| The health benefits of losing weight are many. | | | | - High cholesterol: Weight loss and reducing fat |
| Our weight affects us both physically and | | | | consumption will also reduce cholesterol levels. |
| emotionally. For those who are overweight or | | | | Cholesterol causes a condition known as |
| obese, it effects them negatively. Reducing | | | | atherosclerosis where fatty 'plaque' lines the |
| weight not only reverses those negative effects, | | | | arteries, narrowing them and increasing the risk of |
| but also creates positive effects. If you have | | | | heart attack or stroke. |
| discussed losing weight with your physician, you | | | | - Sleep apnea: Sleep apnea causes individuals to |
| realize it will take a lot of work. However, the | | | | stop breathing in their sleep. Losing weight reduces |
| benefits of reducing weight far outweigh the | | | | the risk of this disease. |
| effort required to achieve your weight loss goals. | | | | - Diabetes: Some individuals with uncontrolled |
| Increased Strength and Fitness: Being overweight | | | | diabetes have lost weight and been able to cease |
| causes a significant variety of discomforts. It | | | | diabetes medication, including insulin, altogether. |
| requires more effort to move your own body | | | | - Arthritis: Being overweight increases the load on |
| weight around. Where you may have been able | | | | weight bearing joints such as hips, knees and |
| to run you may now struggle to walk. As you | | | | ankles. If you have arthritis in these joints then |
| lose weight, your body becomes stronger. | | | | losing weight will frequently reduce the severity of |
| Exercise and weight training increases the | | | | the symptoms. |
| strength of your muscles, potentially making you | | | | Development of More Positive Body Image: |
| able to perform activities that were not possible | | | | Overweight individuals frequently struggle with |
| before. Breathing becomes easier as oxygen | | | | negative body image. Losing weight is an excellent |
| delivery is improved, and you will be able to exert | | | | option for those who experience discontent with |
| yourself for longer without discomfort. As you | | | | their physical body. Imagine feeling happiness |
| get fitter, it becomes easier to keep up with | | | | rather than shame every time you see your |
| friends, children or grandchildren without feeling | | | | reflection in a mirror! Create this image in your |
| exhausted after only a few minutes. Attaining a | | | | mind to help motivate yourself to lose weight and |
| healthy weight is a life altering experience! | | | | keep it off. Developing a positive body image also |
| Improved Health: Obesity related disease is on the | | | | helps Increase your self confidence: If being |
| rise in modern society. We are beginning to pay | | | | overweight causes you to suffer from low self |
| an extremely high price for our unhealthy eating | | | | esteem, losing weight can reverse that and make |
| and exercise habits. Thankfully, losing excess | | | | you much more confident and able to face life. As |
| pounds can not only reverse many health issues, | | | | your health and fitness increase, you will become |
| it can also assist with disease proofing our bodies. | | | | confident of your ability to improve your life and |
| Obesity triggers or aggravates many health | | | | strength. This renewed confidence can overflow |
| issues. If you have a hereditary predisposition to | | | | to other aspects of your life also. |
| these diseases, losing weight can reduce | | | | Improvement in Mental Health: Being overweight |
| symptoms and sometimes even eradicate them | | | | can disrupt delicate hormone balances in the body |
| altogether. Diet and exercise can reduce the | | | | causing chemical based depression and anxiety. |
| likelihood of developing these diseases also. By | | | | Losing weight allows those chemicals to reach a |
| losing weight and increasing fitness, you will | | | | healthy balance which can eradicate the problem. |
| improve both your quality and length of life! | | | | As you can see, the potential health benefits of |
| Conditions that can benefit from weight loss | | | | weight loss definitely make the effort required to |
| include: | | | | lose weight worthwhile. You really have nothing to |
| - High blood pressure: Losing weight is the most | | | | lose and everything to gain by losing weight. No |
| effective way to control high blood pressure (or | | | | more sleepless nights caused by sleep apnea, |
| hypertension). Hypertension is especially common | | | | fatigue, difficulty breathing. Losing weight may well |
| in overweight individuals | | | | eradicate these symptoms altogether. So take a |
| - Heart disease: Heart attack and stroke are | | | | little time to develop healthy eating habits and |
| significantly more common in overweight | | | | exercise regularly and you will soon be |
| individuals. For those who are morbidly obese, | | | | experiencing the health benefits of losing weight. |
| congestive heart failure becomes a risk. | | | | |