They need to want to help themselves
Methinks motivating oneself to lose weight is akin to quitting smoking.
I used to bug the ex to lose some weight coz he was, err, quite the obese (that’s according to some test he did) but it never happened. The nagging to lose weight was more for health reasons than anything else. Everyone knows the consequences of being overweight, right? It’s been drummed into our heads over and over again.
But see, if the person doesn’t think it’s important to lose weight, then no amount of bugging or nagging will make him/her do it. I think I’m learning that now.
It’s like smoking. I’ve heard smoker friends say time and time again, “I will quit one day” but the day never seems to come. So it’s like saying “I’ll lose weight one day” but unless the person really wants to do it for him/herself, then I think it’s highly unlikely to happen just because someone else nags the person to death. They will just learn to tune out after a while.
Unless something bad happens, God forbid, only maybe then they will take action. But why wait for the event if and when something bad may happen?
Note : Taking pills or any shortcut methods to lose weight is NOT the right way. We’ve all heard of diet pills gone wrong. If it’s a severe case, go see a specialist or nutritionist. Else, regular exercise and a proper diet usually works.
I shall let my family and friends tell you about me. These comments may be rather old but I think the gist of them still hold 
