Are Fewer Americans Trying to Lose Weight?

In the past, the 57-year-old Gilmer, Texas, resident would try fad diets that did nothing but leave her feeling frustrated, she said.

“There was one called a grapefruit diet or something where you didn’t eat anything but grapefruit,” Henson said. “If you do something like that, that’s what I meant by ‘diet’ being a failure.”

She didn’t consistently exercise, either. Although she didn’t have any serious health conditions, she knew that her lifestyle was killing her. Henson was 5-foot-4 and 332 pounds.