Not at all Sammy, very valid points. I think in the end, the person has to really want to be in shape and educate themselves.
Here is something that you can do. I will suggest this because I have tried it. Bake, grill and steam your foods, eat low fats and unsaturated fats, vegetables, and fruits. I love chicken, fish, and turkey. In moderation, you can have a treat, but don't go overboard. Also, limit sweets and carbs. Do some walking 25 - 30 minutes a day, and be strict to yourself. It won't be easy starting out, but you can do it.
Go on a restricted calorie diet. I would say around 1200-1400 a day. do it for maybe a month at a time and make sure to work out while you do this. if you plan on doing more than a month I would just take a small break at some point just to insure you aren't going deficient in any nutrients. Moderate your diet correctly and it really wont be hard. -lean meats. nothing processed or fried. -fresh fruits and vegetables. nothing dried or processed . Steam, boil, or sauté in a very small amount of healthy oils. -Grains, Beans, and Legumes. these have a lot of calories so you will need to be careful. 1 cup of rice is almost 300 calories so keep these in meals in moderation. Nothing processed! drink water, black tea or coffee. Don't drink alcohol. I don't recommend you do much with dairy. you can drink some milk have eggs but cheese isn't going to do anything but give you fat and calories so you might as well forget it. Once you drop enough weight you can increase calories and protein back up and start either getting in good shape or body building
a lot of people get fatter by working out but not doing anything about diet. if you are working your body and give it extra calories it will hold on to them just because it knows you are working hard. that's why body builders up calorie amounts as well as protein and fiber. all I am saying is if you want to get dedicated then don't half ass it. Diet AND Exercise is the fastest and best way. no fat burner pill or diet supplement will work those are just to get your money. 230 at 5'8 isn't horribly fat. I think you could drop 20-40 pounds damn quick.