If you are like many millions of other Americans and are overweight, you're probably very interested in finding the best weight loss system possible. Are these new trendy diets the way to go? What about medication, or even surgery?



The rise in the use of both medication and surgery is to me a little scary. While they are both the best weight loss methods with respect to losing weight fast, they are also the most risky, and have vastly more side effects and dangers compared to dieting and exercise programs.

Surgery, whether it's liposuction or a gastric bypass, is always inherently risky. While liposuction is definitely the safer of the two common forms of weight loss surgery, it remains very expensive, and can leave you with a pretty vicious scar. Gastric bypasses are more drastic, and can lead to serious tissue damage, medical conditions and nutrient deficiencies.

So surgery is the best weight loss procedure in that it gets the weight off fast, but because of its danger and high cost, it really should be reserved for people that suffer from obesity that is causing serious and immediate adverse health effects.

Medication is less drastic than surgery, but not by a lot, and in itself has plenty of dangers associated with it. Regardless of what you hear advertised, any drug or herb that suppresses your appetite will have some potentially harmful side effects, and shouldn't be taken without talking to your doctor first.

As tempting as they may be, medications aren't the best weight loss method for most people, and should be reserved for more serious forms of obesity.

Unfortunately, its good old diet and exercise that is the best weight loss method in the end. The good news is our understanding of both diet and exercise is improving. We now know that starving yourself is not the answer. Actually, studies today are showing that the best weight loss diets are the ones that encourage you to eat a lot and often, but stick to healthier foods.

Foods high in fiber, vegetables, lean protein, and low fat, eaten throughout the day will help you maintain a high metabolism. If you're hungry, eat! Starving will slow down your metabolism considerably, so keep eating but just eat healthy things.