At the
beginning of every year, many people make New Year’s Resolutions. There are many different resolutions that are
made from financial to career to health resolutions, among others. Sixty-Eight percent of Americans are
currently overweight or obese so losing weight is a resolution that is commonly
made. There are many benefits to losing
weight. Someone does not have to lose
the full amount of weight they need to lose before they start benefiting from
losing weight. Losing 5 – 10% can have
benefits throughout the body.
Losing 5-10%
of someone’s weight can affect cholesterol.
It can increase HDL, “good”, cholesterol by 5 points. HDL cholesterol is protective against heart
disease and stroke and should be at least 40 mg/dL. Triglycerides are harmful to blood vessels
and should be less than 150 mg/Dl. High
triglyceride levels put people a risk for such thigs as strokes and heart
attacks. Losing 5 – 10% of body weight
can decrease triglycerides as much as 40 mg/dL.
LDL “bad” cholesterol is produced by the liver and is a sticky which
causes it to attach to the walls of blood vessels. Losing weight can decrease LDL by 10%.
Increased
weight contributes to increased blood pressure.
The extra weight causes abnormalities that result in the elevated blood
pressure. Decreasing body weight by 5 –
10% can decrease both systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 5 mmHg
each. High blood pressure is a major
risk factor for heart disease and stroke so decreasing blood pressure decreases
risk for both. Increased body fat causes
chemicals to be released that cause blood pressure to rise and induce the liver
to produce LDL. Reducing weight reduces
the amount of chemicals produced.
For those
with Diabetes, Hemoglobin A1C is a test which measures the level of blood sugar
levels over the previous 3 months. A
normal Hemoglobin A1C level is 6.5.
Dropping 5 – 10% of body weight can decrease Hemoglobin A1C by 0.5. Losing 10 pounds can decrease the risk of
developing Diabetes by 58%.
Losing
weight can also decrease pressure on joints.
When someone is overweight or obese, each pound equates to 4 pounds of
pressure on joints. Even dropping a
little weight can decrease a great deal of pressure off the joints.
Being overweight
or obese increases risk of some cancers such as uterine, cervical, breast,
colon, rectum, prostate, among others.
Losing weight decreases the risk for developing these cancers.
Losing
weight should be more than just a new year’s resolution. It should be a resolution to making your body
healthier. Think about all those that love
and depend on you, and decide if losing the extra weight is worth being around
longer for those around you.
Pietrzkowsk,
N. (n.d.) Benefits of 5 – 10 Percent
Weigh Loss. Obesity Action Coalition. Retrieved from http://www.obesityaction.org/educational-resources/resource-articles-2/general-articles/benefits-of-5-10-percent-weight-loss
Gentry, T. (n.d.) Benefits of Weight Loss. Learn how you can reduce joint pain and other health risks by
losing weight. Arthritis Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.arthritis.org/living-with-arthritis/arthritis-diet/losing-weight/weight-joint-pain.php
Healthy
Weight for Life. (n.d.) Medical Benefits of Losing Weight. Healthy Weight for Life. Retrieved from http://www.healthyweightforlife.com.au/medical-benefits.php
