We recently reported on a new study that describes the best way to shed unwanted pounds, but a sad truth is that most people don’t even bother with it — and it’s actually fairly easy to understand why.

The study, performed by a research team out of Johns Hopkins University involving 347 patients who were obese and took two years, found that doctors are your best resources when it comes to weight loss. However, fad diets and expensive exercise equipment dominates television commercials and people’s wallets, as untold amounts of money are spent on things that ultimately collect dust in the basement.

This new study finds that a visit to your primary care physician is more effective than all of those things, and simply scheduling a check-up can work wonders for your physique and your long-term health.

The main problem with most diets and workout plans out there is that they are one size fits all. Obviously, however, everyone is different: different body shapes, different levels of fitness, different diets, and just overall different needs. The only one who can diagnose what your situation is is your doctor, who can tailor an exercise and nutrition plan that suits you specifically — not only giving you what you need, but providing you with a plan that you will feel comfortable with and therefore more likely to stick to. As a result, those in the study who rated their doctor as “helpful” lost 11 pounds on average, versus just 5 pounds if they didn’t connect with their doctor.

But why do people not take advantage of this? There are likely a few reasons.

For one thing, people think there’s a lot of inconvenience and expense involve. Mention the doctor and people think it could end up costing them if extra tests need to be done, but usually all that’s needed is the co-pay to see the doctor and then simply talk through a plan face to face. And some people don’t like the inconvenience of scheduling a couple hours in the middle of a workday to get it done — they have a lot on their plate already. However, it’s important to make time for health, and just a couple hours can pay big dividends down the road.

A second issue could be a lack of realization at just how helpful these doctors can be. They are experts in general health and can recommend a very specific — and realistic — long-term plan to drop weight, rather than push some expensive products on you advertising that you can drop 20 pounds in three weeks, which may not even be healthy.

And finally, a lot of people are embarrassed to talk about their weight problems with someone who is usually a stranger. They are ashamed about the poor diet and exercise habits they’ve been living with — however, doctors have seen it all, and they are there to help.

If you can overcome these obstacles, a simple visit to the doctor could change your life.