"The sovereign invigorator of the body is exercise, and of all the exercises walking is the best." Thomas Jefferson

The problem of obesity is growing (pardon the pun) in America and it doesn't appear that dieting alone is helping people with their weight loss goals.

Millions of Americans are trying to achieve weight loss, spending approximately $30 billion a year on diet, weight loss programs and weight loss products; and often they do lose some weight – for a short period of time. If you check with these same people five years later, you will find that nearly all have regained whatever weight they lost making their weight loss temporary at best.

A national panel recently sought data to determine if any commercial weight loss diet or weight loss program could provide long-term weight loss success. Not a single program could do so.

Although your weight may initially drop while dieting the weight loss consists mostly of water and muscle. And when the weight returns, it comes back as fat.

That's not to say that reducing your caloric intake won't aid weight loss. It simply means dieting alone won't lead to the kind of sustained weight loss you would like to achieve.

It was found that people who diet without exercising often get fatter with time. So exercise is crucial to getting healthy, sustained weight loss results.

A recent national study noted that there was a significant relationship between lack of physical activity and fat. If you want to reduce your body fat, focus on increasing the amount of activity you do rather than decreasing your food intake.

The kind of weight loss you want is possible, you don't have to spend a lot of money to achieve it and you don't need to diet. You don't need to join a gym, nor do you need special clothing, equipment or facilities to achieve this weight loss.

The kind of weight loss I'm talking about can be achieved at work while you're working or at home wile you're doing your daily chores around the house. You can achieve the kind of weight loss you want working alone or with others although it is more fun when you work with others. And, your motivation will be better as well.

Another great exercise is to do push-ups - from the dinner table that is. In general increase your overall activity level through the day. Your activities don't even need be strenuous.

Just increasing you overall general activity level (such as climbing the stairs, minute-to-minute movement in the office or at home, shovelling the driveway, mowing the lawn, even showing just a little excitement and enthusiasm) are things that more effectively burns calories and reduces body fat than a half-hour aerobic workout.

Walking is another great exercise for strengthening bones, weight loss, toning the leg muscles, maintaining good posture and improving positive self-concept.

In order to lose weight, it's more important to walk for time than speed. Walking at a moderate pace yields longer workouts with less soreness - leading to more miles and more fat worked off on a regular basis. High intensity walks on alternate days help condition one's system. But in a walking, weight-loss program, you are not required to walk an hour every day as some people would have you believe.

To avoid getting fatter over time, increase your metabolism by exercising regularly. However, common sense tells us that exercising without maintaining a balanced diet is no more beneficial than dieting while remaining inactive. When it comes to good health and weight loss, exercise and diet are inter-related.