LOSING WEIGHT: A PROFITABLE BUSINESS

Americans spend more than $30 billion annually trying to lose weight, with 65 million people dieting at any given time, according to the October issue of Working Woman magazine.

Up to 40 percent of women and 24 percent of men are currently trying to lose weight, the magazine says. This year, 8 million people will enroll in one of the country's 8,500 commercial weight-loss programs.