HIV-positive people often experience rapid weight loss, commonly referred to as wasting. Wasting happens to people both on and off HIV medications. People experiencing wasting can lose 5 to 10 percent or more of their total body weight in just six months. Not all of the weight lost is body fat.

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,” goes a Chinese saying quoted by Chairman Mao. And knowing the calories burned by a single step can help you translate pedometer readouts into a gauge of your overall activity.

You may hear people recommending vitex, also known as chasteberry, as part of a diet plan. It’s important to remember that while vitex contains some compounds that may enhance health, it is a medicinal herb — not a food. It contains no calories, fiber, major vitamins or minerals.

The three-phase South Beach diet promises weight loss through a celebration of healthful foods and enjoyable meals.

Hershey's Kisses come in six different flavors, some with fillings. A single Kiss is a treat that won't add too much to your daily calorie intake. According to Hershey's, nine Kisses are a single serving.

Also known as acupressure beads or seeds, tiny acupressure balls attach to key points on your ears with adhesive tape. Stimulating these points can help to balance your qi or vital life energy and ease junk food cravings.

Fat burners are a multi-billion dollar industry, yet many people find their weight loss goals elusive. Jeff Anderson, of the "Muscle Nerd" website, says that 75 percent of the ingredients in the name-brand fat burners do absolutely nothing for you.

About 45 percent of women who've tried to lose weight have attempted to do so with the help of dietary supplements, according to an article published in Obesity in 2008, making this a common practice.

While diet pills such as LIPO-6 are available at any vitamin shop, big-box store or pharmacy, these products don't go through the same rigorous testing as prescription drugs, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. The makers of the pills are responsible for ensuring that they're effective and safe.

Girls often gain fat in their thighs as they hit puberty. This may seem like a problem area for you, but it's actually a healthier place to store fat than in your belly. Losing weight may help your thighs thin out, but you can't target them for weight loss.

An ileus is a type of bowel obstruction in which intestinal peristalsis temporarily ceases. Peristalsis is the wavelike contractions that push food through the intestine. Paralytic ileus is one of the most common causes of intestinal blockage in infants and children.

Television advertisements, books and popular culture propose many solutions for rapid and easy weight loss. The Atkins Diet -- also called the Atkins Nutritional Approach -- offers one such proposal, as does the Slim-Fast brand.