As we enter the New Year 2010, we are reminded that it is time for those New Year's resolution once again. When like most Americans, you may decide that it's time to take stock of your personal state of health and start shedding those unwanted pounds.

It is no secret that two out every three Americans are overweight and a disturbing 15% of our children ages 6 to 19 are overweight and this number is on the rise, increasing the risk of children diabetes and a lower life expectancy. With that in mind it should come as no surprise to find that weight loss will be very prominent on most resolution lists for this New Year. Unfortunately, by the end of January the vast majority of these resolutions will most likely be broken.

You may be wondering why so many people will fail to follow through on such a vital function that will without any doubt have a large impact on their health. there may be many reasons for this, let's look at a few.

- Disinformation from the weight loss industry. Today the weight loss and wellness industry is a trillion dollar industry and yet the problem keeps getting more critical each day. More Americans are on weight loss diets of one kinds or the other, but with less success than ever before. There are more gyms, diet clubs and diet programs being advertised where ever you turn. The isles in the supermarkets are flowing over with diet products, and yet more of us are losing the battle of the bulge than ever before.

Within the industry there are just so many unrealistic promises being made. You'll see ads on TV, in the print media and on the internet daily, promising weight loss of unrealistic proportion in record time. Not only are some of these claims misleading, but they often lead to disappointments and frustration on the part of many weight loss candidates when they fail to achieve the promised results.

- Deceptive Practices By the food industry. Our influences are largely shaped by what we read but more so by what we see on television. The Food Industry spends millions of dollars to convince us we should continue to consume their products with no regards for our health. As long as their sales keep going up they will have no incentive to improve the nutritional value of their products. Rest assured, that As long as the consumers seem contented the government won't step in to set higher standard for the industry.

- Unrealistic expectation on the part of some consumers. In today's fast moving society some people are very impatient and are not prepared to spend the time nor are they willing to make the sacrifices necessary to achieve the desired result. Thus they fall prey to these promises of quick and easy weight loss. While ignoring the facts that the excess weight did not suddenly appear overnight, but rather the result of a steady accumulation of fats over a period of time.

Weight gain is primarily caused by an energy imbalance, meaning that the foods you consume are providing more calories than you are burning which causes your body to store the excess calories as fat.

To lose weight you will need to create an energy deficit by consuming fewer calories, increase the amount you burn through physical activities or a combination of both.

If your resolution for this New Year is to lose weight, you would be better served by focusing on achieving a state of personal wellness. "Creating a Life of Wellness requires the continuous flow of the elements of weight management which include, nutrition, fitness, and stress management".

Proper nutrition is vital to weight management and personal wellness. Understanding how your body works and what your diet should be is vital on your personal journey to optimum wellness and better health. Wellness balances the overall quality of life. Wellness is "the condition of good phyical and mental health".

A balanced diet is crucial for providing our bodies with the nutrients needed to make it function properly. However, most of us find making healthy choices to be a challenge. The reality of our daily diet is that we consume an excessive amount of the foods that have adverse effects on our health, while on the other hand there are great deficiencies in our intake of the foods that provide the nutrients our body need to function properly.

Yes, this New Year you can resolve to retake control of your life. You have the power to improve yours and your family future health. All you need is the right information and the motivation to get to the state of optimum wellness. Improving your state of wellness is a step-by-step process and you can achieve it.