The Thick and Thin of Weight Loss Benefits

            Obesity is a problem in America, the Western world, developed nations, and, increasingly, worldwide, a problem unique in the entire history of humankind.  In Missouri, 30.2 percent of the population is obese, and in Adair County, 33.9 percent of residents are obese (2011 County-Level).  That’s nearly one-third of Missourians and just over one-third of the population of Adair County that are obese, not just overweight, but obese.  Obesity is the condition of having excess body fat and is diagnosed by having a body mass index (BMI) above 30.  Losing weight is not easy and even harder is keeping weight from being regained once it is lost.  We are bombarded with tons and mountains of information on how to lose weight:  get on this diet, eat more of this food, eat less of this food, eat many small meals throughout the day, eat only during the three meals of the day, exercise more, do this exercise for best results, exercise this often, eat at least this many calories but not more than this many calories, etc.  It’s enough to make anyone’s head spin.  The bottom line, which also happens to be the simplest bit of weight loss information, is still probably the best for losing weight:  you need to expend more calories than you intake (Healthy Weight par. 2).  It may not be easy but it’s worth it; the benefits of weight loss are surprisingly as numerous as weight loss strategies and even very modest weight loss is beneficial.

            Some of the myriad reasons to lose weight are often mentioned and are best known.  The most obvious reason to lose weight is that if you do, you’ll look thinner.  We hear that if we lose weight we’ll feel better:  we’ll view ourselves more positively, we’ll be happier in general, and we’ll have more energy.  Another thing we hear all the time is that losing weight leads to a healthier you.  But what exactly does that mean?

            Losing weight helps prevent obesity-related diseases, improves survival in individuals that are currently diagnosed with obesity-related diseases, and helps control and lessen the severity or symptoms of obesity-related diseases.  Type 2 diabetes is especially of note.  The higher someone’s BMI, the greater his or her chance of developing insulin resistance and as a result, type 2 diabetes.  Sustained weight loss often prevents type 2 diabetes, and it lowers blood sugar and the need for medicine in obese individuals with type 2 diabetes (Weight par. 1).

            Next most noteworthy is the effect losing weight has on the cardiovascular system.  The incidence of heart disease, the leading cause of death in America (Leading par. 1), decreases with body fat percentage.  This includes reducing the risk for coronary artery disease, heart attacks, heart failure, angina (chest pains), and abnormal heartbeats.  Blood pressure decreases with weight loss, conferring health benefits (Heart par. 2).  A lower blood pressure combined with a lower blood sugar, both attainable through weight loss decrease the risk of kidney disease (Chronic par. 8).  Shedding those extra pounds also decreases the risk of stroke, the fourth leading cause of death in the United States (Leading par. 1).  Triglycerides (fat) and  LDL or bad cholesterol decrease with weight, and HDL or good cholesterol rises (Heart par. 2).

            Getting weight into a normal range also lowers the risk of many types of cancer, collectively the second leading cause of death in the U.S. (Leading par. 1).  60 percent of cancers can be prevented through adopting a healthier lifestyle and maintaining a healthy weight.  The blood pressure-lowering effect of weight loss prevents the onset of kidney cancer.  Weight loss prevents cancers of the digestive system:  esophageal cancer, cancer of the esophagus, and colorectal cancer, cancer affecting the digestive system from the large intestine to its end.  In women, reducing body fat percentage also decreases the risk of endometrial cancer, affecting the lining of the uterus, and breast cancer after menopause (Heart par. 5).

            Besides reducing the risk of cancers to the digestive system, weight reduction can forestall other digestive problems.  Liver problems like a fatty liver, an enlarged liver, or cirrhosis, inflammation and scarring of the liver, are less likely.  Gallstones or tiny deposits in the bile our bodies produce to digest fats which can block the ducts running from the gallbladder where bile is produced are also less common in non-obese individuals.  Additionally, the incidence of gastroesophageal reflux disease, which causes heartburn, decreases with weight (Heart par. 6).

            As weight increases, so do breathing problems.  Individuals are less likely to develop asthma if they are of a normal weight.  The more overweight someone is, the more likely they are to develop sleep apnea and the more severe their sleep apnea is (Heart par. 7).  This can leave individuals tired and without energy during the day due to insufficient, low-quality sleep.  On top of this, as weight increases shallowness or shortness of breath increases, causing less oxygen to get into the blood which can eventually lead to heart problems and which does immediately lead to constant feelings of tiredness (Heart par. 7).  This, certainly, is part of the reason why it is generally known that “weight loss makes you feel better.”

             Weight loss has more benefits still.  As body weight decreases, weight that body joints have to support decreases, putting less stress on these joints.  Imagine the strain carrying a 10 pound sack up one or more flights of stairs would cause compared to how it feels walking up the stairs without carrying anything; now imagine how much easier it might feel to walk up the stairs if you were ten pounds lighter.  The less stress joints receive throughout a lifetime, the lower the chance and severity of arthritis and the lower the pain in the joints, especially the joints of the legs and lower back (Heart par. 8).  As if that wasn’t enough, healthier joints can allow people to be more mobile for longer, which in turn can also allow these individuals to be independent for longer.  For women, losing weight can reduce the risk of infertility, irregular menstruation, and birth defects in children (Heart par. 8).  Weight loss has been found to improve concentration and memory (Gunstad).  Weight loss also saves money:  the lower someone’s body weight, the less he or she pays in medical expenses (Oster par. 1).  Losing weight means fewer trips to the doctor, fewer medications, fewer surgical procedures, fewer medical problems in general, and more free time.  Beyond these, though, losing weight means less anxiety and worry in someone’s life (Health Benefits par. 2).  On top of all of these things, losing weight means a happier you.

            Yes, obesity can cause a lot of health problems, but losing weight does cause just as many benefits and makes you feel better besides.  How much weight needs to be lost to enjoy these benefits?  Losing just 5% of an obese individual’s weight eliminated, prevented, or reduced the risk of the chronic diseases associated with obesity (Pasanisi par. 1).  So start small, make little goals you can easily attain, go for modest results, and build from there.  You can gain so much by losing just a little.

References

“2011 County-Level Study - Health and Preventive Practices.” Community Data Profiles:  Missouri Information for Community Assessment.  Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. 1 Feb. 2013 .

“Chronic Kidney Disease:  Topic Overview.” WebMD.  15 Sept. 2011. 2 Feb. 2013 .

Gunstad, J., Strain, G., Devlin, M., Wing, R., Cohen, R., Paul, R., Crosby, R., & Mitchell, J. (2011).  “Improved memory function 12 weeks after bariatric surgery.”  Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases, 7 (4 Oct. 2010), p. 465-474.  2 Feb. 2013 .

“Health Benefits of Weight Loss:  A Comfortable Decision.”  BistroMD.  2 Feb. 2013 .

“Healthy Weight – It’s Not a Diet, It’s a Lifestyle!”  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  31 Oct. 2011.  2 Feb. 2013 .

“Heart Disease Health Center:  Health Problems Associated with Adult Obesity – Topic Overview.”   WebMD.  13 April 2011. 2 Feb. 2013 < http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/tc/health-problems-associated-with-adult-obesity-topic-overview>.

“Leading Causes of Death.”  FastStats.  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  13 Jan. 2013.  2 Feb. 2013 < http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/lcod.htm>.

Oster, G., Thompson, D., Edelsberg, J., Bird, A.P., Colditz, G.A.  “Lifetime health and economic benefits of weight loss among obese persons.” Am. J Public Health. 89(10) (Oct. 1999) p. 1536-42.  2 Feb. 2013 .

Pasanisi, F., Contaldo, F., de Simone, G., Mancini, M.  “Benefits of sustained moderate weight loss in obesity.”  Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases.  11(6) (Dec. 2001) p. 401-6.  2 Feb. 2013 .

“Weight Loss & Diet Plans:  Obesity – Benefits of Weight Loss.”  WebMD.  13 April 2011.  2 Feb. 2013 .

-Andy H.