Even though Kathryn Carney 47, battled weight gain and high cholesterol in her teens and 20s, she didn’t realize how heavy she was until she stepped on the scale at her doctor’s office: It read 240 pounds. She was 27 years old and also having back problems. “The doctor said that if I continued on the same route, I’d be at serious risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease,” says Kathryn. “I stopped at a gas station on my way home and thought: I spend more time thinking about the fuel that goes into my car than about what I put in my body.”