( CNN ) -- Jeff Romig kept putting it off . He knew the doctor would give him bad news . He 'd known it for years ; he needed to lose weight . But as he sat in the doctor 's office a few weeks ago and listened to his numbers -- cholesterol and blood pressure , both too high -- he resolved to change . This time , he decided to do something different , something drastic . After 10 years of talking about losing weight without much success , Romig decided to put his health and family first by leaving his high-pressure politics job . `` I knew I was doing the right thing , but I felt terrible , '' said Romig , 34 , who lives in Georgia . While the tactic might be unusual , Romig is hardly alone in his struggle with weight gain or his reluctance to try to lose it . More than 30 % of men older than 20 are overweight , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Men face the issue at the same rate as women , but until recently , ads for weight loss products mostly featured female faces and voices . According to ad industry watchers , the female-centric advertising had the inadvertent effect of scaring men away . Enter a slew of new ads from the biggest names in dieting : Weight Watchers , Nutrisystem and Jenny Craig . Weight Watchers took a direct approach , with television spots that explicitly tell men it 's OK to diet . One commercial proclaims `` Weight Watchers online is for men , too , '' and , as a nod to the brand 's more feminine advertising of yore : `` It 's not all rainbows and lollipops . '' `` Women really appreciate the fact that we are recognizing it as a widespread societal problem , '' said David Burwick , president of Weight Watchers North America . Beyond the multimillion-dollar campaign lies the hope for company expansion . Burwick estimated that only one-quarter of men who have weight problems actively seek to lose weight . That means plenty are n't spending money on weight loss products and programs , at least not yet . Aside from the attention paid by Madison Avenue , some men said they 're learning they need more than just a plan ; they need people to hold them accountable and to relate to their struggles . Lloyd Dinwiddie , an entertainment correspondent who goes by the name Gyant , said men do n't often talk about their diets with other men , something he said he wishes would change . Though his nickname comes from his 6-foot-8-inch frame , Dinwiddie said not everyone appreciates his desire to slim down , and after years of diets , he 's trying new techniques . `` Women look at me like I 'm crazy . They say , 'You 're just big , Gyant , ' '' he said . `` At 310 pounds , every book in the world is telling me I need to lose weight . '' Revealing journey as woman reduces weight by half . Dinwiddie said he applauds Weight Watchers and other companies that focus on men 's health , but an `` average Joe '' -style spokesman would work better than a Charles Barkley or Mariah Carey , who have trainers and chefs to keep them focused . Dinwiddie 's current dieting effort includes a lot more chicken salads and outdoor activities , with a goal of losing 80 pounds . He has turned to an online community , hoping the discussion will serve as communal motivation . `` It 's actually been a collective support system in a roundabout way 'cause in six months , if I 'm not following it , they are going to be like , 'Yo , what 's going on ? ' '' Romig , the man who quit his politics job , said he started using Weight Watchers in 2003 , after his weight grew to 225 pounds . He lost 30 pounds then , but the positive momentum slowed after a big move and a new , stressful job . Through a few more jobs and one more move , Romig kept his Weight Watchers account , although he was n't using it much . `` Every month , there goes that $ 16.95 , '' he joked . CNN anchor : Dangers of labels and my bulimia . Work and volunteer commitments soaked up his time . To make decisions about lifestyle changes , he sat with his wife of nine years and ran through scenarios , including how to handle fatigue and soreness during weight loss , and questions about whether he could keep up the momentum . It all added up to one thing : Making time to get healthy , even if it meant reducing his work hours and relying more heavily on the income of his wife , an attorney . Social media has already proven to be helpful on the journey , he said . When he shared news of his resignation and intention to run in a 5K on Facebook , he got all positive comments , he said . Romig keeps himself honest with his phone and other technology that allows him to keep tabs on his progress ; his goal is to go from 241 to 180 pounds . But those hyper-masculine ads ? Romig said they did n't have much effect on him . The real motivation came from his wife , who told him , `` I worry that you 're not going to be here . '' Since last week , Romig has lost 9 pounds . He said everything else , even his job , is now secondary .
Weight Watchers , Nutrisystem , featuring men in ad campaigns . Comment: Estimates say only one-quarter of overweight men actively seek to lose weight .