Okay, I know that throwing the word “coach” at the end of something makes it sound like a scam (life coach, anyone?), but I’m one of those people who believes that we could all use a little guidance sometimes. The way I see it, there’s no shame in having a guru, and a recent pilot study suggests that those looking to lose weight may actually be more successful when they have the assistance of a health coach—be it a behavior specialist or simply. Having someone to give feedback and hold them accountable is key to keeping many people on track with their healthy habits.

Would you work with a health coach to achieve a personal health goal? Why or why not?