Most of us know that obesity has become a spiraling epidemic in our culture - so much so that now the concept of fat loss has become a potentially dangerous obsession for many people.

While it is true that maintaining a healthy BMI (body mass index) is crucial to overall well-being, it is no less true that the manner in which you reach your goal weight is critical.

Miracle Products

If you spend any real time on either your television or the Internet, chances are you have been bombarded with ads for products that promise speedy, safe weight loss with little or no effort on your part. Wouldn't that be nice! However, while some of these products MAY aid in weight loss, they often do so at the price of your health.

Most weight loss products are completely unregulated - sold as supplements rather than drugs to avoid FDA scrutiny. Frequently, they offer little if any benefit for truly reducing body fat, while containing ingredients that may actually be harmful. And what do the manufacturers of these products care... they have your money.

Weight Loss Standards

While many people are obsessed with their weight and BMI, the fact is that there is no official clinical standard for an across-the-board ideal weight based on your gender, race, height, bone structure or any other individual factor.

This is because ideal body weight and BMI vary from one individual to the next, and each is determined by numerous factors that also include both lifestyle and genetics.

Educate Yourself

You can find a tremendous amount of free information about weight loss virtually at your fingertips simply surfing the net - however, not all information is accurate information. In fact, misinformation is likely the leading cause of many diet failures. (Our love affair with artificial "food" is another key factor, but that's for another article...)

In many cases, the information you find online is biased or otherwise skewed to steer you toward the purchase of a particular product or service aimed at - supposedly - helping you lose weight. Savvy consumers who realize they are not necessarily getting factual or complete information online wisely turn to additional education sources.

Unfortunately, many of these very alternative sources of fat loss information are also biased in their own right. Fat loss books, for example, are generally written with the bias that sways you as the reader to change your diet and/or exercise habits without regard to your overall long term health.

Reliable Information

If you are truly interested in losing body fat, your best resource is generally your doctor - as he or she will take your overall health and weight into consideration when offering guidance. An additional alternative is to consult a nutritionist - something that can be done with a doctor's recommendation.

Clearly none of these people - including your doctor - is God. But acquiring health information from multiple resources that don't have a financial stake in your decision is a prudent educational strategy for weight and body fat loss.