Americans talk a good game about wanting to eat well. More than 75 percent claim they want to see more healthy options on restaurant menus. But when it comes time to order, only about half say they actually make nutritious choices, according to a recent survey.

If you are still waiting for something magic to happen to get you off the couch and committed making your fitness goals happen, I want to encourage you that it is never too late to start.

Pilates or yoga? Kettlebells or free weights? Running or spinning?

 If you are dizzy from trying to choose among all the fitness regimens out there a new survey of fitness and health experts, who were asked to identity the top trends, may help.

 Experienced fitness professionals topped the list while strength training, core work, special fitness programs for older adults, pilates and balance training also made the top ten.

Texas is tied with Georgia for the position of the fourteenth fattest state in the U.S., according to a study released last week, authored by Trust for America’s Health in collaboration with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Approximately 27.9 percent of adults and 32.2 percent of children ages 10-17 in Texas are considered obese. The report, “F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America 2009,? asserts that the current economic crisis could be to blame for the U.S.’s high obesity rate, which makes it one of the fattest nations in the world.

Lordy, we're fat.

The annual state-of-our-waistlines report issued last week by the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation mapped out the nation's obesity situation, state by state.

It's not a pretty picture. Only in one state, Colorado, are fewer than 1 in 5 adults obese. In 31 states, more than 1 in 4 adults are obese. In no state had the obesity rate decreased since last year.

The soaring levels of childhood obesity in American children have caused many furrowed brows among health officials, who are warning of a health crisis among children. A report from the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that childhood obesity numbers have increased alarmingly among some states.

Titled "F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies Are Failing in America 2009," the report said the percentage of obese or overweight children is at or above 30 percent in 30 states. The report revealed Mississippi had the highest rate of obese and overweight children at 44.4 percent. Arkansas at 37.5 percent; and Georgia at 37.3 percent are at number 2 and 3 on the child obesity scale.

Glorianne Bautista wants to be clear about something: She is beautiful and she knows it.

The 18-year-old loves all 208 pounds of herself — just as much as she did when she was almost 280 pounds a year ago. She did not have weight loss surgery to become a waif. Looking like Kate Moss isn't her thing. But being healthy? That's important.

QUEENSLAND mum Jan Brown only has to try on her old pair of jeans to find the resolution to remain on her stringent diet.

Brown* had lapband surgery five years ago but says the operation accounted for only 20 per cent of her weight loss success - 80 per cent was sheer willpower and discipline.

The mother of four has lost about 77kg, now weighing a trim 65kg, but she says it has been hard work.