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Losing weight – does it help your health?

Weight related problems such as heart disease, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure and shortness of breath are affected by the extent of the extra weight. People who lose weight generally have a significantly increased life-span.

Any weight reduction is beneficial and a loss of a few pounds has been shown to significantly reduce the chance of early death.

 

Weight loss alone improves the outcome of the following diseases:

  •  diabetes
  •  high blood pressure
  •  high blood cholesterol
  •  weight bearing joint damage and pain

Weight loss of 5-1 0% in those people who already have non-insulin dependent (type II) diabetes improves the blood sugar levels and reduces the requirement for medication.

75% of people with Type II Diabetes can return their glucose metabolism to a normal level by losing 10% of their body weight. In people on the brink of developing Type II Diabetes, a 5-7% loss in body weight keeps 65% of them healthy.

In those with high blood pressure a weight loss of just 1 kg could lower your blood pressure by 1-2 mm Hg. Further weight reduction produces additional fall in your blood pressure.

Weight loss also results in reductions in blood levels of cholesterol.

Clearly there are also benefits in the improvement of self-esteem, well-being and mood as well as breathing and pain in weight-bearing joints.