Benefits of Weight Loss

Losing weight is something we hear about daily. When you turn on the TV, you see commercials. When you listen to the radio, you hear ads and testimonials. When you open up the newspaper, you see articles about how important weight loss is. But, why is weight loss so important? We all want to look and feel good, but is there more to it than how we look and feel? Actually, there is much more. There are many health benefits to losing weight and maintaining a healthy weight. Here are the most significant benefits:

Heart Health- Lower your risk for heart attack, stroke and other long-term complications from an unhealthy heart. Just a 5-10% reduction in body weight can mean the difference between healthy and unhealthy as you lower blood pressure, cholesterol and reverse the signs and symptoms of diabetes.

Joint Health- Help your joints feel better and avoid pain by lowering your weight. Again, that same 5-10% loss will relieve pressure, pain and improve function of all of your joints. For every 1 pound of excess body weight you carry, your knees and back have an extra 5-7 pounds of stress to handle. The body is designed to support itself, so the more weight you carry the more stress you put on the structure, leading to injuries and chronic pain.

Financial Health- your bank account will thank you when you are spending less money on medication, surgery and other care required to account for your poor health. Studies have shown that the average obese individual spends over $2,000-$4,000 more per year than a person at a normal weight.

By maintaining a healthy weight, you can avoid these problems altogether. According to recent studies, 90% of all diabetes, 80% of heart disease, and 60% of cancers are preventable with healthier lifestyles and normal body weights.Health is a good thing.

So is saving money and feeling good. Not to mention, living a long and happy life and enjoying the company of family and friends. Kids and grandkids are a great reason to get healthy, but you have to make the changes in order to be around for them.

The benefits above are clear. The path to reach them may be a bit cloudy, but if you take one step forward, you will be able to form a new habit. Keep taking steps and you will keep seeing results.