Reality TV helping people lose weight?

So, I have been thinking about all the reality TV shows that are supposed to aid people in losing weight. I keep seeing previews for a new show about engaged couples trying to lose weight, and I don't really watch many of the shows like Biggest Loser or anything so I don't really know what to think of them. I am wondering if any of you guys watch these shows and what you think. Do you think that they are really helping the people and providing them with a good weight loss program that they can keep up with even after the show? Or are they just showing them how to lose weight quickly on the show? Do you know if they do any type of follow up with the people on the show? Opinions please!! I'm going to try and watch a couple of them myself and figure out what my take on it is..

Back from being lazy..

Sorry I haven't posted lately, guys. Been a bit distracted, and I'm not gonna lie, I've just lost my motivation this winter. BUT, I did start doing the P90X. WOW, it is kicking my ass! I haven't done all of the discs yet, but yesterday I did the ab ripper and the chest and back. Well, I attempted to do the chest in back which really just resulted in me doing girl push ups and watching them do pull ups because I can't do pull ups to save my life. I have also looked into a few other work out programs and one is the body by glamour work out. It comes from Glamour magazine and you can sign up online and track your work out progress and eating habits.

I have also seen several other work out things online where you can have journals and they provide healthy recipes and such. All this left me wondering, are these things really effective or do people just start using them and then get tired after a week or so and stop logging their work out routines etc. So guys, I want to know what you think about these online work out diaries.. Do any of you use them? If so, which ones? Have you found them to be effective? I myself am a bit A.D.D and get bored easily so I tend to use one for awhile and then get tired of it and stop logging on and look for something newer and better. But, I would still like to know if there is something better out there for me to look at and which ones you guys have found to be helpful or just suck.

America's Obesity Rates as Motivational force

So, when I woke up today, I really was not feeling like exercising or eating healthy at all. Then, I decided to take a gander at obesityinamerica.org. For those of you who have not looked at the site, it is basically something that gives you news stories about obesity, ways that obesity affects other aspects of your life, how it can be prevented etc. It's actually a pretty interesting site, and it definitely motivated me to get off my ass and work out. The thing that struck me the most on that site, was an article that I was led to about obesity leading to infertility. Apparently, if a woman is obese, her ovaries are altered in a way that could be responsible for an egg's inability to make an embryo. Now, I don't plan on having children for at least another 5 or 6 years, but I do want to have the option down the road. So, that was my motivation today.

As a result of looking up these obesity websites, I decided to look into some exercise plans and websites. I have decided to try this P90X stuff that I keep hearing so much about. It seems like the new "thing" with some of these exercise plans is the idea of  "muscle confusion." Basically, the P90X plan has you doing different exercises every day, rather than the same old exercises day after day, so that your muscles don't hit a plateau. So, they say their plan confuses your muscles by introducing new moves every day so that your body never hits this plateau. Well, I'll let you know how this exercise plan works out!

Introduction

As a college student with a busy schedule, I have found it hard to find a diet and exercise plan that fits into my schedule that I stick to and that gives me optimal results. With rising obesity rates, and the standards that people are held to today, I would like to research how diet and exercise play into our society and the media. I also plan to research different diet and possibly shed some light on what types of plans work best and aid in creating a healthy lifestyle.