Benefits of Losing Weight
Obesity is becoming an increasingly large issue in today’s society. Many people across the globe are overweight, causing an increase in health issues. Obesity is a huge problem as it causes a wide variety of serious health issues. If you are overweight and are hoping to lose some excess fat, know that you may be making a decision that can change your life. Here are a few of the many reasons that losing weight will be extremely beneficial to your health.
Did you know that in the United States, heart disease and stroke are one of the leading causes of death? It’s true! And those who are overweight are at extremely high risk of experiencing these two things. Why? Because those who are overweight are more likely to have high blood pressure, a huge risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Also linked to heart disease and stroke, is the high levels of cholesterol that obese individuals have. Research has shown that reducing your weight, if only by 5 or 10 percent, will significantly decrease your risk of developing heart disease or stroke.
If preventing heart disease and stroke is not enough for you to consider losing weight, than perhaps the prevention of type 2 diabetes will be. Those individuals who are overweight are twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who are not overweight. The prevention of type 2 diabetes is extremely important because diabetes can lead to a wide variety of health issues, long term hospitalization, and even death.
Being overweight also increases your risk of developing certain kinds of cancer. Overweight women are at increased risk of developing cancer of the uterus, gallbladder, ovary, cervix, and breast. Overweight men are at increased risk of developing cancer of the prostate, colon, and rectum. To reduce your risk of developing these cancers, try to lose weight and increase your amount of daily exercise.
Losing weight also increases your chances of developing osteoarthritis and sleep apnea. Reducing your risk of osteoarthritis is extremely important because many times, this disorder can be extremely painful, effecting joints in your knees, hips, and lower back. Sleep apnea, although not painful, can become very exhausting as it causes interrupted breathing during sleep, disallowing a person to sleep through the night.
If you are overweight, to the point of being labelled obese, you are at an extremely high risk of developing a wide variety of health problems. Losing even a little bit of weight can significantly decrease your risk of developing heart disease and stroke, type 2 diabetes, certain types of caners, osteoarthritis, and sleep apnea. These are just a few of the health issues that are increased by being overweight. If you are looking for weight loss solutions to better your health, consult your doctor for a good dieting and exercise plan today.