Despite all the media hype over fad "lose half your body weight in 3 minutes" diets, "miracle" diet supplements, weight loss surgery and low-carb, low-fat, low-sugar foods... blah, blah, blah, the easy simple truth is that the optimal way to lose weight in a managed, sustainable way involves changing eating habits and becoming more active. And if you have been a passive for a long time, this can mean something as simple as being employed to walking more. In fact walking is a wonderful exercise for weight loss -- a simple rule of thumb is that a a hundred and eighty pound person will burn 100 calories for every kilometer.

The sad the reality is our increasingly sedentary lifestyles have lead in a situation where we consume many more calories than we burn, hence the obesity crisis which is spreading across the developed world. Remote controls, cars, computers, etc all contribute to lifestyles that involve just a fraction of the physical activity we are naturally designed for. Now how do we make a change?

Obviously, if you have a weight problem, you will never be able to run a demonstration two weeks after you start any new exercise programme. Patience is the key factor. Start slowly with a regular walk around the block, park a further distance from work (or get off the train/bus at a stop which is further away), use the stairs rather than the elevator, etc. Just start doing lots of little things that will increase your level of activity and then build up from there.

Few people realise precisely how good walking can be as exercise; if you walk at a relatively moderate pace for 30-60 minutes, you will burn stored fat and can start to build muscle and speed up your metabolism. Studies also show that walking for an hour a day will lessen your risk of heart problems, breast cancer, colon cancer, diabetes and stroke.

In terms of the vitality you use up during walking, the biggest thing is the distance covered, so when you begin your walking for weight loss exercise regimen, your focus should be on increasing the space covered first and then you can try boosting your speed. However, when you begin building up the speed you will find that your workout will really start to bear fruit. This is because (surprisingly) fairly fast walking can be almost as energy-sapping as jogging.

The reason for this is that walking at a speed quicker than 3. 1 mph will naturally lead to you boosting your stride length. Using longer strides is dysfunctional since is it requires additional energy to move your legs forward, which experts claim requires more arm and torso movement, which can only be achieved by greater torso and cool turn. Basically it means you are giving yourself a harder aerobic and calorie-burning workout.

Depending on your commitment and level of discipline, you will hopefully find that a simple walking regimen will quickly produce some very nice results in terms of weight loss and health improvement. The key is to then start increasing the quality of activity to avoid a "plateau" effect where your body gets used to the current level of activity and no further weight loss gains are achieved. This increased activity may involve jogging, joining a gym, etc, but always remember that there are some simple ways to burn many more calories whilst walking, including:

• Using walking rods; fitness walking rods such as Like rods and Nordic Walkers will burn more calories.

• Learning Racewalking; walking at rates of speed of over 1 kilometer per 13 minutes uses more muscular tissues, burn more calories and build muscle.

• Carrying additional weight; as shown in many military training exercises, walking with extra weights is a great path for increasing fitness levels. Place the weight (not more than 10 pounds) in a book bag or at your sides so your body can remain balanced and your position is not affected. However, this is not recommended if you are still relatively not fit or inexperienced -- walking with poor position or adding weight to your arms or legs can potentially lead to injury.

One last tip is to find a partner who can go walking with you. However, try to make sure this is a individual who is fitter and/or more motivated than you -- someone that will push you to greater efforts.