Indiana and Michigan remain two of the nation's fattest states, weighing in 9th in a recent national obesity report. Kirk, Cari and Kelli started the 12 week medical weight loss program with Memorial Bariatric Center on January 21.

Doctors say the obesity epidemic affects all of us, and if we don’t do something about it now, health problems are sure to pop up down the road.

“The trend that we’re seeing is pretty difficult to argue against,” said Memorial Bariatric Dr. Scott Eshowsky.

When WSBT’s First Thing in the Morning crew sat down with dieticians, nurses and a fitness trainer, they said all three of them could stand to hit the gym a little more often and drop a few pounds. Apparently they’re not alone.

“Most of the country would be considered overweight at this point,” explained Eschowsky. “Up to 2/3 of people are actually overweight."

The old saying goes you are what you eat. Doctors say a super-sized fast food industry coupled with the current American lifestyle is the root of the problem. But the dangers of obesity are scary.

Dr. Eshowsky listed heart disease, stroke, sleep apnea, hypertension and diabetes as the most common illnesses related to obesity. He said he’s pleasantly surprised when he has a patient who is not diabetic.

Those health problems are costing some employers and employees lots of money for health insurance. Some work places are actually paying for employees to go through weight loss and other health conscious programs.

For those reasons and some of their own, Kirk, Cari and Kelli are committing to healthier lifestyles.

At this point, they’re still trying to get used to the calorie restriction. Kelli’s dietician allows her to consume 1,300 calories a day; Cari is allowed about 1,200 and Kirk can consume 1,700 calories each day.

But that also depends on how much they work out. They’re also counting carbohydrates, protein and fats. One helpful book they’re using is The Calorie King Calorie Fat & Carbohydrate Counter. It has just about everything you want to know -- and a lot you don't -- about what’s in the foods you eat.

For more information and tools to help you lose weight and get healthy, go to www.wsbt.com/news/health/whyweight.