Weight gain is an ongoing global health issue because its simply not easy to find a universally impactful weight loss program. Something that will work for everyone.

Everyone starts a weight loss program full of hope that this is the one that will finally make a difference for them. Unfortunately, people give up when it just gets too hard or takes longer than they think it should. It's the combination of effort and time that ultimately sabotages most efforts to lose weight.

However, there are some terrific programs that address these issues that we'll get to later. For now let's look at the primary reasons you should have to lose weight. This isn't a Scared Straight or Scared Weight article but you should understand how important it is to lose that extra weight you are carrying around. Hopefully, this will give you the motivation you need to be successful with your next weight loss effort.

#1 There is an expression used by athletes called "lean and mean". That's because athletes understand that a lean body is a strong and healthy body. There are numerous medical studies that link excess weight with a variety of potentially serious medical conditions. To this day, heart disease is still a leading cause of death among men and women in the U.S. It has been well documented that one of the leading risk factors for heart disease is being overweight.

Type 2 diabetes is another major health risk caused by being overweight. A poor diet and minimal physical activity contribute to Type 2 diabetes being diagnosed usually later in life. However, more recently the incidence of this type of diabetes has been on the upswing among our youth for the same reason of over eating and under exercising.

It is not as well known but the incidence of arthritis also rises with overweight individuals. The prevailing theory is that excess weight puts undue strain on joint and muscles which can lead to arthritis.

#2 Part of being lean and mean is that when you are lean you have more energy. Its not just the external factor of less weight means less energy to move the body so you are quicker and faster. There are also things going on inside the body and the body's processes. Specifically, excess weight has a great impact on your metabolism. In severe cases, this leads to energy depletion and the feeling that you cannot make it through the day. When your are physically tired all the time it is hard to focus and concentrate, our brain does not function as well as it could. Frequently sluggishness and fatigue lead to a very unattractive lifestyle that is constantly spiraling downward. No energy to do anything so less is done, more weight gained means more energy loss and so on and so on. Good weight loss programs work to break this cycle by boosting your metabolism and providing you with much needed energy.

#3 Being lean and mean leads you to feeling good about yourself. Self esteem is a big reason to lose weight. For some, its just the pride of looking in the mirror and liking what they see. For others, its shopping for smaller sizes of clothes. Bathing suit season brings yet another level of self esteem into play, sometimes even for those reasonably fit. The bottom line is if you are overweight you probably don't like the way you look. This can lead to all sorts of personal realtionship issues in how you deal with other people. But most importantly it effects how you feel about yourself. If you can't lose the weight you may feel like you are failing and that you are not successful.

Hopefully, you can see that there are many, many great reasons to lose weight. The problem is how do you know which weight loss program to choose? Without a doubt you should seek a program that addresses the issues discussed here. Preferably the system will be developed by real fitness professionals who understand how the body and food work together. The program should include diet and exercise, one without the other will never really work as we have discussed. The bottom line is that when you find the right program it should ultimately help lead you to a better quality of life. It's not just about losing weight but what that weight loss means for you.