But men need to learn about developing a healthy eating lifestyle, otherwise, they could literally begin to eat themselves to death. Men love to eat, there’s no doubt about it. Portion sizes for men have always been the largest in restaurants, lunch boxes and on the dinner table at home. While it is true that men do need a few more calories in their daily diet than women, there is a tendency to blow it out of proportion, resulting in overweight men. And overweight men have problems with diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

Getting a man to eat right, however, is not at easy task.

"To get a man to eat right sometimes takes a good woman to police him," said Debbie Mandel, author of Turn On Your Inner Light: Fitness for Body, Mind and Soul. As a life coach and personal trainer, she also works as a weekly health/fitness radio show host in New York. "People are always calling in, asking for advice on how to get their man in shape, and I tell them to stick to the basics, and not make it too complicated."

Some of the advice she dispenses includes getting a man to lift weights. "This will organize their day around good eating for maximum muscle development," she said. "Men, because they don’t like the word diet in their vocabulary, need a little push in learning how to find the right balance of protein, complex carbs, fruits and vegetables."

Pointing out the benefits of eating properly is another way to reach out to the man in your life. For example, if you find that your man is becoming short of breath and exhausted by simply moving around the house or climbing a flight of stairs, it’s time to swing into action.

"There’s hardly a man alive who wouldn’t prefer to have the energy, strength, and vigor to work all day, come home and play with his kids, go out for the evening to have a good time with the woman he loves, then come home with energy to spare for some bedroom romance," said Dr. Paul Rivas, a physician from Maryland who specializes in nutrition and internal medicine.

Portion control appears to be a major issue for many men these days. Until everyone gets the idea that men do not need to eat like a horse just to stay alive, the temptation to overeat will continue to be there. Once men realize that it is okay to stop eating so much food, it will be the first step on their journey to becoming healthier. The urge to overeat must be met, and men must take responsibility for their eating habits.

Learning to eat well, exercise regularly and get plenty of rest seems like basic common sense as a way of enjoying a happy and a healthy life. Sometimes, however, men need a "swift kick" in the rear to get them jump-started in the right direction. And if there is so much padding back there that they do not feel that swift kick, grab them by the shoulders, sit them down, and tell them that you love them. And to start eating right!

At eDiets, we offer 17 different meal plans to suit different lifestyles and food preferences. If you’ve made up your mind to improve your waistline and your health, you’ll find the program just for you.

John Riddle is a freelance writer and author from Bear, Delaware. He is the founder of I Love To Write Day, a new holiday that celebrates the craft of writing. He has written 30 books and thousands of magazine, newspaper and web articles. He is a frequent speaker at writers' conferences all across the country.