Reasons Why

With obesity reaching worrying and even epidemic proportions in some countries, losing weight is becoming increasingly important for both society and its citizens. Not only does excessive weight affect the individuals concerned, but financial and medical burdens are also passed on to society as a whole.

Persons who are overweight have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of greater than 25. Obese persons have a BMI of more than 30.

There are many health medical reasons to lose weight, including:

Weight Gain

• Persons who gain 11 to 18 pounds are twice as more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than people who have not gained weight
• 80% of persons who have diabetes are overweight or obese
• The risk of arthritis increases by 9-13% each time a person gains 2 pounds
• Losing weight can improve arthritis
• Postmenopausal breast cancer is doubled in women who gain more than 20 pounds from 18 ears of age to midlife

How does being overweight or obesity affect your health?

• Obesity causes early death, with nearly 112,000 people dying from the condition every year
• As a person’s weight increases, so does their risk of death
• Even a modest amount of excess weight (10 to 20 pounds for persons of average height) increases the risk of death, especially for adults aged 30 to 64
• Obese persons are more likely to die from all causes than people of a healthy weight
• People with obesity are at a major risk of coronary heart disease, leading to heart attacks
• Increased likelihood of suffering from interrupted breathing while sleeping (sleep apnea)
• Increased risk of various cancers including colon, gall bladder, kidney, prostate, postmenopausal breast cancer and endometrial (cancer of the uterus lining)
• Heart disease is more prevalent in overweight and obese persons
• There’s a higher incidence of high blood pressure in obese persons
• Obesity increases triglycerides (blood fat) and reduces HDL (good) cholesterol

Losing weight has other benefits beyond medical and health reasons including:

• Increased energy levels
• Ability to play with your children
• Feeling good about yourself and your body image
• Longer life expectancy
• Feeling socially accepted

Although most people would like to live a healthy and vibrant lifestyle, many are hindered by the pressures of everyday life. A multi-billion dollar industry has been built around people’s anguish about excessive weight including personal trainers, calorie and diet cookbooks, specialized diets (like the no-carbohydrate diet and the Atkins diet), low calorie pre-prepared foods, weight management shakes and even plastic surgery.

The health medical reasons to lose weight are tremendous. Many people don’t realize that just cutting out the fact and snacks and increasing exercise is the key. Why waste valuable dollars on dieticians and milk shakes from chemists when the answer is staring you in the face – healthy food and some exercise? But remember to keep it up!