Your metabolism reflects the calories it takes to make your body operate daily. It's largely set by genetics but also by how much you move, your body composition and what you eat. A substantial boost in your metabolism happens as a result of your own actions, not from a supplement.

You might be aware that as a metabolic disorder, some forms of diabetes come with excessive weight. But diabetes might also cause a sudden drop in weight too. In fact, many patients who are ultimately diagnosed with diabetes first go to their doctor with concerns about unexplained weight loss.

Losing weight despite a big appetite can be cause for concern, especially if it happens within a short period of time. Endocrine disorders, such as diabetes or hyperthyroidism, have weight loss and increased appetite as their major symptoms.

The more exercise you perform, the more calories you burn and, in theory, the more weight you shed. When you push exercise and diet to extremes, however, you can throw your body out of balance and slow your progress in weight loss. Exercise improves your health, but lower weight and fitness do not necessarily mesh.

A 1,300-calorie-per-day diet is considered low in calories, but sufficient to provide you with adequate nutrients when you're trying to lose weight.

In 2009, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the obesity rate for adults in the United States reached 26.7 percent. Americans are consumed with finding an easy solution to the obesity problem.

No supplement is going to cause all your extra pounds to melt away. There is some preliminary evidence, however, that certain supplements, including L-arginine, may slightly improve your weight-loss results when used in conjunction with a reduced-calorie diet and exercise.

The no-carb or low-carb diet was introduced by Dr. Atkins in 1972. It requires you to reduce or eliminate all carbohydrates from your diet and eat only proteins and fats. It may be an effective nutritional program for losing weight -- bodybuilders use a variation of it in the "cutting phase"

If you've diligently tracked your diet and exercise and concluded that you're burning 1,000 calories a day, congratulations! You're on track to lose 2 pounds per week. That's just at the upper end of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendations for a healthy, sustainable rate of weight loss.

Men over age 50 have special nutritional concerns to attend to when dieting. At this age, you have a lower metabolism and a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, gout and prostate cancer than your younger counterparts, according to Eat Right Ontario.

The high-protein, low-sugar diet is a diet that includes a variety of vegetables, proteins and complex carbohydrates to meet the nutritional needs of healthy, active adults. Before starting this diet, get medical clearance from your primary care doctor.

Genetics, aging or hormones are just some of the factors that can trigger fat to accumulate at the sides of a woman's waistline.