Companies specializing in health products are making huge profits these days. They sell anything from fat-burning pills to expensive exercise contraptions and people are snapping them up. With almost 65% of the populations in the countries of the West overweight, it's no big surprise.

As the culture of fast-food spreads across the globe, an increasing number of people are falling prey to the temptations of high-calorie junk food. Obesity is on the rise and together with it other diet-related diseases like diabetes and high-blood pressure.

In their quest to lead healthier lives and find the fastest fat loss method, overweight people embrace the newest fad diet that comes along. The word 'fad' precedes 'diet' because that's just what they are- popular for a while then as folks realize their effects aren't sustainable, these over-hyped diet plans are quickly dropped for the next one that comes along.

The secret to fat loss is no secret at all. It's all about using-up the calories that we get from food and the only way to achieve that is through physical activity. Since the days of plowing the field and foraging for roots and berries are long gone- replaced by drive-thrus and dial-a-pizza, it's quite difficult to burn our daily input of calories without regular exercise.

We only lose weight when we burn more calories than we take in each day. In that light, it's ultimately better to do some form of regular exercise rather than trying to cut back on calories without working out. Depriving ourselves of proper meals can lead to nutrition imbalance not to mention painful ulcers and a low immune system.

Trying to cut back on calories by passing-up breakfast or lunch can also lead to a feeling of self-deprivation. This only serves to make us vulnerable to loss of self-control and pigging-out the next time we go to a party or a buffet table. Eating too much in one meal if done regularly results in an ugly potbelly after a while.

Experts say it's more effective to eat small portions whenever we get the munchies rather than stuffing ourselves every meal. Doing this can also keep our metabolism high and lets us burn calories more efficiently. It's been discovered that our metabolic rate slows down considerably when our body senses a shortage of food.

Eating smartly by choosing healthier foods we're getting our daily dose of calories from will ensure proper metabolism and the proper nutrition. Doing fat-burning cardio exercises along with resistance training to build muscle will also ensure quick fat loss and a lean physique.