Some health experts say that fad diets and other extreme measures some individuals use to lose weight simply don’t work. Instead, they say that taking a holistic approach to weight loss can help many people shed those excess pounds they’ve resolved to lose in the new year.

"By understanding the whole person, including emotional reasons for eating, stress triggers, medical history and physiological factors, we help each individual approach food in a whole new way," said Dr Henri Roca of Greenwich Hospital’s Center for Integrative Medicine.

Cutting back on calories and adding or increasing exercise are proven to assist with weight loss, but they do not provide enough motivation for people who have been repeatedly unsuccessful at reaching their weight-loss goals.

In addition to getting to the root of the mental and physical factors that derail people’s weight-loss efforts, a holistic approach includes acupuncture treatments to help control cravings, sessions with a registered dietician to formulate the best eating plan for each individual’s physical make up, health coaching and advice on dietary supplements.