If you are among them, here’s the good news: studies have shown that simple lifestyle changes can lower your risk of illness and keep you healthy. You can reduce your risk of diabetes, for example, by 58%, just by sustained modest weight loss and increased physical activity, which can be as simple as walking a half hour a day.

Here's how. Make sure you have plenty of support from your friends and family. Seek the help of support groups. Find a buddy who wants to make similar changes. Set goals together. Exercise together and share meal ideas. Talk to each other about how to overcome obstacles. Celebrate small victories.

Scientists say that when you have instituted new behavior seven times, you are on your way to a new habit. Experiment and see if it is true for you.

Changing your diet
It is a challenge – one that it has many rewards. You will feel happier and better – and look great, too. Be sure to recognize that even small changes are a reason to reward yourself!

Analyze the situations that tempt you most and avoid them for now. Toss anything tempting from your refrigerator and kitchen cabinets, stay away from restaurants where you can't resist the nachos.

Keep track of your weight and your waistline. Weigh yourself daily on the same scale. Use a tape measure to measure your waist. Eat only when you are hungry. Avoid carbohydrates that stimulate your hunger. Instead, eat a small snack of a protein and healthy fat, like a few nuts or a hardboild egg.

Pace yourself. If you are moving toward your goals by making just a few changes, that is great. Keep it up.

Add new foods. Think in terms of what you’d like to add to your life. Don't stop eating all of the foods you like. Focus on trying to eat more healthy food instead of trying to eat less unhealthy food. It’s easier and more fun to add a new behavior than to stop an old one.

Shop smart to eat smart. Avoid processed foods that are high in salt and fat. Instead, keep fruits and cut up veggies where you can see them first when you open the fridge.

Read food labels. All food labels list the product's ingredients in order by weight. The ingredient used most is listed first: the ingredient used least is last. To choose foods low in saturated fat or total fat, limit your use of products that list fat or oil first. If you are watching your sodium intake, do the same for sodium or salt.