The weight loss industry is $52 billion annually. Diets don't work, diet pills don't work, and weight loss programs don't work. Few people can sustain the weight they lose over the long term. New research now shows that how long you are obese is strongly linked to mortalilty. Results from the Framingham Heart Study over 48 years show that if you're obese for 5-15 years that mortality doubles, and if you're obese for more than 15 years that it triples!