What Weight Loss Does for Your Body
More than 150 million Americans are either overweight or obese. Yet losing even a small amount of weight can contribute to many positive health-related benefits. But before you start setting goals based on how much weight you wish to lose, take a moment to learn more about what shedding unwanted pounds could do for your body.
Reduced Diabetes Risk
Carrying around extra pounds increases your risk of developing diabetes, a chronic condition that’s related to blood sugar regulation. If you lose weight, however, you’ll greatly reduce your odds of developing this disease. And if you have type 2 diabetes now, weight loss could reduce your symptoms or even reverse the disease entirely.
Lowered Heart Disease and Cancer Risk
Heart disease claims more than 600,000 lives each year in the U.S. If you lose weight, you’ll lower your odds of developing cardiovascular problems like this. Your risk of having issues with certain types of cancers may be reduced as well. With heart health alone, weight loss could help out your ticker by:
- Lower your “bad” cholesterol levels
- Reducing added stress on your heart
- Lowering your blood pressure
Less Joint Pain
Being overweight increases your risk of joint pain, which could contribute to osteoarthritis (OA) and other types of arthritis. As pressure on your joints is reduced, you may benefit from:
- Increased mobility
- Reduced knee and hip pain
- Less reliance on medication to manage joint pain
Improved Confidence
Your mental health could improve as well if you lose weight. You may have increased confidence in your personal and professional life as well. You could also experience fewer issues with stress and anxiety as you shed unwanted pounds and become more active and involved thanks to added energy and confidence.
Better Sleep
Obesity has been linked to sleep apnea and other sleep-related disorders that can make it difficult to sufficiently sleep well through the night. As you lose weight, you may find yourself nodding off easier. Improved sleep could also contribute to more daytime energy, fewer aches and pains when first waking up, and improved mental alertness during the day.
A Spine Health Boost
Losing weight takes pressure off the muscle groups that either directly or indirectly support your spine. In turn, you may reduce your risk of having spine-related pain related to:
- Herniated discs
- Sciatic nerve irritation
- Strained back-supporting muscles
Now that you have a better understanding of how weight loss can affect your body physically and mentally, write down the benefits that appeal most to you. This list could then serve as inspiration as you move forward with your weight loss efforts.