I may not help people lose weight, but I'm one of the most effective smoking cessation counselors in my hospital, and I feel a lot of the same techniques apply. The reason I'm so good at it is because I understand where my patients are coming from- I was a heavy smoker for a few years- and I am supportive and not judgemental. When my patients fail, it's alright, we can try again. It took me probably 20 tries to quit- let's just start back at square one, there's no reason to lose hope. You've got to sell them on the benefits of success rather than the price of continuing to live in their current state. We need to combat obesity, but we need to do it the right way, not the good 'ol fashioned approach of shunning the living hell out of them until they either straighten up or withdraw from society.