Obesity has the effect of aging you 20 years, according to a recent study published in Health Affairs, and it increases your healthcare costs even more than smoking or alcohol abuse.

With 61% of all Americans qualifying as overweight, excessive weight is reaching epidemic proportions and ranks among the top 10 diseases. Being overweight increases your risk of developing lifelong medical problems, such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

While Americans spend an estimated $38 billion a year trying to lose weight, they appear to be losing the "battle of the bulge" with a growth in obesity of about 60% between 1991 and 2000.

At Cedars-Sinai's Weight Management Program, you can participate in an evidence-based program that has enabled 76% of its participants to maintain their weight loss for more than two years (compared to a national average of only 5%). Cedars-Sinai's Weight Management Program blends education, support, medical monitoring and proven techniques for long-term weight loss.

The Weight Management Program offers three different options, depending on how much weight you would like to lose, your lifestyle and personal needs. The program helps patients reach and maintain an ideal weight through proven, medically approved techniques that include both food and behavioral management.

As you lose weight, you gain support from your registered dietitian coach and your fellow participants in the program and knowledge about what helps and what hinders your progress toward weight loss. Throughout the program the emphasis is on you - your needs, your goals, your lifestyle and your choices.

Through this program, you continue to practice new habits, attitudes and techniques involving food even after you have reached your goal weight and as you move into maintaining your weight. Learning how to shop to maintain your weight, eat in restaurants, share meals with friends who may not have your weight concerns are all covered in the maintenance portion of the program.