As you drop a few pounds, your mood and energy level improves, and you start feeling better about yourself. But bringing your weight and BMI down has many more proven health benefits. No matter what your weight loss goal is, studies show that even a 5% to 10% decrease in your weight is likely to result in significant health benefits. Even if you do not reach your ideal body weight, weight loss can affect your health positively and rid you of ailments and discomforts.
Better sleep
After losing weight and approaching a better BMI, people start falling asleep faster and achieving better sleep quality. This improvement has two main reasons: when adopting healthier eating habits focused on protein and fibers and less on carbs, hunger will stop waking you up and you will wake up feeling more energetic. The second reason is that sleep apnea, asthma, and gastrointestinal reflux disease (GRED) symptoms decrease the more pounds you drop.
Lower risk of joint problems
Maintaining a healthy weight is very important for your joints. Studies confirm that if you have excess weight, losing as little as 10 pounds can decrease the pressure on your knees and the progression of osteoarthritis by 50 percent. As a matter of fact, studies show that people who suffer from overweight have a higher rate of osteoarthritis up to four or five times more when the BMI reached 30 and 35.
Improved mental health
Losing weight boosts our self-esteem and confidence. It can also make us feel more accomplished and more self-assured about our performance and our general interaction in the workplace. In addition to that, many studies have linked obesity to depression and anxiety disorders.
Reduced risk of heart disease
Shedding the few extra pounds lowers our blood pressure, but more than that, it reduces the risk of heart diseases. The benefits to the heart are mainly caused by the change in diet that accompanies the weight loss: cutting back on fat consumption, and more specifically on animal fat and processed foods, has a great impact of reducing blood sugar and cholesterol, and improving blood circulation (and thus cardiac) general health.
Decreased risk of cancer
According to the American Cancer Society, being overweight comes with an increase in the risk of certain types of cancer: colon, breast, thyroid, ovarian, and pancreas. Doctors and scientists are still trying to understand the reasons and the link behind this fact, but it is not clear yet. It might be the excess body fat that causes increased inflammation in the body, abnormal cell growth, an elevated level of insulin and adipokines (hormones that can affect cell growth).
Diabetes prevention
Obesity is a leading factor in the development and progression of type-2 diabetes. This condition occurs when our body doesn’t respond to insulin correctly and the blood glucose (sugar) goes up. The American Heart Association confirms that a weight loss up to 7 percent can reduce our risk of type 2 diabetes by 58 percent. Research also shows that weight loss is crucial for the treatment of diabetes along with the prescribed medication.
Increased sex drive
It has been noted that weight loss results in more active and dynamic sex life. In fact, weight gain causes an increase in the sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels in your blood and that is correlated to a decrease in our libido. However, it’s also worth stating that a very low BMI and a very restrictive diet can also decrease the sex drive.
In summary, your weight doesn’t define you and it doesn’t determine how healthy you are. However, shedding those few extra pounds may influence your longevity and help you improve your quality of life. So don’t wait… start working towards adopting a healthier lifestyle: eating less processed food, consuming less animal fat, eating more fruits and vegetables, limiting your alcohol consumption, and exercising regularly.
Shedding a few extra pounds can be very beneficial for your lifestyle and your health. Learn more about how you can achieve the previously mentioned 7 health benefits through the variety of weight loss services we provide.