I have recently returned from a trip to the deep South of the United States, visiting Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. I know America gets bad press these days but I am a big fan. However, they really love food,  portion sizes are massive and fast food outlets are everywhere.

It’s funny how our lives have changed and how years ago people used to hunt to live and survive. This obviously involved blood, sweat and tears. These days, especially in the states people hunt in their cars and there is drive-in everything, drive-in fast food, drive-in pharmacies, drive-in banks, drive-in supermarkets. In fact people don’t really have to move these days because if you don’t go out hunting in your car someone will bring everything to you.

I couldn’t believe how many overweight people I saw, people of all ages and backgrounds. It’s such a big problem and I am sure we are catching up with our American cousins as us Brits’ waist lines are ever expanding.

In fact, in the plane on the way home I read in a recent survey that almost three-quarters of Britons believe they are overweight and have vowed to start a health campaign in the New Year. This got me wondering as to just how many of these vows will result in success.

Despite almost 70 percent of Britons saying they want to get healthy, experts said other evidence into people's behaviour suggests that repeated warnings about the dangers of obesity is falling on deaf ears.

Perhaps this is highlighted by McDonalds who recently revealed it had recorded growth rates close to their peak of the 1980s -- with 88 million visits to its outlets in the UK last month alone!

It is estimated that obesity causes 9,000 premature deaths each year in England and costs the NHS about one billion pounds annually.

A recent government study predicted that half the population could be obese within 25 years and Colin Waine, chairman of the National Obesity Forum charity, said the country's obesity crisis was "quite dire".

While it appears people want to tackle obesity, evidence such as the sales figures revealed by McDonalds, paints a markedly different picture.

The government is desperate to do something about this situation and in October, they unveiled a strategy where parents of severely overweight children may be sent letters warning them of the health dangers involved.

Do you think this will make any difference? I am not sure but I know that my weight loss programme is making a difference to many people.

The following is from Sue one of our many success stories:

"I am now 4 stone lighter, and have made the most incredible lifestyle changes since joining back in June"

If you want to see the progress people are making then have a look at our blog and check out our updated video of some of our amazing case studies.

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Take care, and if you want to sign up before Christmas we have a special offer. You can sign up for a 50% discount. Just go to petecohen.tv and use the promo word xmas.

Hi all,

Here's a little something you might like to see... It's The Phillips vs The Mitchells in the first full-episode (5 parts) of Fat Chance, a series that I was involved in back in 2003. Wait till you see what these families were doing and eating before myself and Jane DeVille-Almond got hold of them!

You can watch the whole episode on petecohen.com:
http://www.petecohen.com/go/episode/fat-chance/

P.S I'm putting loads more clips up from my TV work over the next few months - so stay tuned.

Pete Cohen speaks to Georgina Burnett about life coaching and his weight loss motivation program.

Hi, as people keep asking me where to find this, I thought i'd post it again, enjoy! Pete.

In this clip Edward P Nehoc gives you some great tips on gaining weight and avoiding healthy habits as the current wave of healthy eating and weight-loss has the Ministry worried for the nation's health.

[Lifted from Cranky Fitness - originally from Morgan's blog]

This spoof infomercial is tres funny, take a look:

The kind folks at Telegraph.co.uk have put up one of my clips too.

The Imperial Ministry for Anti-Health has plans to increase it's reach by creating more 'Educational Moving Pictures'. Response to the initial outline of the Ministry's policies on food and exercise has resulted in substantial weight-gain worldwide. Brilliant! The Ministry plans to further elaborate it's stance with New Policies on topics such as: 

• Bicycles (Ban them! Use motor vehicles to save energy)
• Dogs (No more Dogs. Free cat-for-dog-exchange = less exercise)
• Fruit (What is this ridiculous fascination with fruit? Let's get back to basics - like cake!)
  
• and so on...

The Ministry - as ever - aims to provide Free Fast Food and Heavily Processed Foods for All, and strongly recommends a Total Ban On All Unnecessary Exercise.

We'd love to receive any suggestions you have for Anti-Health Policies before we start planning the filming, so please add a comment below to make a suggestion or two 

If you have no idea what I'm talking about then you'll probably need to see The Ultimate Anti-Health Plan on Youtube first. Things will become clearer. Trust me :)