Weight Loss Benefits Extend to Other Health Concerns

Losing weight can help you feel better about yourself -- it can give you more energy and help you more easily complete daily tasks. But more importantly, taking steps to lose weight can positively impact other health issues throughout your body.

Even modest weight loss – considered a loss of10 percent or less of total body weight – can have a significant impact on people with diabetes, high blood pressure, joint problems and mobility, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Some health issues that weight loss can help improve include:

• Diabetes – Losing even a small amount of weight, such as 10 to 15 pounds, can help improve your blood glucose levels (blood sugar levels), according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA). If you do not yet have diabetes, but have pre-diabetes – higher than normal blood sugar level – losing weight can lower your risk of getting diabetes by 58 percent.
• High blood pressure – Being overweight increases your risk of having high blood pressure. Losing just 10 pounds can help lower your blood pressure. Being physically active to lose weight will also help you lower high blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).
• Joint trouble – Carrying extra weight puts a lot of pressure and stress on joints, including hips and knees. Losing weight helps decrease the force that goes across these joints, according to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
• Mobility – Losing weight and increasing your level of physical activity improves the mobility of adults, according to the NIH.

Working to keep the weight off can be a challenge for many people. Losing weight and keeping it off is a lifestyle change, and changing habits – some of which might be lifelong habits – isn’t easy. But you can succeed if you are motivated and dedicated to achieving your goals, according to the NIH. The health benefits are worth the work.

For more information about how weight loss can improve other health issues, talk with your physician or visit Premier Weight Loss Solutions.