LONG BEACH, Calif. -- In the past decade there has been an alarming increase in obesity rates among all groups, even children. One third of adults are now considered obese.  Losing weight isn’t always easy and there’s no quick fix.  One woman in Long Beach turned her struggle with obesity into an art exhibit, hoping to inspire others to overcome obesity.

In her 40 years, Tysha Michel has seen just about every dress size from 8 to 28. The first time she ever heard herself referred to as "obese," she was just 12-years-old.

Last January, Michel decided to paint her story. She had taken a really hard look in the mirror in 2008 and she focused on what she was eating and why. What followed were better eating habits, exercise, and what she calls "emotional healing."

Her solo art exhibit depicting weight loss has been welcomed by a number of art galleries, including one in Long Beach. Telling her story on canvas meant beginning with the painful images as an overweight teenager.

"As a child, I was teased, bullied and always made fun of, which was my inspiration to change my life, " said Michel.

But she says the physical change paled in comparison to her emotional transformation.

Her greatest work is not the painting on the wall, but how she now feels about herself. Michel is hopeful others struggling with their weight or self image will take a second look in the mirror...like she did...and emerge from obesity.