As the star of NBC's hit weight-loss show, The Biggest Loser, Kim Lyons inspired millions of people to lose weight, get healthy and find a stronger, more powerful "self." Now, with her new book Your Body, Your Life, she's hoping to continue that trend as one of America's leading health and fitness experts. Needless to say, we believe that health and fitness is a Just Cause, but we asked her what it means to her, why she's devoted her life to, and what other Just Causes have her heart.

1. You have chosen a career dedicated to health/fitness. How does that relate to your core "values" in how you approach life and what you want to share with others?

You only get one body and one life, and when it comes right down to it, it is about respecting your body! Of course it takes a bit of effort to live a healthy lifestyle, but once your create healthy habits you will be addicted to feeling good and you'll be proud of yourself! A little bit of discipline goes a long way when it comes to getting healthy! If you want to live a long life you have to take care of yourself. We all have our periods of time where we let ourselves go but the key is to be aware of that, know when to stop, and no how to get back on the right track and have an OVERALL healthy approach to life.

2. When you look at the impact your career has had on people around you, what makes you the most proud?

I'm most proud when I see that I can and have saved lives through teaching people proper nutrition and how to exercise. When I see the tears of joy in my clients eyes when they find out they are no longer pre-diabetic, no longer have to take blood pressure medications, and don't have high cholesterol anymore I feel an amazing sense of accomplishment. To be able to give people their health, confidence, and the knowledge to live a happy and healthy life is an amazing feeling and makes everything I do so worth it.

3. Was there a "defining moment" when you knew that this was what you wanted to focus your professional energy on?

I was overweight, insecure, and really struggled with my self image for years. I hired a trainer who changed my life by helping me feel strong and taught me how to control my weight. I knew within months of working with him that I wanted to change peoples lives in the way that he changed mine. That was right after college and I have never looked back.

4. In your personal life, what is the "cause" to which you dedicate the most time / energy / money? (eg., breast cancer, early childhood education, autism research, domestic violence?)

My cause is really teaching people to live a healthy lifestyle. It covers my personal and professional life. Giving people the knowledge to eat healthy, exercise, and change unhealthy habits into healthy ways so they can live happier more confident lives is so important for individuals and their friends and family.

5. Why? Has it touched your life somehow?

Yes, I was overweight and had low self esteem. Exercise and learning to eat healthy gave me the energy and confidence to go out and make a change in others lives. There is nothing worse than being uncomfortable in your own skin and so many people are dealing with this issue whether they are 20 pounds over weight or 200 pounds over weight. It is not only a matter of physical health but mental health as well.

6. What do you do - personally or professionally - to support that cause?

I'm a personal trainer and life coach. Being on The Biggest Loser has given me the opportunity to inspire millions of peoples lives every week. I also counsel and train every day normal people on a regular basis. They come to me with their problems and I come up with an approach and solution from a mental and confidence stand point to a physical standpoint. You have to treat each case differently and come up with specific methods and reasonable goals attached to a time table. That is the key. Pick up my book and take a read. All of the messaging is in this direction!

7. What do you wish people understood about your cause?

It's never too late to get healthy! It is not about temporary changes, it is about making small changes throughout your day that add up to permanent habits that can change your life forever.

8. If you had a magic wand, what would you do? (Eliminate corn syrup? Make everyone feel sexy in their own skin? Officially declare chocolate to be a health food? )

Yea...all the above! But really if I had a magic wand or any sort of magic capability it would really be to make people more health conscious because I think it would really help the depression problem in this country as well as the obesity epidemic.

9. What organizations support your cause that we should all know about?

Best Buddies! (www.bestbuddies.org) It is an amazing organization that works with kids with special needs. Also Breast Cancer research because my mom was diagnosed last year. I work with them a lot and support them as much as possible. I recommend all of your readers look them up and see what they can do to pitch in.

10. Can you think of an example of a really innovative approach to solving this problem - either one that someone else did or that you would like to see someone do?

Science is helping but really the only thing to do is increase motivation. That is the most important thing that so many people lack. If you are not motivated to reach a certain goal then chances are you never will reach it. So there needs to be something to trigger that motivation and health just isn't enough for some people unless they have a real health scare. The best thing is to spread the word and hope that people follow.