Today, many men and women (and children) are significantly overweight. As a result, a growing number of people find themselves starting different diet programs with regularity.Unfortunately, when these people embark on a diet plan, they end up not only failing to lose weight for an meaningful period of time but, over the course of time, they end up actually weighing more than they weighed before they started. Dieting isn’t necessarily good; it can cause you to put on weight.Many of the fad diets being promoted are hazardous to a person’s health. While you may lose weight at the outset on one of these diet plans or programs, many of these plans are designed in a way that you will not be able to keep the weight off in the long term. Before long, you may end up weighing a great deal more than you weighed at the start of the diet plan or program.In the final analysis, when it comes to healthy living and reaching and maintaining an appropriate weight, the only true course of action in which you can follow is a balanced diet. By eating a balanced diet, you will be on your way to a healthy weight.In addition to eating a balanced diet, regular exercise is important in helping you maintain a healthy weight. Regular exercise will help you maintain a healthy state and help you reach and maintain an ideal, appropriate weight over the course of the long term. Through a balanced diet and regular exercise, you not only can reach an appropriate weight, you may even be able to add years to your life.