Roizen. You: On a Diet The Owner's Manual for Waist Management. New York: Free, 2006. Print. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Internet. January 21, 2010. “Statistics News/Trends.” Welcome to the Healthy Weight Network. Internet. January 21, 2010. .ObesityHelp - Gastric bypass, LAP-BAND. Internet. January 21. 2010. .