Losing weight is one of the greatest challenges many Americans face today. Billions of dollars are spent on weight-loss programs and yet obesity rates are still soaring. The National Institute of Health found that more than 90 percent of all fat-loss and fitness programs fail.

So, what's the solution?

The Rev. Ron Williams, 47, a resident of Utah since 1990 is the pastor of Midvale's Back to the Foundation Church. He is also a world champion bodybuilder and professor of nutrition and exercise physiology. He says the solution is a faith-based weight-loss program.

The Rev. Williams believes that "soul wounds" are one of the major obstacles to achieving fat loss. Soul wounds are trauma to the soul; personal tragedies — such as belittlement, neglect, abandonment, or verbal or physical abuse.

"Being overweight is not necessarily a sin," the Rev. Williams said, "But it can interfere with your purpose. It will not hinder you from going to heaven," though he notes, it may help you get there a little sooner.

"Having a fat-loss program is only half the solution to achieve permanent fat loss and a balanced health life," he said. "I have found that combining faith and fat loss helps people break the terrible bonds of being overweight and the hurt and shame of traumas that have been inflicted on them."

The Rev. Williams suffered his own personal tragedies. Beginning at age 3, he was abandoned by his parents, who left him on the front porch of a baby sitter's house. Over the next nine years a life of terror began, including sexual, physical and verbal abuse.

This abuse caused him many soul wounds and one of the repercussions was a severe eating disorder. But the Rev. Williams found healing through increasing his knowledge and faith in God.

"God's word clearly applauds child-like faith," he states on his Web site, www.faithandfatloss.com.

He said most people put more faith and trust in gimmicks, schemes, pseudo-science and fad diets when in the book of Hebrews it clearly states, "the Lord is my helper.

"The question is are you concerned (or care) about being overweight or obese? If so, have you taken time to involve God concerning your permanent fat loss? God desires for you to have faith that he can meet all of your needs."

He said the Bible teaches "Lay aside every weight and sin that doeth so easily beset you..." (Hebrews 12:1).

The Rev. Williams claims the latter has both a spiritual and physical meaning.